Wow February has been a busy month, I have been researching available apartment rentals in the area and have discovered, although there are a few not all are appropriate for seniors. Most are aimed at low rentals and most are small and many are on upper floors. Tight corners, small bathrooms, uneven walkways, not laid out for wheelchairs or set up with the mechanics needed for people who might need a hand getting in and out of the bath with hand rails or safety bars.
I have also been researching properties that we are considering as a location for the site for the home we would like to build. It is interesting seeing what is available in the area. There are many great properties available. I just wish it were spring so we could view them without snow, however this will happen soon enough.
We will be having our meeting with our ABSCHI representative on the 28th and we are looking forward to this with great anticipation. Once we present him with our information we will be able to have a community meeting and let everyone know what is happening and get more feed back and be able to get a better idea what will suit the area according to community needs.
Keep your eyes and ears open for more information to come!!!
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
January 20, 2010
Wow, working on this blog site is a blast. I am having so much fun figuring out all the ins and outs of the different styles and gadgets that can be used. I need to get some relevant photos to put up now that we have some current information to post. We have a meeting date set for our ABSCHI representative for the end of February. We are so excited to get the next stage of our project underway. We have several site locations in mind, and many ideas ready to implement. We want to hear from the community what they want in a seniors facility. This is such an exciting project...
Friday, January 7, 2011
January 7, 2010 - Coffee Meetings
Meetings are fun, don't you find? You never know what you are getting into until you get there. I must admit. Although I love talking to people, and I am a BIG talker, I am always afraid of saying the wrong thing or making myself look like I don't know I am talking about. Even if I am fairly sure I do. Yesterday I had two meetings. The first is one that I have had several times. it was with my mentors at Tim Hortons. I LOVE coffee meetings, if for no other reason, coffee is involved. LOL Ask anyone, I am addicted to coffee. Anyway, we went over many things pertaining to the project and discussed my progress thus far and I was encouraged to discover that they are VERY pleased with my accomplishments and my work-to-date. As many of you must realize, getting anything accomplished over the Christmas holidays is a feat in itself. However, this is now behind us, and we are moving forward. Over this period I managed to meet with the Town Hall and we mapped out the town streets and found the town water and sewer lines, and found a few properties which are for sale and I now have a humongous map of the town which I can look at and plot out various properties and see what is for sale in the area and where they are exactly. This is a huge help (I am in fact a visual person). I may have mentioned some of this in my previous blog but after reading it, I sounded very boring so I decided to make this a bit more interesting.
My second meeting was with the Senior Services coordinator. I can't mention her name at this time for privacy reasons (I will ask her later). We met to discuss my project and how the Seniors Complex would benefit her clients and affect her job. We had a wonderful talk. The seniors in this community require so many services, and the service community right now are doing their very best. However they are stretched. They can use much more help from the community and from this project. If anyone would like to volunteer to visit a senior, I am sure they would love to hear from you. Give Senior Services a call.
There are so many aspects to which this complex would benefit Shelburne and the surrounding area. Imagine for a moment, your parents living in a community outside the town limits taking care of a property. Even if it is a small property, the upkeep of this property requires time and energy. There is lawn care in the summer, snow removal in the winter, ice, windstorms, leaves and branches to take care of, worry about security, upkeep of the house itself, roof, gutters, windows, doors, plumbing, changing light bulbs, climbing stairs, falls, getting in and out of tubs or showers, what happens if they do fall and there is no one there? And then there is the loneliness; you can only watch so much Canadian Idol...
With a complex as we are proposing so much of this would be eliminated...they would live in a cozy one or two bedroom apartment with a senior friendly bath or shower unit with emergency bells included in case there was a problem, and these bells are also in the bedroom and living areas as well. There is a maintenance person on site, so they can call to have light bulbs changed and high objects taken down off of shelves, boxes taken up from storage units and heavy parcels brought in from cars. No more lawn care, worry about ice or snow removal, there is 24/7 security. Close neighbours to have card parties with or tea so loneliness can be avoided and you no longer have to worry about them being alone for days on end. This does not mean that they are in an "Old Folks Home" either. These apartments are all separate. Seniors apartments have double thick walls, and double wide hallways so that privacy is guaranteed. No one has to know their business. If they want to be alone, they have that option as well, however, with all the activities, workshops, exercise room, movie nights and parties, they would be hard-pressed to want to.
We are also hoping to add another level to this facility, an Enhanced Living Unit, where you pay a little bit more and you have two meals a day included with your room. Since you wouldn't be needing a full kitchen with this service, you would have a refrigerator, and microwave in your unit instead of a full kitchen, however the rest of the apartment would be the same as the regular units. Large spacious rooms with cable TV, Internet connections, emergency bell systems, storage room/laundry room, large windows, bright and cheery, wheelchair accessible. Just think, no messy oven to clean, someone else to cook for you, that is MY idea of a good time. This would be a great time to give me some feed back...let me know how you all feel. :-)
My second meeting was with the Senior Services coordinator. I can't mention her name at this time for privacy reasons (I will ask her later). We met to discuss my project and how the Seniors Complex would benefit her clients and affect her job. We had a wonderful talk. The seniors in this community require so many services, and the service community right now are doing their very best. However they are stretched. They can use much more help from the community and from this project. If anyone would like to volunteer to visit a senior, I am sure they would love to hear from you. Give Senior Services a call.
