Community Knowledge Centre - Toronto Community Foundation

About this organization

Mission

St. Paul's L'Amoreaux Centre's mission is to provide programs and services for seniors and older adults across the east Toronto area, which lessens the gap between the rich and the poor, removes barriers for the most vulnerable, improves quality of life and helps create a sense of belonging. We strive to meet the multifaceted needs of the poorest and most disenfranchised East Torontonians by providing a broad range services and programs to address health, wellness, nutrition, transportation, housing, social, financial and civic needs.

History of Organization

St. Paul's L'Amoreaux Centre opened its doors in 1978 as a housing service with 298 apartments specifically developed to respond to an astounding need in Toronto for good quality housing for low-income seniors. With a strong understanding of the social determinants of health, the needs of newcomers and the health experiences of those with disabilities, as well as the disenfranchised, St. Paul's committed to providing housing services not in isolation, but with a sound mission to improve quality of life through a combination of housing, programs and services. St. Paul's worked tirelessly to create an environment which filled gaps, addressed inequalities and worked to empower individuals and communities, even at a time when this was unique and not the direction which was recommended by other agencies and funders. Our vision met a need and by the early 80's over 3000 seniors were using our programs annually.

After gaining an understanding through our clients (who shape our services) of their additional needs, particularly related to those seniors and their families experiencing dementia and Alzheimer's, St. Paul's developed a Day Program service, a counselling program and a nutritional support system through both congregate dining facilities and Meals on Wheels.  In the 1990's, with a growing level of diversity through immigration to Toronto, St. Paul's began offering services in a variety of languages including: English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Greek, Tamil and Armenian. By 2001, St. Paul's became aware of another need in  the local community and built a life lease building which included the same program and service model.  In 2002, due to St. Paul's outstanding ability to meet the needs of vulnerable people, St. Paul's was asked to provide programming to Wishing Well a Toronto Community Housing development, continuing it's model to improve the quality of life for the most vulnerable seniors in Toronto. Since then St. Paul's L'Amoreaux Centre has continued to grow and expand its services (for example adding services in new languages to reflect emerging communities) to support the thousands of disempowered and often neglected seniors and older adults with disabilities across East Toronto.

Accolades and Accomplishments

St. Paul's L'Amoreaux Centre has for over thirty years been a provider of excellence in housing, health and social care needs for seniors, including newcomers to Canada and those with disabilities. St. Paul's has received many accolades and awards including: Accreditation for our excellence in provision through the International Organization for Standardization, as well as an Award of Excellence from the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association (St. Paul's was one of the first Seniors facilities in Ontario to receive this award). Furthermore, St. Paul's was awarded a Kathleen Blinkhorn Award for Excellence in Volunteerism (which gave us recognition as a Community Champion) due to our thriving volunteer program of over six hundred volunteers, including many from the communities we serve and through our multi-generational high impact volunteer program. Accreditation through Accreditation Canada was awarded to St. Paul's L'Amoreaux Centre in 2007 to reflect our excellence in services and programs. Finally, St. Paul's was an Innovation in Health Care finalist in 2009 which recognized our creative and diverse talents in meeting the needs of Seniors and those with disabilities.

Programs

>Health and Wellness Programs
>Friendly Visiting
>Day Programs

St. Paul's mandate today is as widely encompassing as the needs of our clients across the Greater Toronto Area. Key programs and services include:

• Housing services for 454 residents, the majority of whom are vulnerable due to language barriers they experience as newcomers to Canada, their limited resources and/or disabilities.

• Health & Wellness Clinics which include health promotion and medical services to nearly 5000 seniors annually.

• An extensive programming department which provides over 100 programs a week including: exercise and fall prevention programs, cooking classes, bridge, bingo, tai chi, walking groups, dance classes, day trips and workshops on finances, housing and safety.

• Day Programs in four languages, with hot meals for seniors who are frail, isolated, have Alzheimer’s or other disabilities.

• Home Support Services including home making, care giving and personal support services which allow seniors to continue to live independently and provide support services to their caregivers.

• Access to social workers through our Case Management Service which coordinates services, provides counseling and specialized support services for those with dementia and people in palliative care.

• Food services including an on-site multicultural restaurant providing low cost healthy meals and a Meals on Wheels program.

• Transportation services which include three accessible buses which transport people with special mobility needs and physical disabilities to medical and banking appointments, social gatherings and day programs.

• Support groups for individuals and caregivers.

• Safety programs and initiatives to help seniors and vulnerable individuals stay safe within their homes and the community.

