Resident News, Editorial, Comings and Goings, Poetry, News Clips, Senior Humour, Photos

Resident NewsCorrection: In the last issue it was stated that there would be additional counsellors available. The correct schedule is "an additional counsellor will be on site 5 days over a two week period." as clarified by Viresh. Also, an additional Housing Councillor will be available every Friday from 8 am to 12 and again from 1 pm to 4 pm.

Housing connections applications/subsidized

Seniors Housing Long Term Care referrals Retirement and Nursing Home referrals RGI Housing Private Market Housing

Comings & Goings

The first of the renewed admissions arrived on Thur., Jan 26th.New arrivals: as of Feb 8 – 6 new residentsDepartures: One resident moved out to the west end Jan 24th.Shelter Standards section 66.6 ConfidentialityEach shelter must have a written policy concerning thecollection, use and disclosure of resident information.Written policies concerning confidentiality shouldinclude the following:Shelters must not disclose personal information abouta shelter resident without a signed consent from theresident.It has been agreed to discontinue this category because the above policy was brought to our attention.

Poetry Kermit McCleary January 29th , 2012

News Clips

Bureaucrats engineered the budget cut outrage

Sue-Ann Levy Toronto Sun

Tuesday, December 13, 2011, 7:31 PMThere’s no doubt many of the city’s long-time fiefdom-protecting bureaucrats have been dragged kicking and screaming into cutting 10% from their 2012 budgets. But if one ever doubted how much the lines are blurred between what is supposed to be an apolitical bureaucracy and the politicians, consider some of the programs that have been offered up for the chopping block. Some 58 student nutrition programs. AIDS and drug prevention grants. Recreation programs at 12 community centres. Ice time at 10 ice rinks. Two outdoor pools. Birchmount Residence, a Scarborough shelter for older homeless men who would otherwise have to live downtown at Seaton House. City Hall’s wily bureaucrats knew full well that their proposals would cause the left-wing media and the socialists on council to go positively apoplectic.They might as well have fed them all of their scripts. A war on children, Councillor Adam Vaughn pronounced last week. “Disturbing,” Sister Janet Davis said more than once Tuesday about various cuts.Drama around the possible end of the world as we know it … …Fact is, the bureaucrats are paid good money to use their noggins and it strikes me that there were plenty of other, less political, ways to make a 10% cut.

When the current regime said a 10% cut, surely to goodness they didn’t really care how it was done — just that it was done.For example, when the bright lights in the shelter, support and housing administration (SSHA) — the same officials behind the now $10.9-million and still not done Peter St. Shelter — offered up their 7.9% in cuts, did they accurately reflect the current situation as far as shelter usage is concerned? Their own budget notes say the number of hostel bed nights used this year will be under budget by 63,575. Yet their 2012 budget proposes shaving off just 11,929 bed nights. The SSHA would argue that most of their average cost per hostel bed night — some $73.33 in 2012 — is covered by the province. It is supposed to be 80-20 (with the province paying the 80%)But Toronto’s costs are so high that City Hall ends up paying 45% of the $73.33 per night cost. If SSHA reduced the bed nights by 50,000 to more accurately reflect reality, that would amount to $1.6-million in savings — more than enough to save the Birchmount shelter. Let’s talk about grants… …But sadly, Vaughan was right about one thing.This is war.Not on children, however.But a battle to maintain the status quo.

Resident News

Chicken Little Fire Alarm - Jan 28 - East is east and West is west

On Saturday, January 28th , the fire alarm was set off just before lunch time. The reaction of the staff was disturbing. Perhaps it is time for a staff review or refreshment of the fire alarm policy.

One hour and 10 minutes later the source of the alarm was found by the washroom in the East wing of the main floor and the alarm could be shut down. An hour earlier it had been pointed out by a resident that they were searching the wrong area of the building – they were looking in the west wing rather than "Main Floor East" as indicated by the alarm panel in the front lobby.

Wednesday, Feb 15th, 1 PM in the Dining Room – Meeting with Councillor Crawford - Residents Only

Senior HumourTHE STAGES OF SUCCESSAt age 4 success is...not peeing in your pants.

At age 12 success is...having friends.At age 16 success is...having a drivers license.At age 20 success is...having sex.At age 35 success is...having money.At age 50 success is...having money.At age 60 success is...having sex.At age 70 success is...having a drivers license.At age 75 success is...having friends.At age 80 success is...not peeing in your pants

Feb 16th, Mar 1st, Mar.15th 6-9PM

FREE INCOME TAX

Dominoes

Research HighlightintroductionThis research, conducted in 2002 and 2003 for Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)by Luba Serge, a housing consultant, and Nancy Gnaedinger, a gerontology consultant, looked at:• why some elderly and chronically ill people are living in homeless shelters,• the barriers to other, more suitable housing options and• some initiatives that have been undertaken to address the needs of this population.