There are so many aspects to which this complex would benefit Shelburne and the surrounding area. Imagine for a moment, your parents living in a community outside the town limits taking care of a property. Even if it is a small property, the upkeep of this property requires time and energy. There is lawn care in the summer, snow removal in the winter, ice, windstorms, leaves and branches to take care of, worry about security, upkeep of the house itself, roof, gutters, windows, doors, plumbing, changing light bulbs, climbing stairs, falls, getting in and out of tubs or showers, what happens if they do fall and there is no one there? And then there is the loneliness; you can only watch so much Canadian Idol...
With a complex as we are proposing so much of this would be eliminated...they would live in a cozy one or two bedroom apartment with a senior friendly bath or shower unit with emergency bells included in case there was a problem, and these bells are also in the bedroom and living areas as well. There is a maintenance person on site, so they can call to have light bulbs changed and high objects taken down off of shelves, boxes taken up from storage units and heavy parcels brought in from cars. No more lawn care, worry about ice or snow removal, there is 24/7 security. Close neighbours to have card parties with or tea so loneliness can be avoided and you no longer have to worry about them being alone for days on end. This does not mean that they are in an "Old Folks Home" either. These apartments are all separate. Seniors apartments have double thick walls, and double wide hallways so that privacy is guaranteed. No one has to know their business. If they want to be alone, they have that option as well, however, with all the activities, workshops, exercise room, movie nights and parties, they would be hard-pressed to want to.
We are also hoping to add another level to this facility, an Enhanced Living Unit, where you pay a little bit more and you have two meals a day included with your room. Since you wouldn't be needing a full kitchen with this service, you would have a refrigerator, and microwave in your unit instead of a full kitchen, however the rest of the apartment would be the same as the regular units. Large spacious rooms with cable TV, Internet connections, emergency bell systems, storage room/laundry room, large windows, bright and cheery, wheelchair accessible. Just think, no messy oven to clean, someone else to cook for you, that is MY idea of a good time. This would be a great time to give me some feed back...let me know how you all feel. :-)
Sunday, January 2, 2011
January 2, 2010
I have started the Bible Reading Challenge through MomsToolBox to read the Bible through in 90 days it is called the B90 Challenge. I pray that this is one challenge I am able to complete.
As for the Seniors Home Project. It is moving along slowly. As we await communication from our sponsor over the Christmas holiday, I have been researching various locations which may be available in the area, looking at water and sewer lines, and talking to people who have worked at getting one of these homes up and going. My plan for 2011 is to continue to research locations, get the information gathered compiled into a report to pass on to our sponsor and approach the public with the possibility of getting this project up and running.
So what do you all have to say out there, do you have any opinions as to where a good location for a Seniors Apartment Complex should be built in Shelburne? What sort of services would you be willing to pay for in one of these facilities?
As for the Seniors Home Project. It is moving along slowly. As we await communication from our sponsor over the Christmas holiday, I have been researching various locations which may be available in the area, looking at water and sewer lines, and talking to people who have worked at getting one of these homes up and going. My plan for 2011 is to continue to research locations, get the information gathered compiled into a report to pass on to our sponsor and approach the public with the possibility of getting this project up and running.
So what do you all have to say out there, do you have any opinions as to where a good location for a Seniors Apartment Complex should be built in Shelburne? What sort of services would you be willing to pay for in one of these facilities?
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
November 30, 2010
Well, it has been a crazy few weeks. We are on our way getting things started with this project. It is such an amazing opportunity for the town, but we need your help. Please post your comments, suggestions and ideas on where you think would be a good location, what you think would make a good home. Anything you think would help us in making this project succeed. We want all input. Come on Shelburne, let's all get behind our Seniors!
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Assisted Living 4 Shelburne
Hi, my name is Elizabeth Chute. On November 8th, 2010 I began an exciting new project for the town of Shelburne and the surrounding area. We have a great opportunity to explore and I am looking for imput from everyone to make this project fly.
As we all know, Shelburne is a beautiful area with many opportunities for everyone, it has a huge draw to tourism and visitors from all over the world; however we also have a large senior population who live here all year long. Our nursing homes are at maximum capacity with long waiting lists. These wonderful people deserve a place where they can live and stay with comfort and control over their lives, come and go as they wish and still maintain their independence. With an Assisted Living facility they can have all this and more.
My goal is to search out the community's wants, needs and desires for such a facility. I am researching locations, existing facilities, and the possibility of building an Assisted Living Facility in this area.
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