A new accommodation pavilion for 100 seniors has been opened in Olomouc

visualization: ASET studio s.r.o., Olomouc

Olomouc - A new pavilion that will accommodate a hundred seniors was ceremoniously opened today at the Senior Home Pohoda in Olomouc-Chválkovice. The Olomouc Region invested nearly 250 million crowns into the construction of the four-story building. The Olomouc city hall plans to build a new home for seniors on the outskirts of the city with the help of a private investor.
    "We are not increasing the capacity of the home for now. We are relocating existing clients to the new building. After the renovation of older buildings is completed, we will have approximately 90 more places available," said Jiří Floder, director of the Senior Home Pohoda, to reporters today. The Pohoda social facility currently has 217 clients, and provides sheltered housing for another 109 people.
    Clients will be accommodated in the new pavilion in six double and 88 single barrier-free rooms with their own sanitary facilities. "We have also modernized the catering facility, which is already prepared for the planned increase in the number of diners," said Michal Štefl from OHL ŽS, the company that realized the construction.
    The new complex includes a doctor's office, a rehabilitation room, a chapel, and a community hall. Each floor of the new pavilion has been equipped with facilities for the staff. "Thanks to the modern facilities, seniors in Chválkovice will receive above-standard care," noted Governor Jiří Rozbořil (ČSSD).
    The modernization of the premises of the Senior Home Pohoda will continue this autumn, when the renovation of a panel building is planned. After that, insulation of the buildings in the complex of this social facility will follow.
    Currently, there are ten senior homes in the Olomouc region with a total capacity of 935 beds, on which nearly three thousand applications are registered. The waiting period ranges from six months to three years. Only one senior home, Pohoda, operated by the Olomouc Region, functions in Olomouc.
    According to data from the Czech Statistical Office, the average age of residents of Olomouc is gradually increasing. In 2003, it was 39.9 years, and by the end of last year, it had risen to 41.9 years. At the same time, the proportion of people over 65 years is increasing. While in 2003 there were 14,615 living in Olomouc, last year their number rose to 17,679.
    Therefore, the Olomouc city hall has begun preparations for the construction of a new senior home to increase the capacity of these social facilities in the region, as there is an increasing demand for their services due to the gradual aging of the city's population. The city will contribute land to the project, and a private investor is expected to ensure the construction and operation of the home for approximately 80 seniors. The construction costs have been estimated by officials at 90 to 110 million crowns.