Health and Wellness Programs

Our Health and Wellness programs seek to provide over 100 programs each week, which help older adults and seniors stay healthy, active and engaged in the community. Participants have access to a wide variety of programs which help address their social, educational, health, financial and nutritional needs. Our special focus centres around supporting newcomers, reducing the gap between the rich and poor, increasing health and well-being and creating a sense of belonging and civic engagement. Features include: a fruit and vegetable market, walking groups, exercise classes (including classes for people with physical disabilities), art programming, gardening clubs, choirs, special day trips, medical clinics, blood pressure checks, dietetic services, language classes and special computer training opportunities. All of our Health and Wellness programs are offered in a variety of languages in order to meet the needs of both newcomers (in particular reducing their social isolation and levels of vulnerability) and our local community. Great care is taken to keep costs low for participants, most of whom are low-income seniors, with many free classes and services offered either through grants and funding, or by an organizational commitment to provide no fee for service. Health and Wellness Programs are offered in conjunction with our extensive and award winning volunteer program which empowers marginalized people to gain skills through volunteering, and gives youth, including unemployed and disenfranchised young people, the opportunity to care for local seniors, gain a sense of belonging (by contributing to the community) and increase their educational opportunities and job skills.

Funding and Program Partners

Funders Include: Central East Local Health Integration Network (CELHIN), City of Toronto, Heritage Canada, Older Adult Centres, New Horizons For Seniors and the Ministry of Health Promotion

Program Partners Include: City of Toronto, Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB), Foodshare, Bridlewood Mall, Alzheimers Society and Community Outreach Programs in Addictions (COPA).

Program Impact

In 2010, 3300 seniors and older adults with disabilities have participated in fruit and vegetable markets, gardening clubs, walking groups, workshops about health, exercise programs, special events, day trips and clinics, impacing thousands of vulnerable people and their caregivers by reducing barriers to health equality and giving them a sense of belonging.

Toronto's Vital Signs® indicator(s) addressed by Program

"Toronto is becoming a divided city where 1 million people in a city of 2.7 million are living in low and very low income neighbourhoods." (Toronto’s Vital Signs®, 2011) - We address this need by providing previously inaccessible services for low income people in low income neighbourhoods who can not access other programs due to lack of financial resources and transportation.

"The youth unemployment rate in the Toronto Region was 22.3% above the national average in 2010" (Toronto’s Vital Signs®, 2011) - We address this issue by providing unemployed youth with volunteering opportunities which help them gain the skills needed to access employment.

"As the top Canadian destination for immigrants, Toronto Region’s immigration levels grew by 11.5% in 2010, after three years of declining numbers." (Toronto’s Vital Signs®, 2011) - We address this by providing programs and services in a variety of languages and styles which reflect the needs of newcomers to Canada.

Participant Vignette

"I think all the people here love St. Paul's L'Amoreaux Centre. I have been at St. Paul's for 9 years and have been very happy, never feeling lonely because of the wonderful residents, clients, staff and management. It is a comfortable place to be with interesting people and interesting programs. It has given me so many ways to learn and be involved both as a 86 year old client and as a volunteer. I spend my days volunteering, playing games, enjoying activities and trips that I wouldn't be able to go on if it wasn't for St. Paul's. There are so many seniors who need St. Paul's."

Friendly Visiting

Imagine being a frail and isolated senior who cannot safely and independently walk to the bus stop on a cold day, or who doesn't have the economic currency to enjoy leisure activities during retirement. Worse still, imagine being a senior who doesn't see anyone week after week. This is the reality many of the seniors in our local community face. As a result, St. Paul's L'Amoreaux Centre created a Friendly Visitng program to match isolated and marginalized seniors and older adults with disabilities, most of whom find engagement with services challenging, to volunteers in the community who develop relationships with them through weekly social visits and telephone calls. For the clients this means they have a free in-home support and a relationship with someone who can help them engage in activities previously not possible on their own (like shopping and reading) due to complex needs like low vision and poor mobility because of a stroke. It gives both seniors and volunteers the chance to engage in conversation, and share ideas, but more than that, it gives them the feeling someone cares. In addition many of our clients feel this program allows them to safely age at home. It means through visits and telephone calls someone is checking in on them, someone is making sure they are safe and someone can raise the alarm if they are acting out of character or experiencing ill health.

For our volunteers, this program is life-altering. It engages them with a population which is often hidden, or at least not visible in their daily lives. It gives people support in the language in which they are fluent, matching seniors with a variety of ethnic and linguistic backgrounds with a volunteer who can communicate with them in their mother-tongue.  It lets youth volunteers (many of whom are disnenfranchised themselves and lack a sense of belonging due to economic and social hardships) learn more about a generation who has such a wealth of experience and knowledge to share . This program gives both groups hope. Hope that someone cares. Hope that they make a difference.   For the Senior, they feel they are making a difference in the life of a young volunteer. For the youth, they know their visit and phone call makes all the difference in the live of a senior who is more often than not alone.   

