Queensway Carleton Hospital opening inpatient unit at Ottawa retirement home
The Queensway Carleton Hospital is closing its off-site care unit at a Kanata hospital, and is opening a new inpatient unit at a retirement home in Ottawa's Central Park neighbourhood.
The west-end hospital took over Fairfield Inn and Suites in April 2020, transforming it into an off-site unit to help alleviate pressure on the hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two floors of the hotel were retrofitted to care for low-acuity, low-risk patients who were able to be safely cared for in an alternate location.
"During a time of great uncertainty, our hospital was able to do something we’ve never done before: transform a hotel into an offsite hospital inpatient unit, thanks to our partnership with Dave and the team at Fairfield Kanata," QCH President and CEO Dr. Andrew Falconer said.
"We’re thankful for their support over the past two years as our teams successfully worked together to care for people in our community."
Hospital officials say as of the end of August, there were 29,219 patient days at the Fairfield Inn.
The Queensway Carleton Hospital moved into the Kanata hotel as it was closed to visitors at the start of the pandemic, and some hotel staff remained employed during the two and a half years.
The general manager of the Fairfield Inn says 60 rooms were used by the hospital, with a dedicated medical team from QCH staffing the facility.
"Our team members were speaking with their loved ones, their family members, regularly as they called," GM Dave Fowler said. "They're guests, right. They're guests and that's how we did our best to kind of treat them that way."
With the hotel-turned-hospital unit closing, the Queensway Carleton Hospital is opening a new off-site inpatient unit at Park Place, an Alavida Lifestyles retirement home.
Queensway Carleton Hospital says Park Place will be equipped with all the care and safety provisions patients receive at the hospital, including beds with rails, enhanced cleaning, access to medications and QCH staff and physicians.
"When we first opened the hotel-turned-hospital, we thought it would be temporary. Over the last two and a half years, it has become a critical part of our operations – enabling us to safely care for more patients than ever before," Falconer said. "Park Place allows us to continue caring for these patients while we plan for the future."
The hospital will have 56 beds at the retirement home across two floors.
"These are patients who no longer require an acute medical bed," QCH Park Place off-site Clinical Manager Jaclyn Drynan said. "They’re still in hospital because they’re requiring more services to potentially get back home or waiting for a placement in retirement home or long-term care."
Staff say the new off-site location at Park Place will bridge the transition from hospital care to a retirement home.
Renovations at Fairfield Inn will begin this fall, with the hotel scheduled to reopen next spring.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Foreign meddling 'did not affect' overall federal election results: inquiry report
A federal commission of inquiry says foreign interference by China did not affect the overall results of the 2019 and 2021 general elections won by Justin Trudeau's Liberals.
TD penalties expected to be higher on alleged drug money laundering link: analyst
A banking analyst says TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Magnitude 4.8 earthquake recorded west of Vancouver Island
A 4.8-magnitude earthquake was reported west of Vancouver Island Thursday evening.
Biscuits with possible plastic pieces, metal found in ground pork: Here are the recalls for this week
Here are the latest recalls Canadians should watch out for, according to Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
How falling for a stranger she met on a beach led this woman to ditch the U.S. for the French Riviera
Niki Benjamin, from the U.S., had travelled to a paradise island to do some soul searching, and her life ended up going in a very different direction when her dog ran up to a stranger.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Princess Anne to take part in B.C. ceremony bringing new ship into Pacific fleet
Western Canada's first Arctic and Offshore Patrol Vessel will officially be brought into the Pacific fleet today and Princess Anne, the sister of King Charles, is scheduled to take part in its commissioning ceremony.
BREAKING Winnipeg man accused of killing four women will be tried by jury
A Winnipeg man accused of killing four Indigenous women will have his case heard by a jury.
Wally, the emotional support alligator once denied entry to a baseball game, is missing
Emotional support animal registrations in the United States reached 115,832 last year, by an industry group’s count. But in the eyes of reptile rescuer Joie Henney, there’s only one: 'Wally Gator.'