August, 2020
W.A.Benbow
Bill Benbow is a writer, researcher and Development Consultant, located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and has acted as the owner’s representative on seniors health care and housing projects by coordinating with Health Authorities and the major consultants and contractors in order to ensure quality, value and efficiency; and compliance with regulations and guidelines. In addition, he monitors the design and construction process to ensure that the project is completed on time and on budget. He has extensive experience as a Project Manager of capital projects and as a Capital Treasury Board Analyst with the BC Provincial Government. The BC Multilevel Care Design Guidelines Review was conducted with his leadership. He is particularly interested in the development and implementation of functional design guidelines in the fields of seniors housing and care facilities and has been published in this area.
PROCESSES:
Mr. Benbow has developed a Best Practice Design Guideline for LTC with a focus on dementia care. He has also created a number of tools for analyzing and planning development projects for seniors: such as, Design element Checklists and Rating forms on design issues for LTC and dementia care, Functional Design and Design Guideline Compliance Audits, and Functional/Space Program templates for Complex Care facility design. These tools can be quite useful in reviewing design concepts and drawings.
He has advised several Provincial Health Authorities on the development of Design Guidelines for LTC facilities.
PUBLICATIONS:
“Facility Design Standards” Canadian Nursing Home, Oct., 2008.
“Small House Designs for Care Facilities” Canadian Nursing Home, March 2012.
“Checklist for Wayfinding Designs in Dementia Care”, Canadian Nursing Home, March, 2013.
“Lighting and Noise Design in Dementia Care”, Canadian Nursing Home, November, 2013.
“Accessibility Checklist for Nursing Homes”, Canadian Nursing Home, December, 2013.
“Importance of Gardens in Dementia Care”, Canadian Nursing Home, March 2014.
“Interior Design of Dementia Care Residences”, Canadian Nursing Home, October, 2014.
“Design features for resident engagement and meaningful activity”, Canadian Nursing Home, December, 2014.
“Nurses’ Stations: Are they essential”, Canadian Nursing Home, September, 2015.
“Environmental interventions to mitigate resident-to-resident aggression”, Canadian Nursing Home, June, 2016.
“Reliable roaming in dementia care”, Canadian Nursing Home, May/June, 2017.
“Quality of Care and Quality of Life in dementia care: Is it time to re-balance?”, Canadian Nursing Home, Vol. 30, No. 2, June/July, 2019.
“Care Villages”, Canadian Nursing Home, Vol.30, No. 4, Dec. 2019.
“Engineering controls for long term care facilities to prevent and manage infectious diseases such as COVID-19”, Canadian Nursing Home, Vol.31, No. 2, July/August, 2020.
Benbow, W. (2022, June) Covid-19 In Long-Term Care: The Built Environment Impact on Infection Control. Health Environments Research & Design Journal, online, https://doi.org/10.1177/19375867221101897)
Benbow, William (Bill), 2024, October). Social Group Density in Long-term Care Nursing Homes: A Narrative Review of the Advantages and Disadvantages of Variations in Care Unit Sizes.
EDUCATION:
Master of Social Work, 1970, Wilfred Laurier University.
EMPLOYMENT:
Oct 2003 to present: Seniors Housing and Health Facility Planner and Writer, Bill Benbow Consulting,
May 2001 to September 2001: Senior Capital Planner, Health Facilities, CRD, Victoria, BC.
July 1997 to April 2001: Project Manager/Treasury Board Analyst, Ministry of Finance, BC, Capital Division.
September 1996– Summer 1997: Manager Residential Policy, Continuing Care Division, Ministry of Health, BC. Regional Program Analyst, Acute Care.
April 1995- Sept 1996: Project Manager, Design and Construction, Ministry of Health, BC.
RECENT PROJECTS:
January 2009 to 2016: George Derby Society, Burnaby: Development Consultant, Planning and Development of Supportive Housing project – Derby Manor.
November 2014 – January 2015: Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness: Review of June 1014 Draft Long Term Care Facility Requirements (Space and Design).
November 2014: Central City Lodge, Vancouver: Review of physical facility with recommendations for upgrades to more Complex Care and Dementia Care.
October 2014: Nanaimo Memory Care: Review of drawings for Memory Care facility with recommendations for compliance with current licensing requirements and Health Authority Standards.
March to May 2013: Belvedere Seniors Living, assisted in preparation of Proposal in response to Fraser Health RFP for additional LTC beds in Surry/White Rock.
2012 – 2013: Kiwanis Pavilion, Victoria: Functional review and Compliance audit of older Long Term Care facility, recommendations for upgrade to improve accessibility and admin with concept drawings.
2012: Vancouver Coastal Health, Powel River, improved Design proposal for 102 bed Complex Care replacement facility and brought it back within budget parameters.
June to July 2011: New Brunswick Ministry of Health: Consulted on review of Design Standards for Nursing Homes with a view to cost saving measures.
Dec 2010 to Feb 2011: Golden Life, Interior BC: Proposals for Golden Life: to Interior Health Authority RFP for Complex Care facilities. (Two successful proposals)
Dec 2009 to February 2010: Turner Lane, Victoria: VIHA RFP for Complex Care and Assisted Living facility; concept drawings for upgrade of existing LTC facility.
September 2009 to 2013: Sooke Elderly Citizens’ Housing Society (SECHS): Development Consultant: to Development Permit approval. (CMHC funding).
July 2008 to 2012:: George Derby Centre: Functional Review, Compliance Audit, Feasibility study and concept drawings for redevelopment of LTC beds.
July 2006 to November 2008: Ayre Manor, Sooke: Development Consultant, project management of planning and construction of Ayre Manor Complex and Dementia Care and Assisted Living Facility.
January 2006 to May 2006: SECHS, Sooke: proposal preparation for VIHA RFP. Successful Proposal.
2006: Vancouver Coastal Health, submissions and consultation re Complex Care Design Guidelines.
August 2005 – January 2006: Pinegrove Place, Richmond: Compliance Audit and Master Plan including concept drawings.
Website: www.wabenbow.com Email: billbenbow@shaw.ca Phone: 250 478-7217 Cell: 250 884-1951