Four years ago Sooke Elderly CitizensB次元官网网址� Housing Society received a development permit for a much needed expansion to its facilities at Ayre Manor.

Recently, the society had to renew that permit for another three years, still hopeful it would eventually be able to expand to meet the communityB次元官网网址檚 needs.

But despite having had the plans developed and being B次元官网网址渟hovel readyB次元官网网址� for years, itB次元官网网址檚 unlikely that there will be any increase in the number of beds for Sooke seniors any time soon, says Tim Orr, director of residential services for the Vancouver Island Health Authority.

B次元官网网址淭here is only so much funding available and a lot of care homes that would like to have additional beds. Right now our priority is the central and North Island. I couldnB次元官网网址檛 give you an estimate of when funding would be available for Sooke or the Greater Victoria area. It may be years,B次元官网网址� said Orr.

The relationship between VIHA and SECHS ability to build an addition to the facility in Sooke is a complicated one.

VIHA does not provide the funds for the physical construction of the addition to the manor. Those funds are available through B.C. Housing as interim financing and then assumed by a mortgage through a traditional lender like a bank.

But neither B.C. Housing or the banks will provide funds until VIHA commits to subsidizing the 68 new beds in the new addition to ensure a revenue flow that would allow SECHS to cover the mortgage.

Without the subsidy, SECHS would not be able to fill the beds as the costs to the clients are generally prohibitive, approaching $90,000 per year.

With that subsidy not in the cards, the human impact of the situation can be devastating, says Sandy Pedneult, chair of SECHS.

B次元官网网址淲e have Sooke residents in need of care who are currently being housed in a care home in Victoria. They only want to come back to their home community as they are far away from their loved ones and the community where theyB次元官网网址檝e always lived with no options to come home to Sooke,B次元官网网址� Pedneult said.

She explained that Ayre Manor provides a continuum of care that ranges from independent living to assisted living and all the way to two hospice care beds at the facility.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 always been our intention to have a full range of care options so that a resident can move from one level of care to another as they age and require more care. That doesnB次元官网网址檛 work when all the spaces are full,B次元官网网址� she said.

The situation is so difficult that there have been cases of clients hiding their increased care needs from workers.

B次元官网网址淭hey know that if they need to move into a higher level of care and no spots are available here, they may end up having to move out of the community to an open spot somewhere else on the Island,B次元官网网址� said Kerry Williams, director of administration for Ayre Manor.

B次元官网网址淭hey hide the fact that they need more help because they donB次元官网网址檛 want to leave their home community, and I understand that. They shouldnB次元官网网址檛 have to. We owe them more than that.B次元官网网址