Released on March 24, 1998
A new initiative allowing seniors living in social housing to maintaintheir independence was announced today by Municipal Government
Minister Carol Teichrob at the annual convention of the Saskatchewan
Association of Health Organizations.
The Saskatchewan Assisted Living Services initiative will offer
seniors living in social housing a range of services to be
co-ordinated or provided directly by local housing authorities.
"Saskatchewan Assisted Living Services is a result of pilot projects
and consultations with tenants, health districts and housing
authorities across the province in the past two years," Teichrob said.
"Local housing authorities will co-ordinate delivery of the services
to ensure they are offered in the most economical way."
Services to be offered on a fee-for-service basis include:
a meal served in the common area once a day;
light and heavy laundry;
light and seasonal housekeeping;
personal response system for additional security and a way to
call for urgent assistance or unscheduled requests;
co-ordination of social or recreational activities, or help with
scheduled activities such as transportation to get to medical
appointments or to the bank.
"The Assisted Living initiative was developed by Saskatchewan
Municipal Government, Saskatchewan Health and Saskatchewan Social
Services working in partnership," Teichrob said.
The Government of Saskatchewan has committed $3.5 million in the
current year's budget to assist in co-ordination of services,
start-up costs and in the improvement of buildings.
"It was the tenants who told us that services should be optional,
and that they should only have to pay for services they
requested," Teichrob said. "Tenants told us very clearly in
consultations that the housing branch of Saskatchewan Municipal
Government should facilitate services of a maintenance, safety or
non-medical nature and Saskatchewan Health should facilitate
services requiring a medical person."
Assisted Living is designed to allow the needed flexibility at
the local level to make it work in each particular community.
Discussions to introduce the initiative will begin shortly in
communities across Saskatchewan and be phased in over several
years in selected properties.
"The initiative is one result of the Saskatchewan government's
Housing Policy Framework Investing in People and Communities - A
Housing Policy Framework for Saskatchewan People that was
announced in 1997," Teichrob said.
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For more information, contact:
Sandy Cameron
Municipal Government
Regina
Phone: (306) 787-0531