When Canadian health care and shelter providers are asked which supports are most important for elderly or chronically ill homeless people, supervised housing tops the list. It should be subsidized, be accessible to people with mobility impairments and include a meal program and other support services as needed. The second most mentioned item is long-term residential care for people requiring 24-hour nursing care. Between supportive housing at one end and palliative care at the other, there needs to be a continuum of care offering different types and levels of support.

MethodologyThe research involved a literature review, in-depth interviews with 20 key informants and the documentation of initiatives that respond to the needs of elderly and chronically ill shelter users. The interviews were carried out with long-term care providers, placement co-ordination service providers, emergency shelter providers and long term care providers within the emergency shelter system.The interviews and the case studies were limited to five regions of Canada: Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, British Columbia and Yukon.

FindingsElderly and chronically ill shelter users

There is a growing consensus that “elderly” among the homeless population refers to persons aged 50

and over. Homelessness results in premature aging, with those at50 looking and acting 10 to 20 years older. Stress, nutritional problems and untreated health conditions contribute to premature aging, and life expectancy is much lower than for people who are not homeless. There are even some homeless people younger than 50who have the physical characteristics of a much older person, such as poor liver function and vitamin and calcium deficiencies.People aged 50 and over represent about 20 to 30 percent of shelter users in the locations studied, and there are indications that the size of this group is increasing. Elderly users tend to stay in shelters longer than those under age 50.Many of the problems confronted by older homeless persons such as alcoholism, mental illness, poor physical health and addictions are no different from those of homeless people of all ages. Older shelter users, however, are more likely to suffer from dementia, stroke, heart conditions and incontinence. Drug addiction is expected to be an increasing issue, along with increases in Hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS and brain damage due to sniffing solvents.October 2003 Socio-economic Series 03-019Revised June 2004

Housing options for elderly orchronically ill shelter users

Chronically ill homeless people have particular difficulties, due to a lack of preventative care or early medical attention. For example, homeless persons with diabetes may neglect problems such as ulcers until they become very serious, develop into gangrene and perhaps require amputation.

Shelters, residential care and other options

While some shelters provide a few beds for persons needing bed rest, most cannot accommodate clients who are unable to attend to their own daily living needs, such as personal care. The shelters have neither sufficient staff nor the expertise to provide personal care, and it is not always possible to arrange home care services for shelter users. Physical accessibility is another problem. Some shelters, especially older ones, are not designed for

persons with mobility impairments. Still, hospitals are putting pressure on shelters to fill the gap in convalescent care. More and more homeless people who are too sick or too weak to return to their previous accommodation (for example, single room occupancy hotels, friends’ couches or the street) are being discharged from hospitals to shelters. Because this is not an appropriate care strategy, some shelters have developed criteria for refusing referrals from hospitals. Access to long-term residential care, or nursing homes, is limited in Canada due to an insufficient number of beds and funding resources. In fact, provincial funding for residential care has been so restricted in some jurisdictions in recent years that only those with very complex needs are placed. For example, in BC, only those who are assessed as being at “intolerable risk” and needing 24-hour nursing care are placed on a waiting list for residential care.The policy in provinces where access to residential care has been severely restricted is that care will be delivered by community-based agencies to clients in their homes. Unfortunately, service providers advise that community based care cannot meet the increasing volume and acuity of need in the community, due to limited financial and human resources.However, mainstream residential care is not always the answer. Excessive use of alcohol by elderly or chronically ill homeless persons, heavy smoking, poor hygiene, poor housekeeping skills and anti-social behaviour (such as using foul language) can make it difficult to integrate them into residential care. Homeless people who are placed in mainstream care can find themselves ostracized for their behaviour.Some shelter users, though, have moved into mainstream facilities with success. In Toronto, for example, some very frail women moved into long-term care, although they may still visit a shelter for social contact. In Montréal and Winnipeg, some previously homeless persons have successfully moved into mainstream residences, while others have found such facilities too restrictive or lonely and have left. Integrating homeless people into mainstream facilities probably works best for those who have not been homeless for long.Supportive housing and assisted living have emerged as two options attempting to fill the gap.

