Across the globe, the aging population is an undeniable phenomenon. As baby boomers live longer and medical care becomes increasingly sophisticated, the elderly population continues to grow by the day. In fact, the government predicts that one in four Canadians will be a senior by 2036. The demand for senior and health services is expected to rise immensely, and we need your support to continue making our senior services the best they can be.
At Mon Sheong, we not only understand the frustration of waiting for a long-term care bed, but we also recognize the strain on the seniors and their families. With no government plans to increase the number of care beds in the near future, we took the initiative to create a new solution, alleviating some of the pressure through our Private Care service.
Mon Sheong Private Care can also provide a comfortable place for your loved one to stay after being at the hospital. They will receive constant monitoring and assistance with their daily routines, all while being able to make use of the fully furnished private studios and emergency physician on call.
While Private Care can serve the community in so many ways, it does so without any government funding, and the monthly fees we receive are insufficient to cover the significant operating costs. Your generosity is needed to ensure the elderly can continue receiving the immediate care they deserve.
One year of progress can be very surprising. On January 30, 2018, we announced our 10-Year Development Plan on Senior Care Services. On January 29, 2019, we broke ground on our fourth long-term care centre. This long-term care centre, located in a very central part of Stouffville, will have 320 new long-term care beds, create over 400 new jobs and help relieve our waitlist of close to 6,000. To build this centre, we are looking at a cost of $80 million.
We created our 10-Year Development Plan, which included 600 new long-term care beds in multiple locations within the GTA, to help relieve our burgeoning waitlist. When we received 320 new long-term care beds from the Ontario government in April 2018, we knew our plan was on the right track. With just over half of our goal reached, we were delighted to start the process of building our Stouffville Long-Term Care Centre.
“Global aging is a certainty that we cannot ignore, especially when our own waitlist has close to 6,000 people on it.” Tim Kwan, Chairman of Mon Sheong Foundation, said, “With no new long-term care beds released by the government since 2000, we thought something needed to be done. The 320 new long-term care beds came as a surprise. So, with over half of our goal in front of us, we were ready to hit the ground running. We are confident that the Stouffville Long-Term Care Centre will be operational before the end of 2022.”
Stouffville is a growing community and Mon Sheong is excited to grow with it. According to statistics from the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville, in 2016, Stouffville’s population was 46,000 and the Chinese population was sitting at 6,690. This is roughly 15% of the total population in the Town. Our Stouffville Long-Term Care Centre may not be the only long-term care center, as there are two other long-term care centres in town, but once it is completed, it may very well be the largest long-term care facility in town.
Stephanie Wong, CEO of Mon Sheong Foundation, said, “Government funding does not begin till the first resident moves into the facility, which is why we are currently working on a Capital Campaign. After some calculations, we determined that each bed costs $250,000. This number includes costs for land, construction, facility and more. This is why we are looking at a cost of $80 million. This amount will not be easy to attain, and will require a combination of savings, bank financing and fundraising. We are currently looking to fundraise $30 million for the first phase of this project. We hope to count on the community’s support to make our dreams come true.”
Once the facility is complete, Stouffville Long-Term Care Centre will be a six-storey building, containing 320 new long-term care beds and 400 new jobs. These jobs will be ranging from nursing to housekeeping to administration. In order to fill these positions, we will be working closely with the Town of Stouffville on the employment plan. Mon Sheong is very excited to become a part of the Stouffville community and we hope that you will help us become an integral component of the Stouffville family.
Help put a smile on the faces of our seniors. Please send us an email or call 1-866-708-0002 to discuss how you can make a difference in their lives.