Quebec firm buys Kelowna Retirement Homes

[Jlabute]

Agree with all except for the "nurse being handy." No, they are not licensed for any type of nursing care. No matter how often everyone wants to repeat it.

As for graduating to assisted living. Welp, ok, here goes, to qualify for assisted living you can't be demanding more than a certain amount of time per day. Assisted living is not long term care. No matter how you cut it. For assisted living you have to be a candidate who matches a formula for care, minutes per day. If you do not, you don't qualify to put your name on the long wait list to get a bed.

For the luv of Gawd people I see this stuff every day.

What-ever access to nursing services means. Kind of an interesting bowling alley. Apparently these things need regular maintenance and they have to fly people in to do it.

My parents were in red deer. This particular retirement home states they have:

1) Falls Prevention & Injury Reduction Program
2) LiveWell™ Personalized Care Program
3) Access to nursing services, and more

https://reveraliving.com/en/live-with-u ... /inglewood

[daria]

There is a huge difference between provinces and health care services.

[Queen K]

Not a single retirement home in BC prevents access to nursing services. Not Regency, no one.

Access means just that, whomever the client hires for their nursing services is none of the independent living management's business and can not be blocked. That's the "access to nursing services" in BC. Whomeever they hire, is hired. No one prevents access to them.

Jeez Louise can you imagine the press if some retirement home tells Ethel she can't have Jean Claude be her nurse? Or Hire Men In Plaid Home Support? For petes sake, the media would eat this up.

[Jlabute]

Access to nursing services

Many of our retirement homes offer a continuum of care services, allowing you to age in place as your needs change.

Where available, our team of registered staff members are there for daily support and services. Our trained professionals also assist with navigation through the healthcare system, communication with our in-house physicians where applicable and ongoing assessment of care needs. Please speak to your retirement residence of choice to find out more about what nursing services are available there.

My impression is that nurses are registered staff members.

[shoo]

Queenie, you’ve done a great job explaining the difference between retirement living and care provided living. I know it can be confusing and as someone with experience in this area, I can get frustrated that people don’t see the difference, to the point that they try to get mom and dad into retirement places when they require actual care. Try explaining funding models and government subsidies to folks who insist the dad can live independently but the family wants actual care subsidized.

[PoplarSoul]

There are retirement residences in Ontario that offer varying services but they are retirement and not long term care. You pay for everything and when I read 2 grand for here that’s pretty good when including meals.

Like Daria said: "There is a huge difference between provinces and health care services."
Jhalbute's parents in Red Deer, Alberta has "team of registered staff members are there for daily support and services".
I have a family member living in a senior retirement residence, independent living, who has a registered nurse on staff 24/7.
Not living in B.C. though.
And yes at a cost. As per service, emergency bracelet (fee if used, I can't get up), emergency cord in all rooms, will call the paramedics if necessary, medication at meal times, flu shot, blood collection for tests, etc ..
Not quite assisted living yet.
But the cost is worthwhile in my opinion.
Queen said no such thing exists in B.C.
Maybe the senior retirement residence owners should re-evaluate as that seems backwards to me.
It provides a great service to the elderly who are still mobile.
2 grand .. yes, cheaper back east for sure.
It will cost much more here in Kelowna though I'm sure.

[normaM]

I'm going with Queenie, she is the one working in the field for years
And of course there will be rent increases.. always is
Canada should make it easier to run small care homes.
As for the two year wait list, yes I have heard the same.
I am trusting Queen's head didn't explore, but I bet she has a headache from all this

[Queen K]

I've had a bottle of Sour Puss on hold, unopened, for two years. Yup, last night I opened it, poured over ice and drank neat while watching Archer.

Thanks Shoo and NormaM, the funded bed stuff gets fuzzy with me because it's all income or lack of income based and in no way shape or form are chws involved with knowing anything about that. I do believe the only way the Regency places have a funded bed is if mom/dad are being financed by their well to do kids who did well in the World and want their parents to live in a nicer place.

As for services, I recall one case in particular, a daughter who said, "I'm tired of running for appointments, getting supplies, groceries and getting calls from [Place Shall go Unnamed]. I thought they did all that."



No, they provide the room, room cleaning, entertainment, coffee area, bus services and meals. Oh and some have on-site hairdresser services where you book and pay the hairdresser as if you are in an actual salon.

Access to nursing is that they have their doors unlocked by 7 pm and home support goes in with pre-scheduled clients on their day plan, used to be printed and now it's on the iphones. And only clients on that schedule, as directed by their employer, are seen and only for what is directed by the RN who created the service plan.

If the staff of the independent living place see a resident of theirs go downhill or become a candidate for this service, they make the referral call. Or let the family, and not everyone has family, make the referral call. And it goes from there.