Both typically take the form of congregate housing with support services, but not 24-hour nursing care. Transitional housing and boarding houses are two other options, although some boarding houses have been found to exploit fragile and vulnerable tenants. Nonetheless, provision of subsidized supportive living spaces has not been able to match demand. Elderly and chronically ill homeless persons require various services, but coordinating delivery poses a challenge. Of the five regions surveyed, coordination appears to be most established in Quebec. Quebec’s Community Health and Social Services Centres (CLSCs) form a network of multi-service, multi-disciplinary teams. Contact between shelters and CLSCs facilitates the delivery of services to homeless persons and connects these clients with medical and social services.

The ideal residential facility

According to many of those interviewed, the idealresidential facility for elderly and chronically ill homeless people has less to do with the building and more to do with validating them as human beings, respecting their dignity and supporting them with a range of care options.There are mixed opinions about the ideal location of a care facility for homeless people. Generally, the downtown area is preferred, provided the facility is not in a drug area or where residents are likely to be subject to predators.Downtown areas are familiar to residents and close to services such as day care centres, government-funded cafeterias and medical facilities. Alternatively, some informants suggested that a location in the outskirts of a city or in the country would be more appropriate, as it is away from predators.Accommodation should be fully accessible and could include private and semi-private rooms, or a lockable room with a two-piece bath and small kitchenette. There should be communal rooms for dining and social events, case rooms where home nurses can do their work and bathrooms where workers can help residents with bathing.The scale should be small, with 30 to 50 units per project at the most. Men and women should not be segregated into separate buildings but, where

possible, people with like needs – for example, those with brain injuries or alcohol abuse problems should be clustered together to facilitate delivery of services.Services should be based on an holistic approach and include financial administration, health services, support services (such as meals and escorts to doctors’ appointments) and social and recreational activities.Residents who are able should participate in running the home. There needs to be some form of full-time, on-site supervision. However, not all care staff and on-site services would be required 24 hours a day. In many cases, 12-hour on-site services would be sufficient.Key staff members should include a life skills coach, a licensed practical nurse, a recreation aide, a social worker, personal care workers and cleaning workers. In the projects studied, staff typically had backgrounds in nursing, psychiatry, addictions, housing services, social work and the clergy.The underlying philosophy, reflected in all the case studies, should be client-centred, with respect for people’s humanity and adulthood uppermost. Emphasis should be given to healthy aging, harm reduction, individualized approaches to support and care, and abilities rather than to disabilities. There must be a lack of judgement on behaviour. Tolerance of alcohol misuse, certain behaviours and poor personal hygiene is clearly evident in the case studies.

Case studies: Meeting housing and care needs

Each case study in the research report describes thesetting and services offered, the history behind theinitiative, concerns and challenges, lessons learned and successes. All reflect principles of comprehensiveness of care, collaboration among many service providers, community involvement and support, and harm reduction…

…Seaton House, St. Michael’s Hospitaland partners, TorontoSeaton House, an inner city neighbourhood emergencyshelter since 1934, also provides long-term shelter for up to 140 men who are over 50 and for younger men with serious health problems. Two

of the case studies highlight integrated care approaches undertaken by Seaton House in partnership with St. Michael’s Hospital, the University of Toronto and other partners, such as the Rotary Club of Toronto.A new Infirmary service provides an additional 35 beds with 24-hour staff. The Infirmary cares for men with uncontrolled diabetes, pneumonia, schizophrenia, liver disease, cellulitis, cancer and severe depression. Palliative care is available when needed. St. Michael’s Rotary Transition Centre, located in the hospital’s Emergency Department, is another collaborative initiative offering34a place of respite for homeless persons where they canreceive medical attention, shower, eat and have theirclothes washed…

…Birchmount Residence, TorontoIn 1999, Seaton House moved a large group of older men who were “going nowhere” to Birchmount Residence, a former nursing home with 60 beds. The men had been prone to victimization by younger shelter users. Most have some basic hygiene problems, and some have mobility problems, acute mental and/or physical health problems, and cognitive and developmental issues. About half have a substance abuse problem, usually alcohol.The greatest challenge was overcoming the negativereaction of middle and upper middle class neighbours and their perception that children were at risk. A Community Reference Board, made up of 12 to 15 residents, service providers, community resource people, councillors and staff was established. This group was instrumental in overcoming community resistance and continues to meet. Community support has evolved to include donations of clothing, furniture and books. A neighbourhood volunteer committee visits residents and attends picnics and outings.

