Westman family helps fund 'first of its kind' seniors emergency space at South Health Campus

A $3 million contribution by the Westman Charitable Foundation will help to fund Western Canada’s first designated emergency space for senior patients at the South Health Campus.

The Westman Family Seniors’ Emergency Pod is designed to address the risks and needs of senior emergency patients with 15 dedicated care spaces built for comfort, safety and privacy, and staffed with a team with expertise in caring for older adults.

“Emergency rooms are fairly chaotic. They’re loud, they’re very busy, and often people are in emergency for many hours before they find room on a ward,” said Paul Rossmann, president and CEO of the Calgary Health Foundation.

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“This is a custom-built space that is built for seniors,” he said, adding that the space will include noise dampening, rubber floors, mobility assistance, and space for caregivers to stay.

Seniors, particularly those with dementia, are particularly vulnerable to developing delirium when in an emergency room, which is a sudden and acute change in mental state that is associated with significant mortality rates.

The pod’s design and specialized staff are geared toward preventing, screening for and managing delirium, Rossmann said.

“It’s an internal space, but there are going to be virtual windows and skylights that will get lighter during the day and darker at night . . . so people have a sense of the time and they don’t lose that circadian rhythm. Those kinds of things contribute to delirium,” he said.

“There’s just far better care in a custom-built environment that is staffed with people to be able to treat that.”

Though other hospitals across Canada have geriatric teams in the emergency departments, having a designated space for senior patients will bring an elevated level of care to the South Health Campus, Rossmann said.

The space is projected to see about 10,000 patients per year, which will also reduce wait times in the existing emergency room.

The Westman Charitable Foundation’s contribution makes up more than half of the total $5.25 million to be raised by the Calgary Health Foundation for the construction of the space and its equipment. Once complete, its operations will be funded by Alberta Health Services.

To date, $3.5 million has been raised, and Rossmann said the project is estimated to be completed by the fall of 2027.