Noorbanu had never spent a night away from her family. However, her children worried she was isolated in their homes during work hours. So they encouraged her to consider residing at Generations.
My son stayed with me on my first night at Generations,” Noorbanu reflects. “The next day, I told him, ‘Go home. I want to stay here.’ It was the best choice. I have been so happy. I now have my own place and lots of independence.”
Noorbanu is one of 55 residents at Generations, a multi-generational housing in Calgary. Launched during Mawlana Hazar Imam’s Golden Jubilee, it was one of 50 projects initiated globally to enhance the Jamat’s quality of life.
Seniors make up almost 23 percent of Canada’s rapidly growing aging population. The philosophy of Generations is to improve seniors’ quality of life through a continuum of care that supports their daily living needs.
Located in Calgary’s Skyview Ranch community, the 6.4-acre site will feature multiple phases, financed through Imamat funding and provincial grants. Phase I, consisting of 40 one and two-bedroom rental units for independent senior living, was completed in 2012.
The building’s common social space hosts activities delivered by volunteers with professional experience. The focus is to support the residents’ physical, mental, social, emotional and spiritual health.
Programming ranges from physical fitness classes to cognitive activities such as Rummy-O, the seniors’ favourite board game. Inter-generational interactions are facilitated through visits from local Bait-ul-Ilm students, girl guides and scouts. In addition, professionals volunteer regular grooming and aesthetic services, and daily transportation is provided to and from jamatkhana.
Despite their varied backgrounds, the residents have formed social bonds. Fatma, affectionately known as seva maa in Edmonton, knew no one when she moved to Generations in 2012. “Now,” she says proudly, “I know everyone. If we are feeling lonely, we just come downstairs and there’s people. We always have khenju [food] and maja [fun] together.”
These friendships fuel a cohesive support system, which encourages independent living. For example, residents cook for neighbours when they are ill, run errands together and support each other through challenges.
The successes of Phase I have laid a strong foundation for Phase II. Construction of the second phase is anticipated to coincide with the start of the Diamond Jubilee. It will consist of 120 assisted-living and long-term care units, including 31 for residents with dementia. Additional components include an early childhood development (ECD) centre with before and after school child-care; a multi-purpose community centre with a library, computers, exercise room and volunteer lounge; and surrounding gardens for all Skyview community members.
The shared amenities of Phase II will collectively promote intergenerational interactions and volunteerism. As Tamizan Lalani, vice-chair of the Prairies Care for the Elderly Portfolio, explains: “Volunteer engagement is the crux of this project. Without it, it would be impossible to accomplish the vision that Mawlana Hazar Imam has for the wellbeing of our seniors.”
The final phase of Generations will consist of affordable multi-family housing and increased programming for both residents and the broader community.
The overall vision is to have a holistic, age-friendly community, which encourages connectedness on many levels: between the senior residents; between generations through the ECD centre, the community centre, and the multi-family housing; and with the broader Calgary community through the green spaces.
Tasneem Rahim, member for Community Relations on the Ismaili Council for the Prairies, believes Generations’ vision of connectedness “speaks to our ethos and values as a community. It is about us caring for our aged but also contributing back to communities in which we live.”
By using best-in-class practices, Generations will serve as a model for caring for seniors both within and outside Canada.
Source: This article was originally published on Ismaili Canada Magazine - Summer 2017 edition.