Conclusions and recommendations

Shelters, transitional housing, boarding houses and most mainstream long-term care facilities are

insufficient for meeting the needs of elderly and chronically ill homeless people. These facilities and their services were not designed to provide long-term housing nor do they have sufficient resources to provide the necessary care and supervision. The need for integrated health and social support services will only escalate in the future. An agingpopulation, the challenges of meeting the needs of the homelessness population in general, and increasingly complex and serious health problems among homeless people all point to the need for a more systematic and integrated approach to providing health, residential and social services.Relatively little research has been done on elderly or chronically ill homeless people, probably in part because they are a small portion of the entire homeless population.While the case studies identify some successfulinterventions, the report suggests further research related to this exploratory study:• The means by which Birchmount Residence overcame community resistance, i.e. the NIMBY (not-in-my-backyard) syndrome, should be documented more fully, and the successful strategies shared.• Most facilities are larger than what was generally agreed to be the ideal size of 30 to 50 clients. The comparative financial viability of projects ranging in size should be assessed.• Various ways of separating and protecting vulnerable shelter residents from potential predators should be documented.• Research is needed on meeting the needs of elderly homeless women.• Community development approaches for providing suitable housing options versus planned, policy-driven approaches should be compared and learned from.5• Recreational and leisure opportunities should be assessed for their effectiveness in helping to meet the needs of elderly or chronically ill residents.• Research should be undertaken on how homeless persons and mainstream residential facilities adjust to each other.

Senior Humour

EXERCISES FOR SENIORS

You know how important exercise is, as we grow older. Here are a few suggestions. I start by standing outside behind the house and, with a five pound potato sack in each hand, extend my arms straight out to my sides and hold them there as long as I can. After a few weeks I moved up to 10 pound potato sacks, then 50 pound potato sacks and finally I got to where I could lift a 100 pound potato sack in each hand and hold my arms straight out for more than a full minute! Next, I started putting a few potatoes IN the sacks, but I would caution you not to overdo it at this level.

THE OLD-TIMERS' RIGHT

A group of Sun City Senior citizens were sitting around talking about their ailments: "My arms are so weak I can barely hold a cup of coffee", said one. "Yes, I know. My cataracts are so bad I can't even see my coffee", replied another. "I can't turn my head because of the arthritis in my neck", said a third, to which several nodded in agreement. "My blood pressure pills make me dizzy," another went on. "I guess that's the price we pay for getting old," winced an old man as he shook his head. Then there was a short moment of silence.

"Well, it's not that bad" said one woman cheerfully. "Thank God, we can all still drive"!

Editorial

It has now been more than three weeks since the City Council Budget vote granted a one year reprieve for the Birchmount Residence. The residents anxiously awaited the first residents meeting in January since the vote (there was no meeting in December) to see if there would be a change in attitude from the management. This would have been the ideal opportunity to begin a new period of cooperation, honesty and forthrightness. Even before the meeting began there appeared to be some behind-the-scenes meetings and manipulating of the agenda. The meeting itself began with a request by the Chairman that issues from the past were not to be brought up at the meetings – a clean slate for the future. Also requested was for complaints to go through the official chain of command.

In itself this was an expected (but never-the-less unacceptable) compromise. To pretend that all past issues have been resolved or disappeared is ludicrous. In fact, at and since the meeting it has been noted by several residents that management has been manning the barricades in defense of any further input by the residents, either positive or negative. I myself was called in to the Shift Supervisor’s Office were it was stated that any negative issues were to be brought to the attention of the Shift Supervisor who would then deal with the problem. Only if the problem was resolved would myself (or the Raccoon Ragg) be allowed further comments. The Shift Supervisor would determine if the problem was resolved and the length of time needed to resolve the issue. I was asked 3 or 4 times if I understood

what was being said. My understanding was that someone was becoming paranoid over an innocent in-house Newsletter that

was originally intended as a source of information and discussion for both staff and residents. Whitewashing will not make the problems disappear.

At the beginning of December it was decided by those participating in the Ragg that once the City Hall issue was resolved, the Ragg would become more positive in its approach. If any negative issues were brought up, they would be accompanied by positive suggestions to bring the issue to a positive outcome. We did not wish to whitewash the problems but rather to improve the situation for all. Unfortunately, events since the vote have put forth an atmosphere of distrust on both sides (management and residents). An opportunity has been missed. Is there still time to turn things around?

As for the Raccoon Ragg, it has been decided that, for now, it will continue. As a compromise Viresh will be offered a draft of the next issue a few days before it is published. He will then have time to offer any input or suggestions before publication. But, any final decisions will be made by the editorial staff alone. After all, this is still a project by the residents. In the future all printing, copying and paper will come from sources outside the Residence and paid for by the residents.

I guess we’ll be manning the barricades too, waiting for future developments.

(Editor's Note: Unfortunately, this month’s Editorial was to be a positive article on the impact of volunteers on the Residence, but it was decided to

delay that discussion until everyone is a little less defensive and can accept it in the light it was intended.)

Photos

The blue shed is the probable home of the the racoon family.

Back yard views