GUELPH – Wellington County councillors want to take a look into the future of the county’s retirement and long-term care facility.
The growing wait list for spaces at Wellington Terrace was highlighted at the March 30 council meeting during a presentation by Tricia Burrough, director of care for the facility, on plans for nursing and quality of care improvements.
“We currently have 513 people on the waitlist to come to our home – up from 300 just a few years ago,” said Burrough, adding about 65 of those on the waitlist are “in the crisis category.”
Burrough told council “the landscape of long-term care continues to rapidly change.
“Historically, there was a time when most residents walked in and enjoyed living in long-term care for many years. Today, that landscape has changed dramatically and people are coming to us much more frail and complex as they near end of life,” she pointed out.
“Throughout the pandemic, we’ve also been increasingly presented with people facing homelessness, battling addictions, mental health challenges, financial instability.
“This changing population requires a great deal of creativity in how we deliver services to residents.”
Burrough noted the average length of stay at the facility is now around two years.
Resident demographics, staff training
Of the 176 current residents of Wellington Terrace, 110 are women and 66 are men.
“To highlight diversity of folks living in our home, it is interesting to note that two of our residents are presently over the age of 100 and two are under 50,” Burrough explained.
“We have eight residents in the 51 to 68 (age) range and 17 in the 61 to 70 range, with an overall average age of 82.
“In addition, we have two couples and a mother/daughter currently living at the Terrace.”
Burrough continued, “Even with the changing landscape over 90% of those who call the Terrace home continue to have some form of cognitive impairment, and it remains the most significant diagnosis.
“All our residents require a degree of direct personal care,” ranging from minor assistance to full care.
Registered staff at the Terrace receive education and training to become experts in safe medication practices, pain management, dementia care, palliative care and chronic disease management, said Burrough.
“They have the skills and knowledge that allow them to successfully care for these frail and medically-compromised residents,” she stated.
“Our comprehensive palliative care program ensures that residents are able to stay with us in the home during their last days. This knowledge translates to a positive end-of-life experience for the resident and the family,” Burrough pointed out.
“We lose an average of 70 residents a year and it is important to us that families feel very supported during this difficult time.
“Wellington Terrace has a longstanding reputation of excellence in dementia care. We’re a minimal restraint home and use anti-psychotic medications very judiciously.
“Staff are trained in gentle persuasion, which educates them on how to use a person-centred, compassionate and gentle persuasive approach and to respond respectfully and with confidence and skill to challenging behaviours associated with dementia,” Burrough explained.
“I’m happy to report that we have a high level of satisfaction with our staff and Wellington Terrace enjoys a reputation as very good place to work.
“We recognize that our staff are our most valuable asset and through them we are able to provide excellent care to the residents we serve.”
‘Excellent standing’
In developing the facility’s 2023 quality improvement program, Burrough pointed out the home was not required to focus on some areas required of other facilities “because of our excellent standing in these areas.”
For example, the concern indicator of potentially-avoidable emergency department visits is not applicable to Wellington Terrace because the home’s “emergency department transfers are so low in comparison to the rest of the province,” Burrough explained.
Identified as priority areas in Wellington Terrace’s plan are falls prevention and staff recruitment and retention.
In terms of falls prevention, Burrough pointed out, “we will place our focus on education, enhanced assessment in post-fall review and having the right tools available to reduce the risk.
She also noted county support, competitive wages and a positive culture all help “as we face the human health resource crisis.
“Throughout the pandemic, our resources were stretched significantly and we were forced to be increasingly creative in filling the gaps to maintain excellent resident care,” Burrough stated.
Terrace capacity
Following Burrough’s presentation, council members focussed their questions on the Terrace’ capacity.
“In terms of our facility, there is obviously we’re a growing need within the community … and so when do we start to look at sort of that particular facility and the possible expansion?” asked councillor Shawn Watters, mayor of Centre Wellington.
Wellington Terrace administrator Sue Dronick responded to Watters’ question, noting licences for additional long-term beds are allocated by the province.
“There are licences that are in place in different homes for that. At this time, we haven’t looked to further our licence for the long-term bed structure,” Dronick explained.
“If we were to go to the province and ask for more beds, what’s the length of the process for that? Is it six months? Five years? Do we have an idea?” asked councillor Gregg Davidson.
“I don’t have specific timelines on that. I just know that it’s quicker than it once was,” said Dronick, while offering to seek out the information.
“Five hundred people on the waiting list. So where are these people? Are they living in other homes? … Are they still at home?” asked councillor Dave Turton.
“They are in various locations,” Dronick replied.
“Some are waiting in retirement homes. Those waiting in retirement homes are often to the level of care required by long-term care.
“And some are living in the community and some are in hospitals, as well.”
Dronick also pointed out “folks that are on our waitlist can be on a waitlist of other homes as well.
“So it wouldn’t be exclusively, or necessarily exclusively, waiting for our home,” she said.
“When we look at long term, are these projections going to be going up?” asked Watters.
“I’m curious on that and really what activates us to look at this even more.
“Because obviously we have a housing crisis in our community and this is part of that housing crisis that we actually don’t really talk about … But it’s an important service that we need to provide.”
“The answer is yes. They are anticipating the waitlist [will grow] … the province does have beds in development at this time,” replied Dronick.
“If we apply – you’re going to look into that for us – is the funding 100% by the province, or is this something that we should be considering in our strategic plan as additional funding to set aside?” asked councillor Diane Ballantyne.
“Just as our beds are right now, how we fund the Terrace is not 100% through provincial funding. So there would be, we do have, a county contribution,” Dronick explained.
“I think from what I’m sensing from around the table is that we probably need to look at what the future holds for long-term care for Wellington County, particularly for the Terrace,” said Warden Andy Lennox.
“I do think there was a takeaway that maybe we need some staff input in terms of what the future holds for long-term care.”
‘It’s time for us to look at seniors’
Later in the meeting, during discussion on the social services committee report, councillor Mary Lloyd, who chairs the information, heritage and seniors committee, noted the St. Joseph Silver Maple project is slated to provide 65 affordable seniors housing units in Guelph through a partnership of “all levels of government.
“I can only think that offering 65 affordable, seniors-type apartments in any one of our communities throughout the County of Wellington would be filled with a list of people that would shock us to see how fast this would happen,” said Lloyd.
“It’s not uncommon for myself to be approached on a weekly basis by seniors who are now going to be facing a homelessness situation because the rents have risen to such astronomical levels.”
Lloyd continued, “In the previous term of council, we developed a Continuum of Care project which would contain approximately 250 units that are specifically addressed to senior occupancy.
“I’m calling now on our county to really look at those things and whether it’s partnerships between … departments within our council, social services, and through information, heritage and seniors and through finance, to find money to make this project come to fruition.
“The pressure is there. We’ve been doing excellent work on our housing for our youth and those that are vulnerable in society.
“Now it’s time for us to look at seniors. We need to provide them some opportunities within this county. It’s time.”
The Continuum of Care concept of a supportive seniors community on a 15-acre parcel of land at the 209-acre Wellington Place campus at Aboyne has been under discussion by the county since February of 2018.
Plans call for a 254-unit development in close proximity to Wellington Terrace.
In October of 2020 council agreed to make efforts to secure additional government funding before committing to the project after the projected price tag rose from a preliminary estimate of $88 million to a projected cost of $135 million.
