Seniors are living longer and healthier lives, surpassing the capacity for healthcare, housing, and community services. This care gap will widen as our population ages; highlighting the need for an alternative to existing options for full-time care needs for seniors. Small Care Homes (SCH) are small stand-alone homes offering culturally safe, non-institutional setting, supporting seniors who wish to remain and age in their community. SCH can house 6-10 seniors and promotes normalized living (private rooms, bathroom, kitchen, living room, laundry, outdoor spaces) maximizing personal control, choice, abilities and independence so seniors can age at home with dignity. The Social Model of Care is a key aspect of SCH, prioritizing connections with household members, staff, the neighborhood, and the broader community. Positive impact of these social connections on a person’s health and well-being is well recognized. By implementing SCH across three communities of care (Vancouver, Coastal, Richmond), we hope to improve the outcomes for seniors, their families, staff in the following areas: quality of care, health (physical, mental, social, spiritual), quality of life, neighbourhood relationships/impacts, and costs (capital/operating).
Keywords: Seniors Care, Community Health, Aging, Social Determinants of Health, Health Equity
Team members:
- Nora Fripp
- Rizwan Damji (Primary Applicant Co-Lead)
- Yasmin Jetha (Executive Sponsor)
- Craig Mitton (Evaluation Co-Lead)
- Stephanie Massot
- Elmer Eashappie
- Teresa Liu-Ambrose
- Karen Barclay
- Amanda Chisholm
- Ann Hunter
- Ashok Krishnamoorthy
- Tenzin Yanki
- Monica Lee
- Jillian Kratzer
- Emilie Gladstone
- Habib Chaudhury