SCOC Dream and Reality
Introduction :
What’s the name of that song. . .
“The times they are a changing. . .”
That seems to fit the story of St. Clair/O’Connor Community, also called SCOC.
There was a “dream”. A dream of an intergenerational and senior’s facility to be sponsored jointly by Danforth and TUMC congregations.
I do not have scripture to support our presentation since I believe Jesus’s ministry covers all human relations, intergenerational, cross-cultural and personal.
There was, and is, a Mission Statement
“St. Clair O’Connor Community Inc. is a non-profit partnership between the broader community and Danforth Mennonite and Toronto United Mennonite Churches, providing a range of accommodation and a continuum of care, a variety of life-affirming activities and programmes for seniors in the surrounding neighbourhoods. SCOC seeks to be a caring, intergenerational community which nurtures the health and well-being of its residents.”
“We value:
n the Mennonite heritage of Christian faith upon which the Community was founded:
n the intergenerational aspect of SCOC
n the diverse culture, ethnicity, family traditions and spiritual beliefs within the Community;
n the dignity, autonomy and unique worth of each person;
n opportunities for spiritual growth, worship and service to others;
n the ongoing training, development and commitment of staff;
n the contribution of volunteers;
n the importance of adapting to changing needs identified within the Community.”
The dream was an intergenerational community of families, seniors, and persons representing a normal mix of ages and gender.
Assuming that seniors would eventually require care, the dream included a nursing home and, in order to retain the normal mix, the Board, in the continuum of care model, gave in to the conviction that the NH should not overpower the community and thus — though financially unfeasible –, acquired a license for only 25 beds. However, adding revenue from a meal and service package charged to apartment tenants helped to pay for the shortfall.
The dream spoke of a “Mennonite project”, a sign still announcing this management intent although gradually acquiring non-Mennonite staff and management who have worked well in carrying out the operation. The chaplaincy is supported by TUMC and DMC.
The dream was further changed when the decision was made to add three local persons to the Board of Directors which now stands at a total of eleven persons, The balance coming from the two sponsoring churches.
I assume that no one believed that SCOC would be a bed of roses without thorns. All of us remember the personal struggles, management changes and financial difficulties that ensued.
And as a $5 million dollar a year operating facility, purporting to be a Mennonite operation in a huge city with proportionately fewer Mennonites than is the case of municipalities in Waterloo, Vineland, Ni
agara, or Leamington , money is in short supply, even as the Foundation now attempts to build a capital fund which will spin off interest to fund various projects.
The dream fulfilled some expectations of the community and government. Our doctor speaks glowingly about the Mennonite project and that more should be built, not realizing the struggles a small denomination in a large city had to endure. Yet, even though the Mennonite base remains small, the City and our provincial government have come through with operational grants and subsidies amounting to $ 2.3 million of a total revenue of $5.1 million in the financial year of 2011/12.
As an aside, SCOC was one of several housing projects that received CMHC approval even though they were more than apartment buildings. These housing projects included care facilities and amenities of which both were deemed to be non-shelter, and did not receive the mortgage interest subsidy. (Yet SCOC Nursing Home, one of the projects, did receive the interest subsidy (and therein lies another story).
It should be mentioned that, to support the change from a traditional apartment building to one in which a number of services are supplied for seniors, some apartments have been converted to other usages -– offices, storage, etc. There is also to a group home for clients of the Association for Community Living. Another large apartment has been converted into a senior day care centre where seniors with disabilities are brought in for activities and care for the day.
It should also be mentioned that a number of units are subsidized under the RGI (Rent Geared to Income) program to a total subsidy amount of $335. thousand, (part of the 2.3 million provincial subsidy) where residents pay only 30% of gross income for rent and the Province pays the rest under the OCHAP (Ontario Community Housing Assistance Program). Currently, about 40 apartments receive this assistance. So the good news is that SCOC has helped a lot of people in its 28 years of operation.
Somewhere, the dream included the intent to do age grouping by admitting seniors of varying ages such as 65’s, 70’s and 80’s which over time could be maintained by attrition. We know that has not happened. According to management, the average is now close to 88. On admission the average age of senior applicants is now about the same.
A further modification of the dream occurred when the attempt was made to purchase the neighbouring property and build first a nursing home and condominiums which would have included younger seniors and a volunteer potential for SCOC. However, the proposals did not meet approval of the local neighbourhood, and the land was sold.
The Age Wave – another reality
The “age wave”, as it has been called in certain circles, requires that the dream be modified. Not only do age averages change, the senior population is more frail, requiring the provision of services – called ADL (Assistance of Daily Living). Some 25 persons in apartments now require this assistance and more are on the waiting list. The assistance is paid by the Ontario Government called “supportive housing”. The auditors report for 2011-2012 lists $422,000 received from the Government for this purpose.
