A6 - The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, July 16, 2003 Health authority responds to seniors’ concerns Dear Sir: We're writing to address CORRESPONDENCE FOR THE TERRACE STANDARD ing them maintain personal independence is important. some of the questions raised about our recently an- nounced home and com- munity care initiatives. We want to assure resi- dents that Northern Health will continue to provide residents of Terrace and the sur- rounding communities with high-quality services for se- niors, tailored to the needs of all clients. We have out- lined our approach in a detailed home and community care plan, which we have made available to the public, Seniors have wide- ~ranging needs, Many seniors live in good health. Some require day programs or in-home services to help them remain in the community. Others need specific housing and support services to help them stay independent. And others require care 24 hours a day in residential care facilities. , Given these facts, we have set a number of principles in place for home and community care in the North. These principles are to: 1. Increase the availability of high-level beds for se- niors who do need continuous care; 2. Reduce reliance on -institutional care for people who can enjoy more independence if their needs can be met through Specialized seniors housing and/or home support services; and 3. Treat communilies across the regian fairly, by ap- plying consistent -standards to determine unit and bed numbers, — We will fulfill these goals in Terrace in several ways. We will dedicate Terraceview Lodge and 50 beds in the facility for clients with complex: health needs, who re- quire care around the clock. Right now, Terraceview has only 20 beds for high-level clients; and 55 beds for clients at an intermediate care level. ; We determined the 50-bed number by first calculating the seniors’ population over the age of 75 in the city and surrounding area, and then applying the same standard used in all of our communities. We provide 7.5 complex care beds for every 100 people over the age of 75 years in a given community (those people are the most likely to require high-level residential care). That same standard has been applied for determining bed numbers in other communities across the region, We will move to the standards at Terraceview Lodge by increasing the level of care provided in 30 former in- termediate care beds. We will also reduce 25 intermedi- ate care beds over time. Those reductions will come as beds are vacated. No one will be moved. if a client makes a personal choice to receive care in a different setting, we will help them. This same approach is taking place in several other communities. Providing seniors with health services but also help- 500 ‘TEAM TOYOTA The Mail Bag Some of this can be accom- plished through Independent Living units. We have 21 units at McConnell Estate that opened last year, provi- ding housing and services for seniors who need help to live independently. These Independent Living units are wheel-chair accessible, and provide 24-hour emergency response, help with house- hold activities like laundry and housekeeping, at least one meal a day, recreational opportunities, and care ser- vices. We have forecast the number of Independent Living units required in Terrace by another region-wide stan- dard, based upon the population over the age of 65. After conducting this calculation, we have determined a need for. five more Independent Living spaces in Terrace in addition to the units at McConnell Estate. We'll be adding these new units shortly, We will also be increasing the level of care provided at McConnell Estate by adding 24 hour a day personal care services, two meals a day, and enhanced recreational opportuni- ties. We also want to help seniors remain independent in their own homes whenever possible. In Terrace, we'll be boosting the level of home support services we provide by offering more life-skills information and rehabilita- tion. We also plan to relocate our existing adult day centre, and make space for more clients who live in the community. For many years, clients from the Kitimat area have used services in Terrace because locally developed al- ternatives were not available to them. Our plan included a detailed analysis of the needs of seniors in Kitimat and Terrace, By providing some local alternatives in Kitimat, there will be less pressure on services in Terrace to care for the needs of residents from Kitimat. Accessibility to local services in both communities will increase. The home and community care plan for Terrace is consistent with the overall direction for seniors care around the region and across B.C., which focuses on providing services to help seniors retain their indepen- dence and allocates bed and unit numbers on the basis of firm factual data. In closing, we would encourage all Terrace and area residents to read our home and community care plan for the area, which fully outlines how we intend to meet the diverse needs of seniors. If you'd like a copy of the plan, please call (250) 565-2694 or e-mail communications @northernhealth.ca Cholly Boland, Terrace-Kitimat health services administrator Tim Rowe, regional director for home and community care hit Kidney disease. strikes families, not only individuals. When a Kidney Foundation volunteer knocks on your door, please pive generously. THe KIDNEY FOUNDATION OF CANADA www. kidney.ca Cars & So Much Morel! 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