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Today we published a press release as follows: Press Release Sept. 11, 2017 New Study Shows No Action taken on Government Report Seniors and Elders waiting two years or more for care beds Ft. Vermilion, AB – It’s been three years since the Mackenzie Regional Housing Needs Assessment proved it is time to start building the up to 200 beds care beds needed by 2031. Since 2014, only four additional care beds have opened. All Designated Supportive Living (DSL) facilities in the area are 100 per cent full and there is a two-year wait list. The Fort Vermilion and Area…

The Board is actively seeking collaboration with governments and key leaders. The Board has or will be meeting with North Peace Tribal Council (NPTC), Mackenzie County, the Provincial government, Alberta Health Services, Boreal Housing Foundation and the federal government and various other key opinion leaders to discuss the opportunities for a culturally inclusive DSL facility in Fort Vermilion area. We are looking for new models, public private partners partnerships and collaborative leaders that will further strengthen our ability to make the facility a reality and provide more local care for our aging seniors and elders.

There continues to be an unmet need for seniors’ and elders’ care beds in the Mackenzie region, especially when considering the needs of the Indigenous population – one of Canada’s fastest growing demographics. The FVASELB1788 hired a researcher to ‘refresh’ numbers from a 2014 housing report that showed more care beds are needed now and into the future. The data shows there is a current need and a growing need in the future for more care beds in the Mackenzie region.

Approximately 60-plus community members in the hamlet of Fort Vermilion voted to create a board with a mandate to research the options for building a DSL facility. The community member’s vision is to incorporate indigenous healing standards as well as other local cultures in a way that contributes to all levels of health (spiritual, physical, emotional and mental). The Board – the Fort Vermilion & Area Seniors & Elders Lodge Board 1788 (‘FVASELB1788’) has structured itself with nine members from the region and four members who are appointed by each represented First Nation- Dene Tha’, Tall Cree, Beaver First Nation…

Boreal Housing Foundation and Mackenzie County have endorsed the DSL in principal. Land has been donated by Alberta Health Services, Tallcree Tribal Government and a private citizen and formal fundraising for a DSL facility is underway. As of July 2017 over $85,000 has been raised.

Municipal Affairs partnered with Mackenzie County and the towns of High Level and Rainbow Lake to conduct a regional housing needs assessment study. The government allocated $100,000 to complete a comprehensive review of all current housing needs and projected needs up to 2031. The Mackenzie Regional Housing Needs Assessment (‘MRHNA’) clearly states there is an existing and projected need for an additional 117-200 senior’s care beds between 2014 and 2031 in the region. In 2014, the MHRNA report indicated “approximately eight to 13 assisted living beds/units are currently needed in Fort Vermilion. By 2031, there will be a need for…

There is unmet need for seniors’ and elders’ care beds in the Mackenzie region. The waitlists for senior’s care is forcing residents to seek care in other areas, away from family and friends. For over 10 years, the hamlet of Fort Vermilion has actively advocated for a seniors’ and elders’ Designated Seniors Living (DSL) care facility in the Fort Vermilion area.