We are faced with a dilemma. The new requirements of the Ministry of Health put our Nursing Home, along with other older NH facilities, into a “c” classification which must be changed to an “a” when our Nursing Home licence comes up for renewal, or it will not be renewed
The other horn of our dilemma: the dream expected persons in need of greater care to be able to access the NH on site. That was changed. An organization called CCAC (Community Care Access Centre now makes the decision as to where a Nursing Home applicant should go based on a choice of three facilities by the applicant. Sometimes, fortunately, an applicant is admitted to our NH, a partial fulfillment of the dream.
An Aging Building – The Other Reality
The reality facing us in our 28th year of operation is that not only do seniors age so also does the building. One can view the aging signs in some of the corridors, the parking lot, and other areas. As one resident family remarked: This place needs a facelift.”
This is not to say that no work has been done on the SCOC building. To the contrary, with the infusion of funds from the federal government under the stimulus program, the SHRRF project (Social Housing Rehabilitation and Repair Fund), and also from the SCOC Reserve Fund, monies became available to complete a number of capital repairs, mainly safety and security items, such as the elevator renewals, window (outside brick) caulking, hallway air intake systems and finally the floor replacement in the meeting/craft room. A project in process is the replacement of the fire alarm system.
Oh yes, the swimming pool!. Source of much happiness and some misuse, the pool is now out of commission.
It began when we tried to replace the wooden flooring in the meeting room which was directly above the pool. The only problem was that some of the concrete slab came with it, exposing the rebars (that were) deteriorated by the moisture created by the pool below.
The question now is, do we retain the pool, rebuild it at a cost of several hundred thousand dollars so that the therapeutic use could be retained, or change the space to another use which would change our dream?
How about another reality: The cost of structural changes if we become more and more involved in assisted living, requiring (some) apartment doors to be widened and mechanized.
Given the n
ew requirements of NH upgrades, financially difficult, if not impossible for our community on the one hand and, on the other hand , the growing age and frailty of our senior population, the Board commenced a study of the Alternative Model’s of Care which could be implemented by SCOC
The model chosen is under review and will be explained at the coming AGM on June 21. May we call it the “New Dream”?
Finally, some will say, “this is not a sermon”. But it is biblical because it speaks to the biblical obligation to care for persons: the aged, disabled, frail persons in our society. That is our dream! And that is biblical!
In spite of challenges, many of us feel that the original vision is still there at SCOC.
Listen to what Otto and Marg Andres have to say, who were one of the first families to move into SCOC some 28 years ago, and are now back as seniors:
Nicholas Dick
St Clair O’Connor Reminiscences
I’d just like to share some personal reminiscences of our long association with SCOC.
Shortly after our arrival in Toronto in the late 1970’s, at one of our first Sunday School sessions, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that the subject being discussed, was the provision of retirement housing for the TUMC seniors.
A few years later, TUMC and Danforth churches purchased a vacant car dealership building. That was the start of the St. Clair O’Connor Community. It was exciting when we first visited the newly purchased building.
A little later, together with others from the two sponsoring churches, we attended the official ground-breaking. We watched our pastors, Darryl Fast of TUMC and Osiah Horst of Danforth, wearing hard hats, put their shiny shovels into the sod.
In 1983, when I was trying to decide where we should retire, Darryl suggested a town house at SCOC, where we would be able to help the new community get settled.
We moved in before the building was completely finished. The dust and short circuits triggered frequent fire alarms. Ron Sawatsky, our volunteer fire warden, claims that he had to hang his trousers on the bed-post in order to respond quickly.
We quickly got involved in volunteering. Marg and her friendly group of ladies, looked after the indoor plants and I took care of the outdoor gardening.
The official opening celebrations were held on Sunday, May 18, 1983, although they lasted a little longer. On the first day, with a overflow crowd in attendance, Marg was in charge of organizing and supervising the buffet dinner. It was a big job.
St Clair O’Connor was such a friendly community, that we were able to leave our doors open to invite friends to come in. When we wanted privacy, we kept the doors closed. On one occasion, to our amusement, a two-year old youngster wandered in to help himself to the candies on our coffee table. .
A few years later, due to ill health, we moved to Scarborough,to a single floor condo, However, we continued our volunteer work at St Clair O’Connor for many years.
Then, three years ago, we decided to return to our former home.
St Clair O’Connor has been an important part of our life for more than 30 years.
When someone asks me what we like about the place I say:
It’s a friendly, caring, community, with great support services, such as, medical, personal care, housekeeping, physiotherapy and the best Mennonite reference library in Toronto.
We certainly made the right decision when we decided to return.
Marg and Otto Andres
In closing, let us consider the friendly advice of the Apostle Paul as he writes the the Christians at Phillipi: (A good governance motto for transparency and accountability)
“And now my friends, all that is true, all that is noble, all that is just and pure, all that is lovable and gra
cious, whatever is excellent and admirable—fill all your thoughts with these things…”(Philippians 2:8, NEB)
Nicholas Dick