Presentation

The Paganini Rè House came into being thanks to the generosity of Mrs. Flora Paganini Rè, who established it in 1918 as the new Foundation of the Pio Ricovero Paganini Rè for the Invalids of Bellinzona, leaving the buildings she owned for that purpose.

 

The Paganini Rè Foundation Home is not contracted with the Canton for recurring subsidies, but is in receipt of a performance mandate inherent in LAMAL costs. It does, however, benefit from contributions from the City of Bellinzona and several municipalities that have their citizens in the Institute.

 

Hosts 97 people, more than 70% of whom are citizens of Bellinzona, as per the Foundation's commitment to the City Hall of the City. About a hundred people are employed in our House for a corresponding of about 70 full-time work units.

 

The House constantly strives to make the residents' stay as comfortable as possible, in absolute compliance with the legal constraints required by the Canton for facilities in the sector. A commitment that is also reflected in the constant updating of staff training, with the intention of ensuring very personal and human care for residents, in the daily effort to live in the best possible way the philosophy of the Home, which puts the resident at the center of attention.

 

At Paganini Rè there are the Sisters of the Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. They still constitute an important spiritual reference point, particularly appreciated by the residents of the House.

 

Thanks also and especially to the foresight of the administrative bodies that preceded us and the benevolence of benefactors, the facility has been expanded and modernized on several occasions. Even at present it is constantly being adapted to the changing needs of the time.

 

History

The Foundress had left a property in the St. John neighborhood that was unsuitable for the purpose, so in 1919 the property at parcel 861, which was a former Capuchin convent, adjacent to the Church of Our Lady of Grace in Bellinzona, was purchased.


The Convent Becomes Shelter

The old Shelter was purchased at a bargain price, the area was over 11,500 m2. There was an adaptation to accommodate the disabled and elderly, the renovation was implemented in two definite stages:

1. The first stage (July 1919 - March 1921) was aimed at the less
old part of the building, only the most urgent works were carried out due
to the lack of financial availability.
The floor that was renovated was the upper floor, the friars' cells were
restructured into small rooms for the inpatients.
The lower floor was not renovated for fear of landslides.

2. The second stage was carried out with more money available. The
work was carried out with a definite program, tending to the creation of a
institution of assistance to the needy. Beginning in 1921, the number of inpatients increased year by year, to 115 in 1978.

New building

In 1972 the new wing that was added to the Convent part was built, the structure was expanded by adding 3 floors (one underground and two outside). The buildings were connected with a covered passageway.

When all the work was completed the three floors were composed as follows:

• Cellar Floor: shelters (which will be used as storage rooms), cellars, technical rooms and employee dressing rooms.

• Ground Floor: the rooms for the daily life of inpatients, such as the refectory, work room and health services, two men's and women's infirmary wards, a chapel, a medical consultation room, offices, corridors and stairways.

• First Floor: two-bed rooms and single rooms. Each room was furnished. In addition to two staircases, the second floor could be reached by a large elevator.

 

 

The first renovations

From 1983 to 1989 there was another major expansion of the house in its southern part with an addition of 5 rooms on the ground and second floors.
In 1995-6 the building built in 1972 was almost totally modernized to meet the needs of the increasingly less self-sufficient residents, more than one m2 of rooms were expanded and there is now a service in each. A conference room was also built.

 

On Dec. 31, 1996, there was a ruinous fire that partly involved the former convent of the Rest Home and the Church of St. Mary of Grace destroyed. The church has currently been rebuilt. The former convent was damaged especially in the part near the church. In the same year the damaged part was rebuilt. During the renovations, residents were moved to the two halls on the first floor of the new wing as well as to other old people's homes and hospitals.

Unfortunately, this fire caused no casualties but "only" very extensive property damage.

During April 1997 a whirlwind damaged the roof being redone and part of it had to be re-roofed.

 

In 2000 at the PT ward a ward dining room was built where a garden had previously stood. Also in this year, four- and three-bed rooms were eliminated in all wards, with the exception of ward 1 A (former convent) where there is still a three-bed room.
 

The facility until 2016

 

ALA MAZZOLA
The second floor (ward 1B) houses 45 people, divided into single and double rooms, each with a private bathroom. The ward also houses the
pharmacy, medical bathroom
(room with medicalized bathtub), refectory and kitchenette.
On the ground floor there is a treatment ward (PT) that houses 18 people also in single and double rooms, with private bathroom for each room. In the ward there are also the
infirmary rooms, kitchenette, dining room, medical bathroom.
On the ground floor there are also common rooms such as: chapel, administrative offices, refectory and conference rooms.

 

EX COVENTO
The second floor (ward 1A) houses 30 people divided into single, double and a 3-bed room. All rooms have private bathrooms, except for 3 rooms that have shared bathrooms. Also located in the ward are the premises: infirmary, refectory with kitchenette, two medical bathrooms, pharmacy.
On the ground floor are the common rooms such as: central kitchen, bar, entertainment, laundry, rehabilitation and the mortuary.

 

To reach the upper floors in both buildings, one can use the main internal or service stairs and two large elevators that can transport beds and people. Each room has identification written on the door, while the residents' rooms can be identified with the number and name of the residents.