Broadacres Care Facility opening doors Wednesday, August 1
By Erin Perkins
Rod Gustafson’s dream to open his assisted living and respite care facility has finally come to fruition.
The Broadacres Care Facility, located on Carson Road in Grand Forks, will be officially opening with two patients on Wednesday, Aug. 1.
While he won`t be housing long-term heavier care clients as he had originally hoped for, Gustafson is thrilled to finally be throwing the doors open to help others.
“It`s been a long time coming,“ said Gustafson, owner and operator of the Broadacres Care Facility. “And I`m glad I can provide at least 14 beds for the community. It will be a positive thing for the community.“
As of Wednesday, Broadacres will have 24-hour staff including a cook, a licensed practical nurse and Gustafson, who is a registered nurse. The two new residents are moving from other communities to be closer to family who live in the Boundary region, said Gustafson. As an assisted living facility, residents don`t require heavy care, just some extra support.
Broadacres has 14 beds — 12 of which are currently empty. Clients can choose between a private one bed room for $2,400 a month or a shared two bed room for $2,000 a month. There is also respite care available for full-time caregivers who need a break, said Gustafson.
“We`ll be offering a homey atmosphere,“ he said.
“We are absolutely thrilled for Rod (Gustafson),” said Christine Thompson, chair of the Concerned Citizens for Community Health Care (CCCHC). “That is just the best news and we wish him every success. (The facility) is going to create more jobs, allow seniors who require some care, and are in the position to pay for the care, to stay in our community and be close to family and friends.”
The CCCHC has been a tireless supporter of the Broadacres Facility. They saw the empty building as going to waste after the Interior Health Authority (IHA) chose another bidder to provide complex care beds for seniors in his newly renovated building in April 2011.
“Rod (Gustafson) has been put through the grill that was not necessary if IHA had chosen to work with him to ensure requirements were met,” said Thompson, who brought up the same topic during the public meeting with IHA executives earlier this year.
Gustafson’s journey began in 2004 when he purchased the property, which was home to adults with developmental challenges until it closed in the 1990s. He spent more than $1 million renovating the building, bringing it up to code and also applying some green building practices including the installation of a geothermal heating and cooling system.
In a contract tendering process, IHA awarded Golden Life Management, a company out of Cranbrook, to build a new seniors facility.
After loosing the bid, Gustafson was facing financial difficulties and was trying to recoup some of his investment by selling the property.
Broadacres is now opening as a privately-funded facility with no assistance from IHA. Gustafson’s operations will be monitored as an assisted care facility under the Community Care and Assisted Living Act in accordance with the provincial government.
For more information about Broadacres, visit their website at www.broadacresbc.com or drop by and check out the facility. Applications for residents are currently being taken.
