Full-Time 24-Hour Home Care Support in Lodges/Supportive Living Accommodations
IT IS THEREFORE RESOLVED THAT Alberta Municipalities advocate for the Government of Alberta to provide funding for full-time, 24-hour, 7 days a week home care services in lodges and supportive living environments.
WHEREAS the service needs for rural Alberta seniors, residing in lodges, requiring enhanced services is increasing and this increases pressures for accessing community supports and amenities;
WHEREAS residents within the lodge/supportive living settings could continue to reside within this structure, without the physical and mental impact of relocation, if the minor and temporary needs could be addressed;
WHEREAS the requirement for relocation due to inability of accessible care places a significant impact on an individual’s quality of life such as loneliness, isolation, dignity, and the other imposed stresses of a forced move;
WHEREAS lodges, supportive living, designated supportive living and long-term care have recently shown a vast gap in service(s) despite these facilities having a focus on “life enrichment”; and
WHEREAS adding full-time home care services in lodges and supportive living homes would help avoid the requirement for some individuals to relocate to higher levels of care to access unscheduled health care supports, placing further burden on our already taxed healthcare system.
The Alberta Government has placed an emphasis and encouragement on seniors to remain in their family home for as long as possible. Therefore, there is a trend showing that seniors are entering lodges and supportive living accommodations later in life.
Further, by entering the supportive living environment at a later stage, this sees a requirement for reassessment of higher care needs as support needs cannot be adequately addressed within the current home care service limitations.
Increased frequency of needs is now placing demand upon; families, firefighters, first aid practitioners, and EMS. These needs are focusing on items such as personal hygiene support, incontinence issues, or medication assistance in the evenings. The inability for access to these services at any given time as required is robbing these people of basic human rights and dignity of life.
By having full time, 24-hours a day, 7 days a week support, the focus is placed on a humanistic approach for our seniors. Further, the demand is then removed for these services from our health care providers and remove detriment from the facilities and disciplines which they represent, such as ambulance services.
Many lodges in rural Alberta are experiencing vacancies. These vacancies are evident in both governmental and non- governmental ran entities. However, even in the non-governmental run facilities, lack of supports and services are creating barriers and roadblocks. Through the provision of enhanced services, residents would be supported and able to remain within lodges and supportive living, which they consider to be their homes. Further, this supports resident choice(s) and eases stressors on an already taxed and burdened health care system, the individual(s), and their support network.
This issue and call to action align with the Alberta Municipalities initiatives and advocacy under the social needs’ component of health care, and vulnerable Albertans.
ABmunis does not currently have a position on this specific issue, but the topic generally aligns with ABmunis advocacy on the need for quality seniors’ living options. If this resolution is passed, it would be forwarded to the Government of Alberta for response and further advocacy would be recommended to the ABmunis Board by the Safe and Healthy Communities Committee within the context of related priorities and positions.