WATSON – The new Watson long-term care home was made possible by local volunteers undertaking 20 per cent of the funding required to build the new home. It will be on a greenfield site north of the Watson Community Health Center and include a new 60-bed facility.
The Quill Plains Centennial Lodge has been an integral part of Watson and the surrounding communities for the last 50 years. The QPHCF said, “In order to ensure that people within our area continue to have access to the high quality of care that they currently receive for many more years to come, a group of concerned citizens from the surrounding communities came together to create a foundation whose purpose is to solicit and apply for funds to enhance the provision of care for the residents now and in the future.”
The new wing will provide more spacious rooms with large doorways to better accommodate the needs of the residents.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health said, “As part of a record $4.4 billion capital plan, the 2024-25 provincial budget has $1.5 million dedicated to advance the Watson long-term care project. The project moved into the pre-design phase, with the release of a request for proposals seeking a team to provide design and design compliance services for the future long-term care home. The existing long-term care home in Watson will eventually be replaced with this new facility.”
The Quill Plains Health Care Foundation is a local non-profit organization that has taken on fundraising for the local share contributions for this project. The Ministry of Health said that the current cost sharing formula for new capital projects is 80 per cent provincial government funding and 20 per cent local funding. In addition, local communities are responsible for 100 per cent of the furniture, fixtures and equipment costs for new capital projects.
In addition to Watson, there are also a number of long-term care infrastructure projects in various stages of development in LaRonge, Grenfell, Regina and Estevan said the Ministry of Health. “Most recently, Northland Pioneers Lodge in Meadow Lake opened in 2022 and earlier this month, the La Ronge long-term care facility replacement project reached 30 per cent completion.”
The Ministry of Health works with the Ministry of SaskBuilds and Procurement and the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) to prioritize health infrastructure projects in the province.
Capital projects are identified and considered each year during the province’s annual budget development process. “When prioritizing potential capital projects, the Government considers the following factors: facility condition and functionality, current and future service delivery needs, workforce availability, population growth, and industry and technology changes.”
If community leaders wish replacement or construction of a long-term care home in their town, they are welcome to contact the SHA to begin discussions on the need and potential for such a project.
