Nova Scotia Hospital

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Nova Scotia Hospital
Established 1856
Construction Began 1858
Opened 1858
Current Status Active
Building Style Kirkbride Plan Cottage Plan
Location Halifax, NS
Alternate Names
  • Mount Hope Asylum for the Insane



The Nova Scotia Hospital was first drafted as a collaboration between then Halifax Mayor Hugh Bell and Dorothea Lynde Dix in 1852, with construction finishing on the first building in 1856. Throughout its life, the Nova Scotia Hospital became the largest psychiatric and teaching hospital in Nova Scotia, and Atlantic Canada. Construction of various buildings providing services to adolescent, adult, and geriatric patients in varying levels of care from outpatients, day program, to long term care occurred throughout its active lifespan. The campus location is located along the shore of the Halifax Harbour.

History

Being gainfully occupied was considered to be very beneficial for their treatment. From 1859 until 1878 it appeared that manual labour, walking about the grounds, and general amusement was the form of treatment used. In 1878 Dr. DeWolfe recommended that there be special facilities for the care of the chronically insane, that there be some system of follow-up whereby convalescent patients can be kept under some supervision near their home and that the whole problem of supervision of jails, poor houses, asylums, etc., should be under Government supervision to insure that good conditions exist in these institutions. He recommended the “Cottage System” in which the patients would be maintained in small groups in home-like situations. Also recommended was that the Counties single or with two or more associated, should erect cottages, or small asylums to accommodate from 50 to 100 inmates, not less that one to three miles from the village or town, with not less than an acre of good farming land to each of the estimated population. This apparently was the beginning of the County Home System in Nova Scotia.

The year 1892 saw the beginning of the first Laboratory. This included a Thermostat, Hot Air Sterilizer, Steam Sterilizer, and other Bacteria Culture apparatus. The air on the wards did not indicate encouraging results. Crowded conditions led to the impurity of the air and something had to be done. It was found that a number of the patients had Tuberculosis, and this was causing concern, as there was not proper way of isolation these patients. In 1893 the use of mechanical restraints as means of controlling violent and destructive patients had been practically abolished. It was felt that by extra attention on the part of the nurses, and interesting the patients in some other kind of work, would attain the end of what was considered unnecessary restraint.

In the years of 1900-1902 the Superintendent became quite concerned over the lack of treatment facilities which were being offered, and he questioned why it was any wonder that 55% of the patients coming to the hospital had remained insane, and it was not rather a marvel that so many had recovered under conditions so unfavourable. He stressed the need for a small admission building, planned very differently from the present hospital building into which a new patient could be received without being at the very outset compelled to associate with others in various stages of mental degradation, and without being made to feel that he is but one of a vast community in which the share of attention he can receive is very much smaller than that which he feels his case demands.

In 1952, the newly constructed EC Purdy building was completed. This was known at the time as the Admissions Building or the South Unit.

In 1968 a nurses residence, Simpson Hall, was opened.

Named after one of the hospitals founders, Hugh Bell, the Hugh Bell Central Services Building opened in 1974. It features a full service kitchen and cafeteria, pool, gymnasium, library, and houses the maintenance shop.

The boiler plant and laundry services facility were housed in one building. The laundry services facility was contracted to also provide services for other hospitals in the district in Halifax and rural areas, including the Cole Harbour Rehab. In 1976, the boiler plant was expanded to provide capacity apart of a contract for the newly constructed Dartmouth General Hospital which was built across the street from the Nova Scotia Hospital.

1992 saw the construction and opening of the new 'Extended Care Facility' named Mount Hope Building.

The DeWolfe Building was demolished in October of 1996. Nearly a decade later, the land in which the DeWolfe building resided on was sold to the Nova Scotia Community College to build their new campus.

In the year 2000, the Nova Scotia Hospital became apart of the Capital District Health Authority and subsequently merged with the Dartmouth General Hospital.

Simpson Hall was demolished in 2004, and in 2012 Simpson Landing was constructed in the same location and used as a transitional care unit.

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