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Interior Health evacuates Kimberley facilities

Residents at Kimberley Special Care Home and Garden View Village evacuted
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Buses are lined up at the Kimberley Special Care Home in Kimberley as a precautionary evacuation has begun. Corey Bullock file.

As a precaution, Interior Health has begun relocating residents and clients from its facilities in Kimberley, due to the evacuation alert.

IH Communications Consultant Haley Allen says the precautionary relocation affects residents from Kimberley Special Care Home and assisted living clients from Garden View Village, as well as vulnerable clients in the community.

Interior Health released a further information update on Friday afternoon. It reads as follows”

Interior Health (IH) is relocating residents and clients from its facilities in Kimberley due to an evacuation alert related to wildfires burning in the region.

The relocation affects residents from Kimberley Special Care Home and assisted living clients from Garden View Village, as well as vulnerable clients in the community. It is a precautionary measure Interior Health takes to ensure the safety of people in care in response to wildfire risk.

Golden Life Management issued a statement that the Garden View Village evacuation began at 10 a.m. on Friday, with residents being taken care of by local family members or bussed to Joseph Creek Village in Cranbrook.

“Assisted Living residents will stay at Joseph Creek Village where we can continue to provide their housing, hospitality and personal care needs until the alert is lifted,” reads the statement. “The remaining residents will be provided accommodation in a local hotel and will have access to our shuttle bus service to attend activities, meals as well as access any other additional supports that they may require during this time.”

Services at the Kimberley Health Centre remain open at this time.

Our priority is to ensure the smooth transition of care for residents and clients. Health-care staff are assessing each individual and determining the best place to safely relocate them based on their specific care needs.

Collaboration is occurring with a number of agencies to ensure the safe relocation of individuals in care. Some residents and clients were able to go to their family members’ homes. Interior Health is also contacting community care clients and their families to ensure their care needs are being looked after during the evacuation alert.

Interior Health is in the process of contacting families whose loved ones are being relocated to provide information on where their family members are being moved.

· Recognizing this will take some time, for family members seeking information about where their loved ones have been relocated, a call line has also been established through the IH Patient Care Quality Office (PCQO). The toll-free number is 1-877-442-2001. PCQO staff will respond to calls as soon as possible. Individuals can also make contact by email, at PCQO@interiorhealth.ca.

Patients needing health-care services should take note of the following:

· In an emergency, call 9-1-1

· For non-urgent matters, attend the emergency department at East Kootenay Regional Hospital in Cranbrook

· If you’re unsure of your health care needs, please consider calling HealthLink BC at 8-1-1, to speak to a registered nurse, dietitian or pharmacist

Interior Health is committed to ensuring patient care and safety is maintained as individuals are relocated. Residents will be updated if there are further service changes, and will also be notified when Kimberley Special Care Home and Garden View Village are back to full operations.

Please refer to our Major Events page on the IH website for further information.



Carolyn Grant

About the Author: Carolyn Grant

I have been with the Kimberley Bulletin since 2001 and have enjoyed every moment of it.
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