ESS is excited to share that on April 6, 2021, ESS welcomed its first overnight respite clients in its newly, purpose-built 6,000 square foot Centre at 30 Rosemount Avenue, York ON M9N 3B3.
Fully secure and universally designed to support seniors and older adults living with various cognitive and physical challenges, it provides short-term, overnight respite care to support the unique needs of these community members and their caregivers. Onsite are 8 fully furnished bedrooms, a full kitchen and dining space, accessible washrooms and shower facilities and recreational programming space.
Caregiving is a 24/7 job which can easily lead to burnout without the presence of a compassionate support and respite system they can turn to and rely on. Recognizing the lack of options for family members to take an extended break from their caregiving responsibilities, developing such a facility to build on its existing overnight respite units to help fill this gap, has been a long-held vision of ESS’.
“After almost two years in the planning and development, ESS’ dream of creating a new, state of the art overnight respite and day program facility is now a reality. This would not have been possible without the remarkable support of so many community members, leaders and funders. The best news is that it is now here to serve those who need support today and future generations who may need this help.” – Alison Coke, CEO, ESS Support Services.
Read more about this community need and its impact on caregivers in an article written by Tamara Shephard, Reporter with the Etobicoke Guardian, as published on toronto.com on February 9, 2021.
The overnight respite wing of the Centre is named after Dolores Ellerker, former CEO of ESS Support Services for 33 years, who originated the very first, award-winning, overnight respite units (coined by ESS as “Caring Centres”) in the Etobicoke community.
The new Centre has the capacity to welcome 10 overnight clients, however due to the ongoing pandemic, the Centre is operating at a reduced capacity to follow best practice infection control protocols to ensure the health and safety of its clients and staff. Take a virtual tour of the new Centre.
ESS plans to also incorporate a therapeutic recreational Adult Day Program that supports seniors or older adults who are frail or have a cognitive impairment, such as Alzheimer’s and other dementias. This program allows caregivers to receive some respite during the day to rest, recharge and complete everyday tasks.
The overnight respite units (Caring Centres) are open 24-hours a day, 7 days a week every day of the year (including holidays), with two locations now available at 30 Rosemount Avenue and 15 King Street at Central King Seniors Residence. Personal Support Workers are onsite to provide round-the-clock care and companionship to persons staying at the Centre. This service is open to individuals living in the Etobicoke and Greater Toronto Area. An assessment by an ESS Case Manager is required to determine eligibility for this service. Please call ESS Support Services at 416-243-0127 ext. 503 for further information.
ESS would like to thank its donors and local businesses for helping raise funds towards supporting the start-up operations of the Centre and the Central Local Health Integration Network for their on-going program funding. Thank you to MPP Faisal Hassan, York South-Weston, Councillor Frances Nunziata, York South-Weston and Dave Bennett, Chair, Weston Village Residents’ Association for helping us bring this Centre to life.
Take a virtual tour of the new Centre.
