Heather Wright/The Independent

It will likely be February before the first residents move into the new Small Home at Lambton Meadowview Villa.

That from Michael Gorgey, general manager of long-term care in Lambton. Construction of the $12.2 million facility for people with dementia is expected to be complete by the end of November. But it will take some time to move people in.

In the first weeks of December, Gorgey said, the county will be working to make sure any deficiencies are taken care of and the furniture and equipment is moved it.

That doesn’t leave enough time for the Ministry of Long-Term Care to inspect the 12-bed home before the Christmas holidays.

“We expect to have that inspection the second or third week of January, and (the MLTC) have 14 days to provide us with the results. With this timeline, we expect to have residents move in the first or second week of February,” Gorgey said in an email to The Independent.

Gorgey says the residents have tentatively been chosen to move into the home-like environment from Meadowview – where up to 87 per cent of the residents have dementia.

The potential residents won’t be told of the move until the county is approved to occupy the building.

Staff from Meadowview will fill the 16 positions created in the Small House and more staff will be hired at the home.

Lambton is raising $1.5 million to help finish the project, including the internal garden.

So far, $67,116 has been raised.