WHY?
When asked to comment on the underlying reasons prompting initial interest and subsequent full commitment to the Kootenay Columbia Seniors Housing Cooperative (KCSHC), several come to mind two of which are addressed here.
It was expected that participation in this housing initiative –novel to the Kootenay/Boundary area- would provide members with a unique and exciting experience of total involvement in shaping an environment which within a year of this date many will call home conceivably for the remainder of their adult lives. As anticipated, from the plan’s inception to the present, member input has guided the progress of the large- scale project. While full disclosure of the issues requiring attention is not the purpose of this discussion, the following are cited as examples to provide a sense of the extent of member involvement: identifying and executing land acquisition financing, commissioning and accepting a master development plan for quantifying and positioning dwelling types and amenity areas, selecting floor plans for individual residential units, and establishing rules and regulations, and life lease and disclosure statement documents. Only partially complete, the task to date has been both challenging and rewarding.
More compelling than the opportunities for personal growth provided by the challenges of the KCSHC initiative was the prospect of being part of a cooperative venture which ultimately will provide a more reliable and stable legacy of health care for seniors in Kootenay/Boundary. During its mandate, the current government has systematically dismantled the delivery of care required by a growing senior population. Statistics cited by the government to justify the downsizing are repudiated by growing waiting lists. This insensitivity to seniors needs creates severe hardships which in extreme case have resulted in tragic loss of life.
Unwilling to be victimized by the government’s abandonment of adequate care, KCSHC provides in its planning construction of a care facility which will attend to various levels of assisted living. The “Aging in Place” concept facilitates movement through the various types of residential units (bungalow, duplex, condominium and ultimately, the care facility) - determined by individual needs – while remaining midst familiar surroundings. Residents will be spared the trauma of forced relocation out of the area or worse still, separation from a loved one. Desirably, this proactive stance will create a benevolent environment where aging follows its natural course with grace and dignity.
We invite all who are interested in adult community housing and/or seniors care to make further enquiries about KCSHC and the Grandview Heights project by logging onto our web site:
www.grandviewhousing.ca
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