Funding and Program Partners

Funders: Central East Local Health Integration Network and City of Toronto

Partners: None

Program Impact

In 2010, 217 seniors and older adults with disabilities were benefiting from a Friendly Visiting program which reduced their social isolation and gave them the knowledge they were an important part of someone's life; in addition over 200 multi-generational volunteers were provided the opportunity to directly impact the emotional and physical health of a vulnerable and isolated senior.

Toronto's Vital Signs® indicator(s) addressed by Program

"The youth unemployment rate in the Toronto Region was 22.3% above the national average in 2010." (Toronto’s Vital Signs®, 2011)

This program addresses this issue by giving unemployed youth the chance to deliver a high impact program which directly changes the lives of vulnerable seniors, thereby providing the youth with a sense of personal achievement and increasing their personal and professional skills which will increase their likelihood of employment.

"Toronto’s aging population puts pressure on the health care system: only 8.7% of the population aged 75 or over (180,470 in 2009) has access to long term care. That’s a 10% decline from 2005, as the supply of beds lags behind the growth in the elderly population" (Toronto’s Vital Signs®, 2011).  We address this trend by providing regular checks on seniors with complex needs who are aging at home and connecting them to services when the need arises.

Participant Vignette

"Friendly Visiting at St. Paul's L'Amoreaux Centre is fantastic, I look back and smile at all the fun we've had together. I had a stroke before I came here and I was quite shy. I liked the idea of having someone visit but I wasn't sure, I took the leap and it has been great. Every Thursday I know someone will be hear to spend time with me, to talk and listen and have fun with me. I'm a silly person and my Friendly Visitor lets me be silly. The program gives me company when I most need it. I don't feel so alone."

Day Programs

With the growing number of seniors, including those with complex needs, aging at home and being cared for by family members, St. Paul's L'Amoreaux Centre developed a series of Day Programs to help meet local needs. This service has developed into four distinct programs: one in Greek, one in English, one in Cantonese and the other for people with Alzheimers and dementia-related special needs. Providing a safe, nurturing and enriching environment, with transportation and a hot meal, clients enjoy professionalized and personalized care to help provide socialization and mental and physical stimulation, both of which aid in reducing the effects of serious and complex health needs and diminish the risk of burn out of their caregivers. The program centres around support from professionals including: social workers who develop individualized care plans; personal support workers who provide this specialized care; and volunteers, who come from a variety of backgrounds from High School students to unemployed newcomers to Canada. All of these participants as a team provide tender, client-based care for the most vulnerable and marginalized seniors greatly increasing their quality of life.

Funding and Program Partners

Funders Include: Central East Local Health Integration Network

Partners Include: Alzheimer's Society and the Regional Geriatric Program

Program Impact

In 2010, 242 of the most frail and isolated seniors, including those with Alzheimers accessed our Day Programs, providing them with a safe, enriching environment which stimulates the mind, improves mobility and allows for a connection to others, preventing them from facing yet another day alone where, because of their frailty, they may not be safe.

Toronto's Vital Signs® indicator(s) addressed by Program

"Toronto’s aging population puts pressure on the health care system: only 8.7% of the population aged 75 or over (180,470 in 2009) has access to long term care. That’s a 10% decline from 2005, as the supply of beds lags behind the growth in the elderly population." (Toronto’s Vital Signs®, 2011).  This program centres around caring for a population, who if health care organizations were not in an age of austerity, would qualify for intensive wrap around care, based on their high level of need. We address this by providing programs which help bridge the gap.

Participant Vignette

"Day Programs are like a ray of sunshine for my husband with Alzheimers. Before coming to St. Paul's L'Amoreaux Centre my husband attended another specialized service and he was so unhappy, as a caregiver I am only as happy as he is and even though I desperately needed the break, I decided I had to stop sending him. One day in the grocery store I began talking to a woman about my stress caring for a person with dementia 24/7 and she told me about St. Paul's L'Amoreaux Centre. Instantly we were made to feel welcome by the intake worker and my husband began attending one day a week. He loved it so much he now attends three days a week. When I drop him off I don't need to feel guilt, he is welcomed by staff and volunteers who greet him warmly with big smiles on their faces. Their kindness is felt not only by him but by me too. For my husband each time I tell him today is a day he will spend at St. Paul's L'Amoreaux Centre, he smiles. For me, each day he is there I don't have to worry, he is safe, he is happy, he is cared for."