November 23, 2023
Helen Gulevich, Co-Chair of the Norwood Resident Council, says she’s excited to move into her new room at Norwood West. Existing Norwood residents were given the opportunity to choose their rooms in the new tower. Gulevich chose hers for the view; she loves people-watching. Photo by Evan Isbister.
Minister of Infrastructure Pete Guthrie, left, Christine Zwozdesky, Aileen Wong, Chief Operating Officer for CapitalCare, Helen Gulevich, Co-Chair of the Norwood Resident Council, and Health Minister Adriana LaGrange came together at the end of October to celebrate the grand opening of Norwood West at the Gene Zwozdesky Centre. The new tower supports a variety of needs for long-term care residents along with community care programs and initiatives. Photo by Evan Isbister.
Story by Kirsten Goruk | Photos by Evan Isbister
EDMONTON — It’s a grand opening that’s been years in the making. Staff have begun to welcome patients and residents to the newly opened Norwood West, part of the Gene Zwozdesky Centre.
To mark this important achievement, leadership from government, Alberta Health Services (AHS), and CapitalCare gathered in October with members of the media to celebrate what is certainly a notable investment in healthcare for the Edmonton Zone.
“AHS is proud to be a part of this important expansion in care. Norwood West represents the future of healthcare, offering welcoming, comfortable rooms for its residents, while also offering community and preventative care services,” says Eleanor Risling, Executive Director, Continuing Care for Edmonton Zone.
With Norwood West ready for residents, the tower will increase the number of post-acute and specialty continuing care beds to 234 from 205 — and that number will jump to 350 once the Norwood East renovations are completed.
The facility also includes the CHOICE program for elderly care, hemodialysis, pulmonary rehabilitation as well as the respiratory outreach and respiratory benefits program. The new campus will also support continuing care education and research, a specialty dental clinic and the community paramedic program.
“We are delighted to welcome residents to their beautiful new home and patients to the modern services at the Gene Zwozdesky Centre,” says Aileen Wong, Chief Operating Officer, CapitalCare.
“These innovative spaces will assist us in providing quality care and quality of life to the diverse population we serve in continuing care and in our community programs.
CapitalCare will continue to run the facility as it’s always done, with the support of AHS and Covenant Health, which will both run programming out of Norwood West.
The 40,000-square-metre building boasts many special touches, including lots of storage space in every resident’s room, a memory box and chalkboard attachments outside of each room, and specialized wayfinding that incorporates colours, names and wildlife.
When the tower was designed, residents were included in the process and encouraged to offer feedback and suggestions.
“We’re excited to be the first residents in this new space,” says Helen Gulevich, Co-Chair of the Norwood Resident Council. “We’ll be able to explore the new gardens and spaces to visit with family and friends and make the space our own.”