[PoplarSoul]

Maybe Cogir will start a new trend.
Offer the same services as they do in Quebec, Ontario and the States.
Much needed in B.C. by the sound of it.

We offer a range of services from occasional supervision to comprehensive monitoring. With us, you get respect, warmth and empathy. Our goals are simple: help you based on your needs and ensure your comfort and safety.

We offer a wide range of health services adapted to your needs:

Attentive nursing staff available 24 hours a day.

https://www.residencescogir.com/en/serv ... offer.html

[Queen K]

That would be a boon to families who have loved ones in independent living but aren't quite qualified to go into long term care. By qualified I mean "sick enough" but just need on site monitering 24/7. They've identified a need in Quebec and filled it. Now let's see if the BC government will look at adjusting any legislation to let them provide that here. God knows there is an entire monied class here who would pay for it.

Queenie, you’ve done a great job explaining the difference between retirement living and care provided living. I know it can be confusing and as someone with experience in this area, I can get frustrated that people don’t see the difference, to the point that they try to get mom and dad into retirement places when they require actual care. Try explaining funding models and government subsidies to folks who insist the dad can live independently but the family wants actual care subsidized.

There is a big headache for many in this one tiny sentence.

I felt bad for being so strident with Fancy's use of "care" and thought should I have let one slide? But for this one sentence the answer is no.

Too many people see retirement places as all one jumbled sameness. What is provided in one is provided in another. Just not the case.

And with long term care beds being so limited, we are living longer with more interventions, the beds are being taken for longer periods of time. There is a huge demand for long term care beds. A wait list in many places which is why clients are urged to go see them, tour them and put their name on more than one they'd like to live in. Because if a bed comes up, you have I believe two days to say yes to that newly opened bed. If you say "no" you are no longer at the top of the list.

The number two most frustrating thing is the "I'm not ready to move out of my home." Believe me not everyone wants to stay in their home either. They are ready. Their bags are packed. They've made downsizing easy by appointing a power of attorney to get rid of stuff and valuables in an appropiate way. it's the "I'm not ready" that makes the main caregivers who sometimes are family extending themselves beyond capacity when mom or dad's needs become really long term care type needs in the home.

And this can even happen in retirement resort settings.

[Queen K]

Many retirement resort places charge by the square footage of your suite, so rates can go up to $6,000/month. I estimate it was 10 years ago I picked up a piece of paper left behind in the bathroom of one of these places and it turned out to be a rent reciept for $5,280. That included storing stuff, a parking space at $60 a month, and extra services and taxes. We'd all better hope our houses stay high priced if we plan to sell and move into these places.

[captkirkcanada]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartwell ... Residences


Chartwell isnt even a healthcare services company, they are a real-estate fund run by mike harris and pals.

During the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020–2021, Chartwell was in the "spotlight"as an operator of for-profit care, which had disproportionately high COVID-19 resident deaths compared to not-for-profit or municipal retirement residences in Ontario.It also sparked controversy by paying its shareholders and board members tens of millions in dividends while at the same time receiving tens of millions in emergency funding from the Province of Ontario The announcement that former Ontario Premier and current Chartwell chairman of the board Mike Harris would be receiving the Order of Ontario consequently sparked controversy.


So in conclusion, i cant see this Quebec company being any worse , when the worst is already here .

[Queen K]

No one said Chartwell was providing healthcare exclusively. Did you read the entire thread capt?

They own and operate an independent living retirement resort like place. Like Hawthorne, residents can buy into their nursing program. Or not. And CHWs go in and out of there all day long, not employed by Chartwell. That's part of the "nursing access" guaranteed to people who live there.

[captkirkcanada]

No one said Chartwell was providing healthcare exclusively. Did you read the entire thread capt?

They own and operate an independent living retirement resort like place. Like Hawthorne, residents can buy into their nursing program. Or not. And CHWs go in and out of there all day long, not employed by Chartwell. That's part of the "nursing access" guaranteed to people who live there.

I agree with everything you say about the state of senior care in BC. I believe we need more home based care when it makes sense . That takes money to hire and train more people to fill those spots, but i think it is the more humane way to help people live out their golden years .

Now i am not sure of the hiring practices of this particular Quebec company, but if they are willing to advocate for a more streamlined system to get internationally trained hcw in our health care settings, it can only help hcw like you not have to work extra shifts or any other staff shortage issues in retirement homes and care homes.
Also to address your statement on agreeing to buy Chartwells nurse program, that should be covered by the Province and it should be the same care level no matter if you live in chartwell or any senior care facility.

I also support better wages for hcw right across the board.

[Queen K]

The only area we differ is payments. I have a different take on payments for services. The Province bases everything on income. After that, we agree.

I know of one place that has a lot of empty units, almost crippling. IF only they'd make their rents a bit more affordable, maybe they'd get those rooms rented out. But it is not for me to name that place.