(Nicole Reis/meadowlakeNOW)

By Nicole Reis

ENRICHED HOUSING

New Northland Pioneer Lodge long-term care facility will not offer enriched housing for seniors

May 29, 2020 | 12:49 PM

The Northland Pioneer Lodge long-term care facility currently under construction, will not offer enriched housing for seniors at its new site. In 2019, Meadow Lake city council were advised by the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), the enriched housing program will not continue by the SHA as it falls outside their mandate.

All enriched housing residents who are eligible to transition to long-term care will do so when the new facility is built, those who are not eligible to transfer will need to find alternate housing by the estimated completion date of 2021.

The current Northland Pioneer Lodge contains 29 enriched housing units, which act as bridge housing for residents who do not qualify for long term care but still require assisted living and spouses of long term care residents. The new facility will have 72 beds, an increase from the current building’s 55 beds.

In a statement issued on May 28, Meadow Lake mayor Merlin Seymour encouraged local residents and businesses to bring forward proposals for ways to fill the housing need.

“While I respect the planning that needs to go into this new facility, I no longer feel I can remain silent about the ending of the enriched housing program,” Seymour said in the statement. “Our residents need to be fully aware of their options so they can plan for the future, and we as community leaders need to support them as best we can.”

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The need to replace the Northland Pioneer Lodge has been discussed with the province and health authority on a regular basis since 2009. In 2012, land was donated for the project site, and in 2014 the City and RM of Meadow Lake submitted a joint commitment statement to fund the local 20 per cent share of this project. Provincial funding for the new local long term care facility was announced in March of 2019, and the project steering committee began meeting monthly to discuss project planning in the summer of 2019.

“This is a huge project for our community, and has been greatly anticipated for a number of years. We know this will be an important amenity that will increase the safety, capacity and quality of care available for our residents in long term care who wish to stay in their home region,” the mayor’s statement read.

Since the announcement of the new facility, a number of residents have expressed uncertainty and concern about what is going to happen to these housing units once the Northland Pioneer Lodge is decommissioned. The future of the Northland Pioneers Lodge building and the enriched housing units is yet to be determined. The SHA has been working with the community to identify any possible interest in the structures. Options could also include eventual sale or demolition of the current facility.

In an email issued to meadowlakeNOW Dianne Baird, executive director housing network, with Saskatchewan Housing Corporation(SHC) said SHC and the local housing authority have been working closely with the SHA to support a smooth transition for impacted residents.

“We are encouraging impacted residents who are able to live independently to apply for available social housing units,” Baird said in the statement. “The housing authority currently has a number of vacant units in the community, and having the applications completed now will allow us to better plan for all potential tenants in housing need.”

The SHA issued a statement to meadowlakeNOW saying new long-term care facility will focus on higher needs residents and will not include an enriched housing unit offering home care services.

“The decision to not include enriched housing, which is not a service the SHA is funded to deliver, was made early in the planning process for the new facility,” the statement read. “The enriched housing will continue to be operated, as needed, until the new long-term care facility is open and the current facility ceases operations.”

The SHA added they will be working with the residents currently living in the enriched housing units to determine appropriate housing. Options for the residents could include assessment for admission to long-term care or community-based housing. Home care services will still be fully available within the community as is currently provided at the enriched housing unit.

Home Care support is available based on individuals’ assessed need. Admissions to long-term care continue as normal. According to the SHA, admissions to the enhanced housing units have been suspended and applications are no longer being taken for a wait list.

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nicole.reis@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @nicolereis7722