Providence Living at The Views

Providence Living at The Views, located in Comox, BC, is Canada’s first publicly funded, non-profit long-term care village inspired by the Dutch De Hogeweyk dementia village. Since opening in July 2024, it has been showing a new way forward for long-term care, moving beyond the traditional, task-oriented, institutional model to a social relational approach.

At the heart of this change is the Home For Us Model of care, a new social relational approach that puts residents’ autonomy, routines, and preferences at the centre of daily life. Every day begins and ends on the residents’ terms. Each of the 13 households has its own kitchen and outdoor spaces, so residents can wake up when they like, pour a cup of coffee or tea, and take a stroll through the courtyard or sit and enjoy the sun on their balcony.

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Reimagine long-term care as a place to live, not just receive care. Shifting from institutional, hospital-like settings to a small household model, with village amenities that feel welcoming and familiar.

Redefine how care is delivered, introducing new staffing roles and team-based approaches that reflect residents’ needs and make person-centred care the standard.

Transform the culture of care, shift from checklists and tasks to a social-relational approach that blends health, social, and emotional support.

Support resident-driven days, ensuring older adults are in control of their day, when they wake up, what they eat, and the activities they engage in.

Built with scale in mind, this model is evaluated in real-time, supporting continuous learning and adjustments as the needs and profiles of residents change.

Residents live in 12-person households, each with a private bedroom and bathroom. Every household also includes a dining room, living room, kitchen, and balcony, offering spaces to cook, share meals, and relax with friends. The village is designed to feel like a small community, with everyday amenities like a grocery store, bistro, art studio, and hairdresser, helping residents stay engaged in the routines of daily life.

Trying something new is like charting unknown territory, you know where you want to get to but not necessarily what road to take to get there. That’s why Providence Living has teamed up with the Senior Care Research Team at the Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes. Together, they’re carrying out a developmental evaluation, looking at what life and work were like in the old environment and model of care, and comparing it to the new village and Home for Us approach. By tracking progress and impact in near real-time, the team can make adjustments based on the experiences of staff and residents. This guidance helps ensure the model works well and creates a roadmap for introducing this new model of long-term care in other contexts. The Conconi Family Foundation provided anchor funding to support the rollout of the evaluation. 

It takes a village, and we’re incredibly grateful to the many partners, including  Providence Living, the Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes, Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation, Victoria Eldercare Foundation, St. Paul’s Foundation, and other philanthropic supporters, who have come together to bring Providence Living at The Views to life.

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Providence Living at The Views: Interview with Residents and Families

Hear firsthand how the shift to a resident-driven, social-relational model of long-term care impacts residents and families.

Tara Muir

Meet Tara, she owns and runs the Revocco Coffee Shop at Providence Living at The Views. A trained Red Seal chef, she was previously in charge of High Tea at the Empress in Victoria before becoming a Care Aide at The Views. Today, she brings those two worlds together, preparing delicious treats for residents, visitors, and staff at her Cafe.

Latest Scoop

Tour Providence Living at The Views

Walk through the village with the CEO of Providence Living, Mark Blandford.

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Meet Brenda, Melissa, and Vikas

Hear directly from the people in the new staffing roles about the impact of the new model.

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Meet Kelley and Stu

How does the “Home For Us” model of #LTC differ from traditional, institutional care?

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