Local News
Rest Haven PCH now fully open
Rest Haven personal care home in Steinbach is now in a position to move to full capacity. However, Tannis Nickel, Chief Executive Officer for HavenGroup says it will likely still be 2025 before all 143 rooms are full. On May 13, 2022, the ribbon was cut officially opening the expanded PCH in Steinbach. Even though the expansion was complete, that did not mean that Rest Haven was able to immediately fill all the rooms in the 143-bed facility. HavenGroup said from day one that it would be some time yet before all beds would be occupied, noting that the expansion required the hiring of at least 150 new staff. Rest Haven consists of 12 homes. Each of the homes, except for one, has 12 resident rooms. One of the homes has two bariatric rooms, and as a result, has only 11 resident rooms. Up until just recently, two of the homes were not open. But that all changed in the last week. "In the last week we opened our last two homes, so we are fully open now," notes Nickel. "All 12 homes are open, and we have the ability to admit up to 143 people to move in and call Rest Haven home." Nickel calls it "amazing" to be in this position. She says they have hired most of the necessary staff to make this possible, noting they are still looking for some Licensed Practical Nurses. "Staffing with resident assistants and doctors and most of the nursing staff, activity staff, all the frontline dietary, laundry, every department is fully staffed now and we're able to support 143 people that live here," she says. Further to that, Nickel says their member churches have graciously supported them in adding a part-time chaplain. The opening of the last two homes means there has been some shuffling of residents in recent days. Nickel explains that some residents had been eyeing a room on the main floor. With the recent opening of rooms on that floor, Nickel says they are now able to relocate some residents within the facility. Nickel says residents at Rest Haven have different preferences when it comes to the placement of their rooms. She notes some residents prefer a west-facing room on the third floor to view the sunset each evening. Others want an east-facing room to see the Steinbach Credit Union building. Still other residents are most interested in a main floor room that has easy access to common areas. Ann Harder moved to Rest Haven nearly two months ago. Harder was born in Paraguay and moved to Niverville as a young girl. She lived there for 57 years before moving to Rest Haven. Harder, who relies on a wheelchair to get around, says one of the things that drew her to Rest Haven is just how wheelchair-friendly the PCH is. Harder says she attended the grand opening in 2022 and knew right then and there that Rest Haven was where she wanted to live. Harder says when she first moved in, she occupied a room on the third floor. However, moving to the main floor was always her preference, as it meant using the elevator less. When the last two homes opened earlier this month, a move to the main floor suddenly became an option for her, and she made the swap. "This is the room I chose a year ago," says Harder. "Now it became available and now I'm here." Harder says she loves being a resident at Rest Haven, noting she is seldom in her room and takes part in as many activities as she can. "I go for chapel, I love that, church on Sundays," she says. "I like bingo, I like the exercise, I do everything." Not only that, but Harder also has siblings in the area and says she has the freedom to visit her sister daily who lives just down the street. "It takes me seven minutes to go there," says Harder, noting she wears out a lot of tires on her wheelchair with her active lifestyle. Harder says making the move from the third floor to the main floor was not a lot of work. She says her home is now half full, with six rooms still open. For anyone considering adding their name or a loved one to the waiting list at Rest Haven, Harder gives a glowing endorsement. "This is the place to be, feels like home," she says, noting the staff is very helpful and friendly. "I just love it here." Meanwhile, Nickel says they are slowly admitting new residents. She notes they learned some lessons, early on, when they attempted to admit 11 or 12 people very quickly. Nickel says that did not give the resident the focused care with staffing. As a result, they are now attempting one or two admissions per week. "(That) looks like something that can be sustainable over a long period of time for the staff and for the people moving in and for the existing residents or people who live here to get to know the new residents that are moving in," adds Nickel. "Everybody has their own personalities, and we really try to match the home to a resident that feels right." Nickel says Rest Haven is still a ways from being at full capacity but is something she says will likely happen by next spring. According to Nickel, their wait list remains stable at five to nine months. However, she says the wait lists at other facilities in the area are probably now shorter as a result of the Rest Haven expansion.