The Fort St. John community is entering into a time of transition and growth.
The Fort St. John area is facing housing challenges in that it has an aging stock, and limited options that can accommodate seniors’ evolving needs. The question many Fort St. John residents are asking is where their loved ones would go, should they need to move or change residence, if faced with a significant medical event or for any another reason. It is rapidly becoming apparent that there is nowhere for aging residents of Fort St. John to go.
The changing face of the population presents an opportunity to create new and innovative solutions to better support the community. Aging-friendly environments that not only support healthy living, they provide environments that consider the long- term needs of residents. The intent of the Seniors Housing Forum was to better understand the community’s needs, and to hear what residents had to say.
It was important to us to hear this directly from the Fort St. John community, and in your own words.
"Thank you for addressing this issue in our community!" - Survey voice
The Seniors Housing Forum
The primary initiatives of the Seniors Housing Forum were:
- 1. The Continuum of Care Survey where over 500 respondents identified their most Important type of senior housing they felt was needed in the community
- 2. Three Public Senior Housing Focus Groups, where stakeholders were invited to share their thoughts and opinions on a series of questions, and a dialogue was facilitated to help better understand the needs of the community
Specific focus groups for special interest groups throughout the community were also held this time frame, to ensure inclusiveness.
General Presentations to community leaders and stakeholders took place, outlining the identified issues and potential solutions.
Continuum of Care Survey top-level findings
The following graph shows the top-level results of the survey findings, and the answer to the question: What Level of Care is Most Important to You?
Assisted and Supportive Living (Level 4) was the most important level of care, identified by 22.5% of respondents as their greatest need.
Assisted and Supportive Living was defined as having Personal Care Attendants, 24-hour LPN staff and Medication Assistance on site.
Common themes
There were common themes identified by participants during the Senior Housing Focus Groups as well as with the open-ended questions included in the Continuum of Care Survey:
IMMEDIACY
There is an immediate need for senior housing options in the Fort St. John area. We heard again and again that there is a current need, and that within a three to five-year period, this need will only increase. The greatest housing need obstacles were lack of space and long wait-lists to get into suitable housing. The community recognizes this and is prepared to get involved. They want to work with local government, develop partnerships with local groups, and work amongst themselves in order to provide the support and initiatives needed.
AFFORDABILITY
The need for housing solutions that are affordable for seniors and those on a fixed or limited income was of paramount importance to all of those surveyed. Creative ways of reducing costs and including government subsidization and volunteer time were explored.
AMENITIES
The need for appropriate amenities and transportation consistently came up as an integral component to the community plan. Wheelchair- accessible transportation, access to pharmacies, clinics, parking, grocery stores and physical fitness opportunities.
COMMUNITY LIVING
The concept of community living was identified as a necessity by the majority of participants. Whether it’s a concern for isolation and loneliness, the need to allow pets, or have access to outdoor spaces and daily community involvement, a social component was recognized as a necessity for a healthy and ideal living space.
What's next
Our next steps in the process are to determine what the Assisted and Supportive Living needs and requirements are, and how we can achieve the best fit for the community of Fort St. John. The balance we need to achieve is to ensure we are creating something that can accommodate the needs of a larger community like Fort St. John. In order to define the action plan, we must continue our collaborative work with Northern Health Authority and BC Housing.
OUR RECOMMENDATIONS
Quality of life, quality of care and financial viability are at the forefront of our vision. We believe in innovative ideas and incorporating solutions that are proven to benefit those needing assistance.
Our recommendation is to focus on developing small intentional communities where residents can thrive, and experience full, vibrant lives. This modern, interactive style offers community living, which is a proven model to enhancing quality of life.
“Every one of these levels (of care) are long, long overdue for the Fort St. John area. Anyone who’s lived here would know that and agree. What’s needed for seniors is better meals. The buildings need appropriate kitchens to cook wholesome meals in. Buildings need to look and feel warm and inviting. The cold institution look isn’t acceptable.”