If you are a veteran, you may be eligible to access Carewest Colonel Belcher and attached Designated Assisted Living suites at the Seniors Residence at the Colonel Belcher.
Veterans of the First World War, Second World War and the Korean War who served overseas or received a disability pension during that time period may be eligible for placement at Carewest Colonel Belcher.
- Accommodates 175 residents, 135 of whom are veterans who are eligible for Veterans Affairs Canada funding, and 40 of whom are community seniors.
- Day Support program for veterans and seniors living in the community
- Specially designed areas for seniors with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias
- Links to 175 rental suites in a seniors’ apartment complex, 30 of which are for Designated Assisted Living
- Opened in June 2003
- All resident rooms in the care centre are private with ensuite bathrooms
- Special Legacy Garden
- Woodworking shop, a library, pub and individual legacy cases
- Fireplaces in the living rooms of each home
The new Carewest Colonel Belcher is an integrated model of care that brings together veterans and non-veterans in 12 conceptual homes, each with its own kitchen, dining room and living area. Many of the residents were former residents of the downtown Calgary Colonel Belcher Hospital, built in 1943.
The warm, homelike residential area is connected to a more public plaza with an atrium, pub, chapel and library to bring residents rogether with family, friends and the community. All resident rooms in the care centre are private with ensuite bathrooms.
The Friends of the Colonel Belcher, a non-profit society formed in 1998 to support enhancements to the centre, raised more than $2 million to provide extra amenities including a special Legacy Garden, a woodworking shop, a library, individual legacy cases, stained glass windows for the chapel, a greenhouse and fireplaces in the living rooms of each home.
Funding from Veterans Affairs Canada provides enhanced services, such as palliative care, health promotion, pastoral care and day support.
The Seniors’ Residence at the Colonel Belcher is an apartment with 175 rental suites that is connected to the care centre by a Plus 15 and service tunnel. Carewest contracts some of these suites for Designated Assisted Living (DAL), and supplies a 24-hour emergency response system for residents.
Eligibility is determined by Veterans Affairs Canada through Community Care Access. Assessment for attached Designated Assisted Living rental apartments is also done through Community Care Access.