Disabled seniors find home at new CSS residence

$1.1M home favours accessibility, recreation for elderly residents

- WCR photo by Bill Glen The McDaniel Manor

By BILL GLEN
WCR Staff Writer
Edmonton

Catholic Social Services has taken over a parking lot and put up a paradise.

The area once used by St. Francis of Assisi Parish is now a state-of-the-art bungalow designed for 10 seniors living with developmental and/or physical disabilities.

The McDaniel Manor is a 4,500-square-foot, barrier-free house across from the church and the old Franciscan friary at 12840-67 St.

The deceptively large facility is spread across three lots, built at about $1.1 million. It was constructed by CSS/Catholic Charities, with financial contributions from the McDaniel Family Foundation and the Edmonton Housing Trust Fund.

Each long-term resident has his or her own bedroom, complete with shelves, closet and dresser. Staff is on-site 24 hours a day. Residents enjoy wheel chair accessible ramps, two large living rooms and a southern outdoor patio.

Darylan Clark has lived in five assisted living facilities over the last 15 years. The 69-year-old loves her new home. "The rooms are nice and big. All my friends are here," she said. "We do a lot of things."

- WCR photo by Bill Glen Darylan Clark, a resident of The McDaniel Manor, works on a word search puzzle.

Volunteers help residents

CSS volunteers help the residents with a number of activities including scrapbooking, ceramics and singing. They take the seniors bowling, to hockey games, aquasize and to concerts.

Students drop in to spend time with them.

The seniors maintain an active social life, says Barbara Humphries, program manager for CSS. She oversees the daily activities at a number of homes, including McDaniel Manor.

Providing support

"Our long-term goal is to identify people who are needing more support at the age and to provide an environment that can support them to the end of their lives," Humphries said. "And the ones who understand - like Darylan - know that this will be her home for as long as she chooses to be here."

The 10 residents happen to be female, although men are not excluded. Humphries said eight of the women came from the same home. There are times when finding compatible housemates becomes a juggling act.

"Sometimes when you support people as a group, you find the match doesn't mix. We do make changes or people choose to leave and live elsewhere," she said.

"What worked well here is that the eight ladies were already together dealing with the same kinds of issues, struggling within their environment. They fulfilled the criteria for living here and they all wanted to be moved as a group."

Humphries said McDaniel Manor does not have visiting hours. People are welcome anytime. But she does request visitors call ahead of time because the women might be out or not feeling too well on that particular day.

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