FILE PHOTO - The Florentine

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A Merritt care home is offering an entire floor to flood evacuees now that it is no longer providing long-term care.

Earlier this year, The Florentine came under Interior Health’s authority due to site and leadership challenges.

The care home decided to stop offering long-term care as it was unable to find enough staff, said president Frank Rizzardo. The complex has 20 long-term care suites and 51 assisted living suites.

In November, Merritt was evacuated as the Coldwater River flooded its banks, causing the wastewater treatment plant to shut down. Many residents are now able to return home but some are still under an evacuation order since their homes don’t have water, sewer, electricity or have been deemed uninhabitable.

READ MORE: Merritt evacuees live in trailer in Walmart parking lot for nearly three weeks following floods

Interior Health evacuated the facility and decided it would permanently relocate the long-term care residents, Rizzardo said.

Currently, a couple from Princeton is staying in a suite since their home was destroyed by a flood and there’s about 19 more rooms that are available, he said.

Evacuees must be double-vaccinated, and must not require care. Pets are also not accepted, Rizzardo said.

“There are a significant number of homes that have been impacted and those individuals in those homes obviously have employment in town, a number of them would be in seniors in need, where else would they go?” he said.

Evacuees will occupy the former long-term care’s second floor, so they will be separate from the other residents, he said.

READ MORE: Merritt woman creates ‘Merritt Strong’ fundraiser for community out of flooded t-shirts

“We have the ability in the kitchen to provide meals and there’s dining,” he said, ideally they’d like to see seniors and families occupy the spaces.

How long evacuees will stay depends on when residents can return home or when they will have the opportunity to stay closer to home, he said.

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