The new St. George's rest home will be ready for operation by early 2005, Health Minister Patrice Minors told the House of Assembly.

The re-structuring and upgrading of rest homes and long-term care facilities has been one of the Health Departments four biggest challenges, she said last week.

The other three were listed as making life in Bermuda more accessible to those with disabilities, safety in the workplace and workers' protection, and asbestos abatement.

The St. George's Care Facility, she added, is "critical and long overdue". A study on eldercare showed a severe lack of such facilities in the eastern parishes as well as a need for more intermediate care.

The new facility, which Works and Engineering recently received final planning approval for, will help to ease some of those gaps by providing multi-levels of care, as well as community activities and family events.

The tenders are out, Mrs. Minors said, and contracting decisions are expected to be made by early next month. The facility is expected to be able to accommodate more than 40 seniors permanently, with five more rooms set aside for respite care. "We hope to be ready for operation by early 2005."

Opposition Seniors spokesperson Louise Jackson was doubtful about that claim, however.

Pointing out that the roof of Lefroy House is still not repaired six months after it was damaged in Hurricane Fabian, Mrs. Jackson said: "We have no real hope of ever having a rest home in St. George's if we can't get a roof over these people's heads."

Government MP Ottiwell Simmons said the roof was at least in a non-residential part of the building and had not affected residents. "I agree it should be fixed, however, and we will do so," he added.

Ms Jackson maintained 12 seniors had to be displaced because of the roof damage, however. As for the remaining rest homes, they are not getting enough money, she said, citing Pembroke Rest Home in particular.

Workers in the homes are "burned out", she said, and too often the homes resemble warehouses more than a place of rest.

She also returned to the question of when the St. George's Care Facility will be complete. "I'm hoping it's not going to be another Berkeley Institute joke ... I mean, new senior secondary school."