Archived News Releases

January 26, 2006

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Aging in Place to Provide $80 million in Capital Construction, Expanded Community Programs, Over 1,110 More Spaces in Winnipeg

A new policy, called Aging in Place, will increase community living supports for seniors and provide alternatives to institutional care, allowing seniors to preserve their dignity, independence and health, announced Health Minister Tim Sale.

"Seniors are living longer, healthier lives than previous generations and want to live out their years in their own communities," said Sale. "Aging in Place is about modernizing care for older Manitobans by providing more choices, more independence and a better quality of life."

The policy supports the values of safety and security, flexibility, choice, equity and dignity. To be phased in during the next four years, Aging in Place provides for:

• expanded capacity for long-term care models such as supportive housing, specialized supports and supports for seniors in group living;
• improved quality of life in personal-care homes by replacement of three- and four-bed rooms with one- and two-bed rooms; and
• more spaces to ensure more seniors can receive the care they need.

"Allowing Manitobans the freedom to age in their communities will improve the quality of life of seniors," said Healthy Living Minister Theresa Oswald, minister responsible for seniors. "Aging in Place will help provide seniors more options to participate in their communities by offering neighbourhood-based housing and health-care choices."

The Manitoba Housing and Renewal Corporation will also be renovating some of its apartment buildings at a cost of more than $3.25 million to create housing units specially designed for seniors.

"Making housing more accessible, visitable and accommodating for those who have limited mobility is all part of our strategy to ensure more seniors will have supports they need as they age," said Family Services and Housing Minister Christine Melnick.

As part of the province's overall Aging in Place policy, the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) is now implementing its own long-term care strategy. During the next four years, the WRHA will spend more than $15 million to expand community support programs to augment existing home care and personal-care homes. Some of these programs include:

• developing community housing with supports models such as Supports to Seniors in Group Living, Supportive Housing and Specialized Supports;
• putting in place more than 1,100 units that support Aging in Place;
• providing more options and supports for seniors who wish to live in their communities; and
• investing more than $80 million by Manitoba Health in capital construction to renovate existing personal-care homes and construct new ones.

Another key feature of the Aging in Place strategy will be a new $14-million personal- care home in Winnipeg's St. Vital area. The new facility will accommodate 80 personal- care beds, as well as 12 adult day-care spaces. The 53,000-square-foot facility will be built in a park-like setting next to the Seine River.

In addition, new construction at the Sharon Home's Simkin Centre will consolidate services from the Kanee Centre in north Winnipeg to increase the number of personal- care beds at Simkin Centre to 200.

"This is what the public has been telling us they want – options, for them and for their families," said Real Cloutier, vice-president of long-term care for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority. "The increase in supportive housing options and specialized supports means that when the time comes that they need help, it doesn't automatically mean they have to go into a personal-care home."

"This strategy is a recognition of the important role seniors play in society, of their special gifts to this province and of their special needs," said Norma Drosdewech, chair of the Manitoba Council on Aging. "Seniors' organizations, who have been strong advocates of the aging in place principle, will welcome this initiative."

"The WRHA has shown leadership in developing programs and strategies to help implement the principle of Aging in Place," said Sale. "We look forward to working with the WRHA to modernize our strategy to support seniors in their communities."

During the next few months, the province will work with rural and northern regional health authorities to develop their strategies to implement Aging in Place in their communities.

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

AGING IN PLACE

Long-Term Care Strategy

•  Implementation of this long-term care strategy will be phased in over a five-year period.
• The strategy calls for the creation of more than 1,100 spaces that support Aging in Place.
• The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) will spend more than $15 million during the next four years to expand community support programs including:

• Manitoba Health and non-profit sponsors will invest more than $80 million in capital construction to renovate existing personal-care homes and construct new ones. Some of these projects include $5.6 million for improvements to Foyer Valade Personal Care Home and $14 million for the construction of the South St. Vital Personal Care Home.
• $3.25 million will be spent by Manitoba Housing and Renewal Corporation to renovate some of its apartment buildings in order to create housing units specially designed for seniors.
• The goal of the long-term care strategy is to:

• The WRHA and Manitoba Health have been closely involved in the development of community support options with the participation and support of Manitoba Family Services and Housing. The Manitoba Seniors and Healthy Aging Secretariat and the Council on Aging provided important input and feedback during the development of the Aging in Place policy.