Toronto Seniors Housing, Baycrest and North Toronto Ontario Health Team partner to support aging at home
I am pleased to announce that we have formalized our partnership with Baycrest Hospital and North Toronto Ontario Health Team (NT OHT) to help low-income seniors age at home and improve their quality of life. Baycrest will be the lead on behalf of the NT OHT partners for this work.
This partnership includes a lease agreement for dedicated clinical rooms in eight seniors buildings to support tenants. Toronto Seniors Housing is providing access to these rooms to our community partners, while keeping all common and recreational spaces available for tenant use. Local support teams and clinical services can work directly from these clinical rooms to help senior tenants increase their access to health, home care, social, and other services that they need.
Tenants were consulted on this project through door-knocking surveys, talking with tenants in their building lobby, tenant voting and co-design sessions. This was done to make sure tenants drive the priority and structure of the service delivery. Tenant consultations will continue to make sure the project is refined and adjusted to meet tenants’ changing needs and wants.
This project is an important part of the Integrated Service Model, increasing tenants’ access to health and community support services where they live. As it continues to grow, the program will form additional strong partnership on the ground, and give all tenants a chance to age in their homes and improve their quality of life.
Tenant Questions and Answers
TSHC and Baycrest Partnership Q&A
1. What is an Ontario Health Team?
Ontario Health Teams consist of hospitals, primary care providers, community and home care providers, and social supports. They take on all parts of care as one team for a certain group of people, in this case seniors.
2. Who is part of the North Toronto Ontario Health Team (NT OHT)?
The North Toronto Ontario Health Team includes Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, SPRINT Seniors Care, Vibrant Health, LOFT, Home and Community Care Support Services Toronto Central, SE (formerly Saint Elizabeth) Health. UNISON Health, VHA Homecare Health and Baycrest Hospital.
3. What space is being used for these services?
No tenant common spaces, such as community rooms, will be used or impacted. Toronto Seniors Housing chose buildings that had underutilized office space available that could be used for this project.
4. What services are being offered?
Services include healthcare, home care and social services. Examples include primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, social workers, light housekeeping and personal support. The exact services at each location will be chosen based on what tenants in the building identify as their needs and wants. Tenants will be regularly asked if these services still meet their needs.
5. How were these buildings/locations chosen?
Using tenant/common spaces, such as community rooms, was never an option. The buildings had to be in the service area for the NT OHT. They also had to have adequate, underutilized office space available that could be used for this project. Building demographics, such as more tenants with higher needs, were also considered, and input was collected from tenants and staff. Toronto Seniors Housing is working with service providers who work in other areas of the city to look at providing similar services in buildings, where feasible.
6. Are these kinds of services coming to all buildings/regions?
These services are coming into eight Toronto Seniors Housing buildings in the northern part of the city for now. We are working to expand these kinds of services with Baycrest and other service providers in the city. Where these services cannot be offered directly in buildings, we are working with community partners to improve tenant access to services close to home.
The first four buildings receiving these services are:
- 3036 Bathurst Street
- 3174 Bathurst Street
- 71 Merton Street
- 1775 Eglinton Ave W
The other four buildings have yet to be finalized but will be located either in the North West or North East regions.
7. Can people from the community who don’t live in the building access these services? What about tenants from other TSHC buildings?
Currently only tenants who live in the building can access these services. This will not change without agreement from the tenants in the building and a detailed security plan. Tenants from other TSHC buildings can work with their Seniors Services Coordinator and our other community service providers to access services they need or want close to their home.
8. How can I attend these services?
You can find out how to attend these services in many ways. You can:
- Ask your Seniors Services Coordinator
- Attend during the posted clinical/service hours
- Contact someone from the clinical/health team
The clinical/service hours and contact information are posted outside of the clinical room. This information may also have been dropped off at your door.
9. Seniors Services Coordinators help tenants connect with health services. Will they continue to do this if these services are now in the building?
Seniors Services Coordinators will continue to assist tenants in connecting with the services they need and want. However, in the eight buildings with clinical rooms, tenants will have another way to connect to services, some of which may be offered directly in their building. Seniors Services Coordinators will still be a tenant’s main contact for any tenancy questions.
10. How will these services be evaluated?
Tenants will have regular input, such as tenant surveys, to make sure they are satisfied with the services and that the programs offered are what the tenants want and need. The agreement also requires regular reporting from the partners to Toronto Seniors Housing