Seniors weigh in on county’s seniors housing pilot project

Mar 22, 2012

Photo:Frontenac County CAO Elizabeth Savill receives input from Verona and area seniors in one of eight public meetings held across the county.

On March 14 close to 50 seniors from Verona and the surrounding area attended one of eight public consultation meetings organized by the County of Frontenac. The meetings were held to gain community input from seniors in order to identify a preferred seniors community housing project for the county.

County CAO Liz Savill led the meeting, which took place at the Verona Lions hall. Savill said the aim of the study is to “research the options currently in place, assess seniors’ needs, identify possible options based on county needs, recommend a preferred pilot project based on a ‘best fit’ location within the county and to come up with a plan for the development of a pilot project that will include a financial assessment identifying potential funding sources and anticipated costs”.

Savill pointed to some of the realities seniors in the county are facing. Their numbers are expected to increase in the next 25 years. The average household income in Frontenac County is lower than in Kingston and the province as a whole, and also, in Frontenac County, from 1996 to 2006 the proportion of seniors spending over 30% of their household income on housing increased.

Other statistics Savill cited show that 90.5% of dwellings in the county are owned. The rental market in 2006 offered a total of 970 units, with a low vacancy rate and average rents ranging from $500-$1200 per month. Current options for seniors, including retirement homes, seniors housing and long term care homes, are much more expensive, ranging in price from $1600 – $3500+ per month. The options range from independent, semi-independent to dependent living and offer differing levels of care and support.

The county has identified several major issues facing seniors’ housing: an increased demand over time for a range of options and support services; a gradual increase in population, predominately in South Frontenac; increased housing affordability issues for a large proportion of seniors; and the need for increased support services that enable seniors to remain in their own communities.

Savill then offered four existing models for comparison as possible options. The largest model is a non-profit facility that houses 3,400 residents in various-sized independent, private apartment units. Stonebridge offers numerous on-site services; residents pay a one-time entrance fee and then regular monthly services fees.

The second, the Adair model, one of which currently exists in Tamworth, is a smaller, privately owned facility that offers private rental suites with common dining and living areas. Meals are provided and other in-house services are available.

The third model is the Abbeyfield model, which is a non-profit international organization that currently has 30 homes across Canada, including one in Kingston. The homes are run by local volunteers and can house 10-12 residents in private rental bed/sitting units with common dining and living areas.

Last was the Sharbot Lake model, based on the existing model owned and managed by Central Frontenac Housing Corporation, which contains five private one-bedroom rental units for independent living. Following the presentation Savill opened up the meeting to discussion and attendees pinpointed what amenities they considered most important, what levels of privacy and independence they preferred, and whether they preferred to be located in a larger center or in a smaller settlement.

Though the feedback varied, it was generally agreed that a wide range of services should be available, pets should be welcome and safety concerns should be tantamount. It was also agreed that degrees of privacy and independence should to be geared to individual needs. There was also a general consensus that housing should be located in a larger center rather than a more isolated setting.

In a second discussion regarding the preference of renting or owning, it was determined that each would depend on individual cases. There was a general consensus on the need for more support services to be available to those wishing to remain in their own homes.

Dr. Lynn Wilson, administrator with the Rural Kingston Family Health Organization, attended the meeting and said she was hoping to see the seniors develop “a consistent notion of what will meet their needs” as they progress from being well and independent through the gradations of what it means to age.

“My particular interest is to ensure that we have an integrated set of health and social services that will support that, and that will not be easy in the face of the Drummond report, which is marginalizing everyone who has already been marginalized,” Wilson said. “The ministry has stripped out a huge number of clinical services between Highway 7 and the 401 right across the province, which abandons the farming population essentially. So my question is - why is the health of a senior or a child who lives in that area worth less than those who live in urban areas? And the answer to that is that it costs more to service them.”

Councillor John McDougall from South Frontenac weighed in with his hopes for the future pilot project. “From a county perspective, we realize that there is a real need for people to find alternatives to living in their own homes when it comes to that certain point in their lives and that there will be different needs for different communities. What we need to do is build a model that will demonstrate the variety of those needs that will serve them best.”

Following the series of eight meetings, county staff will be looking over the information gained and will be coming up with a proposed pilot location for seniors housing that will offer the supports and amenities pinpointed by the seniors in the county.