On Sunday, February 19, 2006, at 2pm. the Administration and Management of Kipling Acres, a City of Toronto Home for the Aged, hosted an information-sharing meeting for those interested in establishing a cluster at Kipling Acres for culturally-similar residents. This was arranged by an ad hoc group, on behalf of the Goan Overseas Association, comprising of Al Mathias, Dr. Terry D’Silva, Eric de Souza, Zulema D’Souza, Cellie Gonzales, Margaret D’Souza and myself. The group had met on a few occasions to explore the possibility of establishing a unit or cluster for culturally similar residents in a long-term care home. Members of the group visited various Homes in the west-end and found Kipling Acres to be homelike and inviting. It is accessible by public transport and has free parking. The Home has a chapel where Catholic Mass is celebrated weekly and a Catholic Church is nearby.

What is being contemplated here has been successfully implemented in several City of Toronto long-term care Homes where there are clusters of residents who share the same ethnic or cultural background. At Seven Oaks they have an Armenian Unit; at Bendale Acres, they have an Ismaili Unit; at Castleview Wychwood Towers they have a Japanese Unit…..indeed, the Japanese Unit has been in place for over ten years.

We all know how difficult if was for us when we first immigrated to Canada. However, the process of adjustment and transition was made easier when we had family or friends to house or support us. In much the same way, moving to a long-term care Home, or any other institution, for that matter, can be traumatic. Here again, adjustment and transition is enhanced when there are others in the facility who are culturally similar.

In all cases, when there is a group of people who are culturally similar, the group has, to some extent, some influence in determining new initiatives or projects or identifying areas for improvement in the long term care Home. In all of the City-operated Homes, families are encouraged to participate as partners in care. Accordingly, family members participate as members of the Family Committee and residents attend Residents’ Council meetings. A member of our community could also represent the “group of residents” on the Home Advisory Committee which evaluates care and service delivery and advises the Home’s Administration in terms of future policy. All these Committees are influential and the Home’s management must address any issues brought forward.

Other advantages include having company when you attend in-house parties, celebrations or recreational activities; having compatible table-mates in the dining room; free use of the chapel for special masses or the auditorium for parties and cultural celebrations. Families may visit at any time and/or take the residents to their homes on weekends. Volunteers may arrange special ethnic lunches or other cultural activities monthly….all this is encouraged.

By way of background, a Retirement Home is geared to seniors who are fairly independent. These Homes are not regulated by the Ministry of Health and are therefore not accountable to them. They are generally profit-making organizations and are at liberty to charge any fees or rates. Long-term Care Homes, on the other hand, are regulated by the Ministry of Health and are accountable to the Ministry. Ministry Compliance Advisors visit annually and conduct a comprehensive review of each Home to ensure compliance with Ministry standards and criteria for care and service delivery. Accommodation rates are also set by the Ministry of Health and are applicable to both privately-owned and City-owned long-term care homes. Current monthly rates are $2,028.49 for a private room and $1,724.32 for a semi-private room. However, if an individual is unable to pay the full rate for private or semi-private accommodation, he or she may be eligible for a reduced rate which is based on income. In order to qualify for this rate, the individual is required to provide a current Notice of Tax Assessment. The fees mentioned above include nursing and personal care, medical care, physio and occupational therapies, music and art therapies, social work, recreational activities, housekeeping, laundry, and administration. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are served in the dining rooms, and snacks are served between these meals on the resident units.

If you have a family member who is unable to live independently anymore and/or needs personal, medical or psychogeriatric care, he or she may require long-term care. Adults of any age may be eligible for admission to long-term care homes. Applications for admission should be forwarded to the Community Care Access Centre in your area. You will be required to specify the Home of your choice.

Kipling Acres currently has some vacancies and it would therefore be an opportune time to establish a culturally-similar unit or cluster in that Home. No capital outlay is required now or in the future. Bob Petrushewsky, the Administrator, a long-time colleague of mine, is very receptive to this idea and is pleased to have the opportunity to work with us. He can be contacted at 416-392-2301 if you require further information or any clarification. From past experience, I suggest, that if we begin with one or two residents from our communities, the cluster will steadily grow. Most importantly, this initiative presents an opportunity to explore whether a culturally-similar cluster or unit works successfully at Kipling Acres. If it does, then the experience gained could possibly serve as a springboard to building a Retirement Home or a Long-term Care Home in the future.