SAC has met with City staff to discuss the proposed rezoning of the the Casa Mia property in Southlands to include a 62-bed Community Care Facility for older adults.
Although SAC welcomes additional housing and services for older adults across the entire spectrum of care, we have a major reservation about this redevelopment.
As has been raised in our submissions concerning the Pearson Dogwood Redevelopment, we believe that the Green House Project model of housing is superior to institutional housing for seniors and people with disabilities. We are opposed to the development of any new institutions, which by their very size and nature tend to “warehouse” people.
We agree with Vancouver Coastal Health that the majority of residents in this building will likely require round-the-clock care. This does not, however, preclude following the Green House Model. Although VCH has indicated that they will allow residents to participate in everyday activities, this is only one aspect of the model. Other aspects include the following:
- small units of 10-12 residents
- private rooms (including private bathrooms) for each resident
- communal living rooms, kitchens, and dining rooms, in which staff and residents can eat together and socialize
- meals freshly prepared onsite rather than pre-cooked shipped in from elsewhere
- use of “total care workers” who are trained in multiple areas to manage a range of daily activities from cooking, to housekeeping, to care (the versatility of these workers helps reduce anxiety, anger, or confusion among residents because it limits the number of people going in and out of the facility)
- freedom from rigid schedules (e.g., fixed times for eating or bathing)
Because the proposal for the Casa Mia facility does not include any of these elements, we cannot endorse this rezoning application in its current state.
