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Consultants Kate Coulter (left) and France Caron show Patricia Reed a prospective new home. Natasha Fillion, The Gazette
Seniors’ residences sprouting up all over
But some question affordability, accessibility
Ian Howarth
The Gazette
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Consultants Kate Coulter (left) and France Caron show Patricia Reed a prospective new home. Natasha Fillion, The Gazette
With a burgeoning population of seniors, the West Island has seen an unprecedented proliferation of new buildings aimed squarely at this growing demographic.
But how affordable and accessible these private residences are for seniors with a modest income is something health care agencies are concerned about.
Pointe Claire in particular has seen the expansion of The Cambridge on Hymus Blvd., the recently completed nearby Vivalis, Sunrise in Beaconsfield and DDO, and the most ambitious project – still under construction – is the Masterpiece West Island Retirement Residence on the Trans-Canada service road off St. John’s Blvd.
In other communities, like DDO, Beaconsfield, Baie d’Urfé, Île Bizard and St. Geneviève, new homes for seniors – all private – have sprung up in the last five years, adding about 1700 new beds to the West Island.
A recent study commissioned by West Island Citizen’s Advocacy shows that about 81 per cent of West Islanders between 55-64 are single-dwelling homeowners. That number, however, declines by about half for those 75 and over. That same study indicates that in 2001, approximately 13 per cent of the West Island population was aged 65 and up. By 2026, nearly one in four will make up that category.
Masterpiece has six buildings in Alberta, Ontario and Quebec. The new one in Pointe Claire, scheduled to open in October, has 292 units that start at $2,700 for a one-bedroom unit up to $6,900 for a 1,400 square foot penthouse apartment.
President of Masterpiece, Tim Garforth-Bles, said the market research shows the West Island arket can meet the current building boom and he has lready had deposits put down along with hundreds of visits and inquiries.
“Our residences are for middle income clients,” Garforth-Bles said. “We estimate the average two-income families on the West Island is about $90,000. Generally, about 40 per cent of that goes towards rent.”
The Masterpiece bills itself as all-inclusive, boasting a spa and Red Seal chefs among its selling points.
“We don’t consider ourselves exclusive,” he said. Indeed, Masterpiece’s one-bedroom prices are reasonably competitive with The Cambridge or The Wellesley, both in Pointe Claire. “I think we offer more than they do for the same dollar. We didn’t think the standard was being met on the West Island.”
For the diversity of the seniors living in West Island communities, the standard is a variable that is inextricably linked to income. WICA director Marie-Claire Tanguay said not every senior is in a position to afford the price of a private residence.
“There are a lot of poor seniors on the West Island,” she said. “People tend to think of this area as a well-to-do, but there may be as many as 3,000 seniors living at poverty levels, maybe more.”
The National Advisory Council on Aging, as well as Statistics Canada, uses a Low Income Cut Off, or LICO, as an indicator of “economic vulnerability.” The NACA estimates that about seven per cent of seniors (65-plus) live under the LICO in Canada. That’s 250,000 seniors – 154,000 of them women.
With only two long-term care facilities on the West Island – the Benjamin-Viger in Île Bizard and the Bayview in Pointe Claire – the government has taken to buying beds in private facilities to meet the shortage – a shortage CSSS (Centres de santé et de services sociaux West Island) director Louis-Pascal Cyr confirms.
“We’re already seeing the affects of an aging population,” he said. “There’s a lack of long-term care on the West Island.”
A study done by the agence de santé found the West Island should have 620 beds – 107 more than the current 513.
Kate Coulter and France Caron of Geronto-Logis are in the business of smoothing the transition for seniors from their private home, a service that includes evaluation of needs, visits to different facilities and organizing the move.
“This is a very sensitive time for the family and the senior,” Coulter said. “We deal with people in the gap between home and home care. What we do best is problem solving with the family.”
Caron and Coulter acknowledge that this process can sometimes be frustrating for the senior and their family. With low-income seniors, the wait for an affordable bed can be as long as 14-16 months.
“The emphasis is on helping seniors remain autonomous and active longer,” said Coulter, who deals mainly with middle-income clients. “It’s important to respect their dignity and their freedom of choice.”