Group meal and recreation programs organized by health care aides will no longer be offered at a Flin Flon seniors’ housing complex as of March.
Tenants at the Jubilee Residence can currently take part in congregate meal and recreation activities offered on-site by the Northern Health Region (NHR).
That will end effective March 1, 2016 as the result of a decision by the Legion Seniors Housing Corp. (SHC), which operates the facility.
Shelley Andres, president of the SHC, said one reason for the move is that resources are unavailable to upgrade the building’s communal kitchen.
In part because the meal and recreation programs rely on the kitchen, the SHC board decided the programs would not continue.
The decision, previously announced but not implemented, initially sparked concern among Jubilee tenants.
But Andres said that following a recent meeting involving the SHC, tenants were satisfied with the information given to them about the changes and thankful their issues were addressed.
Twyla Storey, communications coordinator for the NHR, confirmed the NHR’s receipt of a letter from the SHC requesting the programs end March 1.
She said the stated reason is that the Jubilee will revert back to an “unassisted living facility.”
Storey said the congregate meal and recreation programs, and 24-hour health care aide coverage, will be removed as a result.
But Andres said the SHC is not seeking an end to the 24-hour health care aide, only the meal and recreation programs.
“We’re not asking home care to leave the facility,” she said. “We’re just asking that the care be provided in the tenants’ apartments.”
Health care aides will continue to care for and support Jubilee tenants as needed.
However, there will no longer be an overnight (11 pm to 7 am) aide assigned to the building. The NHR rarely provides 24-hour aide coverage but made an exception for the Jubilee given the current state of several tenants.
Storey said the NHR is disappointed with the SHC’s decision but must now focus on Jubilee tenants who require individual home care needs, including meal preparation.
The NHR will continue to assist Jubilee tenants who need help with meals. The end of the congregate meal program means meals will no longer be prepared in the building’s communal kitchen.
As for the kitchen, a Manitoba government spokesperson confirmed the facility was inspected in September and found to have “deficiencies related to dishwashing equipment.”
The SHC was given a year to upgrade the kitchen, but the facility would be allowed to remain open in the interim, the spokesman said.
In operating the Jubilee, the SHC has a project operating agreement with the Housing and Community Development branch of the Manitoba government.
The spokesperson said the SHC receives a “limited subsidy” – currently $39,600 a year – to help write down mortgage interest to two per cent.
“The agreement requires the [SHC] to have a viable mix of market and rent-geared-to-income tenants,” the spokesperson said in an email. “There is no requirement to host (or to not host) programs or services onsite as part of this agreement.”
