(CHARLOTTE HELSTON / iNFOnews.ca)
April 17, 2024 - 4:30 PM
Interior Health has less than half of its complex care beds occupied in Kamloops as the province announces funding for 20 more.
That's more than a year after the scattered facilities in repurposed homes started opening in Kamloops for clients who are among the hardest to house and care for.
It's a program designed for people who are often homeless and have overlapping issues, like addictions and mental health issues.
The Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions announced new provincial funding this week for more than 200 new beds in these facilities across the province.
READ MORE: 40 new complex care housing units coming to Kelowna
It's not clear what's in store for the 20 new Kamloops spaces. The ministry said it's still in planning stages, so while a location hasn't been chosen, it's also not clear whether Interior Health will opt for a single facility this time.
The health authority would not answer questions about the complex care expansion.
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Interior Health's complex care model in Kamloops, contracted to Active Care Services, has several clients in a home with 24/7 care. In addition to the in-home care aids, Interior Health offers a range of periodic health-care and social worker appointments for the residents.
One of those homes in Valleyview was torched last year, allegedly by one of its residents. It hasn't yet reopened and took four beds out of circulation in the Kamloops complex care program.
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