Concerns surrounding accessibility and mobility issues at the Points West Living and assisted living complex were brought to the table during the Aug. 27 City of Cold Lake council meeting.
The discussion was sparked by a letter received from Gary Farrer, the president of the Residence Family Council at Points West Living, who aimed to draw attention to issues regarding the facility’s elevator, which he said has been prone to malfunctions.
“Some significant concerns were being raised and allegations with regard to code requirements by Alberta Health for such a facility. Understanding that the core of the issue is that there is an elevator that is malfunctioning within the building and residents on the upper floor cannot access the down floor readily, other than being either carried or brought down through the stairways within the facility,” explained City of Cold Lake CAO Kevin Nagoya.
Nagoya explained that while the facility appears to meet the Alberta Building Code requirements, Alberta Health Services (AHS) may have additional codes that apply. He acknowledged there may be different interpretations of these codes, but he has not explored whether the facility is obligated to provide immediate alternatives.
The elevator issue has caused concern, leaving many residents feeling trapped, heard council. Staff have had to rely on emergency services to help transport residents down stairwells for essential activities.
Nagoya added, “We've got outreach that the elevator is operational today. So, there is no issue at this time.”
Council members discussed potential alternative mobility solutions, such as an automated stair lift. While Nagoya mentioned that a chair lift is being considered for installation within the facility, he noted that this solution might not fully meet the residents' needs, particularly for those in wheelchairs.
He remarked, “The cost for such is about $50,000. I know that the residents have submitted to the mayor a petition in order for the City to weigh in and assist in this project and the need to be able to implement as such.”
Coun. Chris Vining expressed empathy for the residents, drawing from his own experience with the Lodge and Housing Foundation. He acknowledged the challenges posed by elevator outages, saying, “It is frustrating because the companies that are servicing them struggle to get parts and service... We just have to make adjustments to help and to assist people getting through the facility when they need to.”
Vining also raised the issue of jurisdiction, pointing out that as private property, the City's ability to intervene is limited. He stated, “There's very little we'd be able to do as a private facility, anything that we would get involved in. I'm sure we're kind of getting a little out over our skis on this one.”
According to information released by the City of Cold Lake on Aug. 29, Mayor Craig Copeland voiced council's understanding of the situation, saying, “Accessibility and mobility are very important in an assisted living facility.”
He emphasized that this is not an isolated issue, suggesting a broader look at accessibility in assisted living facilities across the province, noting, “We think accessibility in assisted living facilities should be examined province-wide.”
Council made a motion to draft a letter to MLA Scott Cyr, advocating for a review of the current accessibility issues and potential long-term solutions.
Points West offers insight
Dana Burr, Director of Operations at Points West Living, spoke about the situation with Lakeland This Week, on Friday afternoon.
She noted that Points West Living is working on a response to City council, and has already provided a response to the resident council.
Burr confirmed that the delay in elevator repairs was due to parts ordering issues, during which a contingency plan was implemented. Emergency services and the fire department were involved to ensure residents with urgent medical needs were safely assisted.
Burr added that the elevator breakdown was a rare occurrence, involving two repairs. The initial issue was misdiagnosed, leading to a second repair, but the problem was resolved quickly, with the elevator resuming operation on Aug. 22.
When asked about the frequency of the elevator issues, Burr stated, "No, it has not been happening a lot, this is the first time... this is the first breakdown of that elevator to that extent. Sometimes it's down for regular maintenance when the elevator service provider comes in, because they come in regularly - they do in all of our communities - and they'll shut it down to do some testing and things like that, but we haven't had the elevator break down like that."
Burr indicated that the discussion about potential solutions, such as a ramp or chair lift, is just in the beginning stages. While details are not yet clear, she expressed a willingness to collaborate and emphasized the need for further research and funding exploration.
Burr concluded by praising the efforts and dedication of everyone involved in the situation, stating, “I think that the team and the elevator place and the fire department - I think everybody handled it as best we could. We kept everyone informed with emails throughout that time.”