'Health stay suites' not for addiction treatment says Sicamous town manager

The phrase "health stay suites" and surrounding wording in the initial grant application for Shuswap Healing Centre funding has been cause for confusion in Sicamous.

At District of Sicamous council's Nov. 24 meeting, town manager Evan Parliament acknowledged the "ambiguous" language surrounding the suites and clarified what they actually are in a verbal report to the public.

Once again, he strongly emphasized the suites — and the Shuswap Healing Centre itself — aren't for overnight addiction treatment.

There will likely only be one or two suites, depending on budget. They'll primarily be used for visiting physicians and other health professionals, said Parliament.

For example, if a doctor came to Sicamous to fill in for another that's away, the visiting doctor could stay overnight in a suite, which has a bed and a washroom, but no kitchen.

Another possible use for the suites is by senior patients who don't have a caregiver with them. A patient could stay in the suite for a while — not overnight — while they wait for an appointment, or to be picked up.

Coun. Jeff Mallmes asked if a senior could stay in the suite for a few hours while their caregiver went to grocery shop or run errands; he's heard people could benefit from that service.

Parliament said as long as the room is free, that would be possible. It would be up to the discretion of the healing centre's manager and team but, he emphasized as a healing centre, it's there to help people as much as possible.

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