WATSON, Sask. — Early planning is underway for the Quill Plains Centennial Lodge long-term care home in Watson.
A needs assessment for Quill Plains Centennial Lodge began in October 2022 and is now complete.
The needs assessment work focused on current and future demographic trends, clinical needs, bed numbers, the condition of the current facility and the type of future spaces required, according to a Saskatchewan Health press release.
The needs assessment identified the future need for approximately seven additional long-term care beds for the community. This is expected to bring the total number of beds in Watson to approximately 60 from the current 53 beds. A business case will be developed to validate the bed numbers based on the cost estimates and other parameters.
Business case development includes: an analysis of infrastructure options; scoping of building and land size requirements; environmental and heritage reviews; a traffic impact assessment; utility, zoning, drainage and geotechnical scanning; a preliminary high-level cost estimate of each option; and a Procurement Options Analysis to determine the best procurement strategy.
The business case phase prepares the project team to enter into pre-design and design and supports the fundraising efforts of the community.
The 2023-24 budget earmarked $1 million for the Watson Long-Term Care redevelopment project.