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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.