arg

Terrace Health Care Society

‘representatives are meeting in

Victoria today with Skeena MLA
Dave Parker, Minister of Health
John Jansen and Minister of Social
Services and Housing Lyle Han-
son. Their goal is to sell their

Supportive .Housing concept . to
‘Victoria with the hope of obtaining

about $2 million in government
grants. . | Supportive Housing
would provide living accommoda-
tion for area residents who are
unable to maintain their own
homes but not yet ready to move
into the Terraceview Lodge.

The society wants to build the
40-unit Supportive Housing com-
plex on a 4.6-acre site adjacent to
Terraceview Lodge, and the
numbers: seem to suggest that not

‘doing so would be a mistake.

According to Terrace Health Care
Society chief executive officer
Michael Leisinger the demand for
this type of housing and the
subsequent savings .in medical
costs speak for themselves.
_.In terms. of numbers of clients,
the Extended Care Unit which
opened in Terraceview Lodge last
‘August is not only full, there are
several people waiting -to get in. In
intermediate care, there are 18
people already residing at Terrace-
view who could benefit greatly
from the Supportive Housing
concept. In addition, says Leis-
inger, residents who will require
supportive housing are the fastest
growing segment of the local
population at the present time, and
the only other alternative may be
the construction of another $1.5
million wing within the next two
years.

There is also the comparative
cost of intermediate health care
and supportive living. The differ-

2
f

Required for
TERRACE & AREA

Please call Dean Muscardin
or Ron Everett

(204) 633-9740 —

1-800-665-1930

arguments |
marshalled |

ence is about $75 a day, or more
than $27,000 a year per client.
Considering the 18 people who
could be moved out today if a
Supportive Housing complex
existed, it amounts to about a half
million health care dollars a year
saved. The dollar difference with
the housing complex filled to
capacity -- 65 people -- comes to
to about $1.8 million in savings a
year, the cost of building the com-
plex.
Leisinger says there are other

housing programs in the province

which might provide alternatives,
but most are managed by the B.C.
Housing Management Commission
and these are restrictive by design.
Among other things, the client’s
ability to afford other housing and
age are used to determine eligibili-
ty.

The concept envisioned by the
Terrace Health Care Society would
have. none of these restrictions and
would provide several advantages
to tenants that are not available in
BCHMC housing, Residents would
have access to all Terraceview
Lodge services such as meals,
recreational activities, laundry and,
if required, health care. Envisioned

for the second phase of the project.

are amenities such as a recreation
center, an adult daycare facility for
home-based care givers, a chapel,
and perhaps some retail sales
outlets.

“What we need now is an inno-

vative funding scheme," says Lei-
singer. "If the government provides
up-front money we know we can
make it work. If we’re saddled
with a loan it would be much more
difficult." Leisinger adds that
they’re scheduled to meet with
architects in Victoria tomorrow,
and if all goes well at both meet-

oF

Terrace Review — Wednesday, February 28, 1990 A3

This B.C. Hydro technician appeared to be marvelling at a feat defying gravity by the upper section
of a power pole at Munroe St. and Highway 76. In an incident early last week a ’B'-train lumber

truck sheared off the bottom of the pole, leaving the remaining part suspended from the wires it
was built to support. The driver said he was forced to cut a right tum tight because of a passing
vehicle. "| kept thinking | was going to make it... until | didn't," he remarked.

ings they may be able to proceed rc
with the initial drawings soon. In
fact, according to the society, there
is no reason why construction”
shouldn’t begin this year.

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