Transitional Care Community explained

November 26, 2013 · 0 Comments

In response to Giuseppe Rosati’s Nov. 21 letter, “Community and Care Complex proposed for old Schomberg Arena.”
We are very happy to see that interest has been generated in the proposed Transitional Care Community for King. Once a decision has been reached by council, there will be public information meetings. We encourage everyone with interest in the project to attend these meetings.
The Transitional Care Community will not be a nursing home or long-term care facility. It will consist of three zones plus outdoor areas: 30 transitional care units – 1 or 2 bedroom stand-alone units designed as a neighbourhood; a Memory House for temporary housing for people with mild or early dementia who, for various reasons, can no longer live at home and are waiting for a long-term bed and a multi-purpose Family Care Centre which will replace the current arena building. Our mandate is that this be built “for the community, by the community.”
The residents will be in transition from hospital to home, or from home or hospital to long-term care. While it is true that many will no doubt be seniors, the facility can serve people at any age.
Consider this scenario: You have undergone a hip replacement and are to be discharged from the hospital. Your spouse is not strong enough to assist you physically and your grown children live several hours away. You can only get Home Care two or three times a week for two hours at a time. You will need daily assistance for several weeks, and in time will be independent again. Right now there is no place in King Township which will meet your needs.
We believe that residents of King would welcome transitional housing close to home.
The Memory Home will not be an institutional building or nursing home. Residents will have care in a home setting giving their family time to make arrangements at home or a place to be safely cared for until they can transition on to long-term care. In York Region, the current wait time for a long-term care bed is, on average, 3 months.
The Family Care Centre will provide space which will benefit the whole community. For example, if there were to be a lap pool for physical therapy, it could also be made available for children’s swimming lessons or open swim. There will be provision for community meeting space and activities. The centre will house doctors’ offices, clinic space, therapy rooms, and space for the first-ever Institute for Home and Community Care to carry out research programs aimed at “Aging at Home.” Aging baby boomers are a rapidly increasing demographic and research shows that they will not accept institutionalization as their only aging option.
There is no existing community like this in Canada.
Finally, a concern we are hearing repeatedly is, “What will happen to the Schomberg Fair?” We support the Fair and are looking forward to working with the Schomberg Agricultural Society to make sure that the Fair continues to be a spring highlight for King residents and visitors.
Don Fenn
Transitional Care
Communities Corporation
King City