New bus for municipal long-term-care residents

Residents of Norview Lodge, a municipal long-term-care home in Simcoe, used the home’s wheelchair bus to go on 137 outings last year.

J.P. Antonacci

Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Residents of Norfolk County’s municipal long-term-care home will soon have a new ride.

Councillors recently greenlit a request from Norview Lodge in Simcoe to spend $375,000 to replace a wheelchair bus that takes residents on outings.

Norview’s recreation therapists use the 13-seater bus - which includes space for three wheelchairs - to take residents on outings meant to improve their quality of life. That can mean going swimming, bowling or to an indoor walking track for exercise, or hitting the town to shop, dine out and visit the Norfolk Arts Centre.

Sometimes residents just need to get some fresh air, so therapists will arrange for two-hour drives to see the fall colours or catch the sunset.

Last year, staff planned 137 program trips for residents.

Coun. Linda Vandendriessche wanted to know why Norview gives residents a lift free of charge when other homes make residents pay for transportation.

“In the city, (based on) my experience, we pay for bloody well everything,” Vandendriessche said. “This bus comes out of the ratepayer’s (pocket).”

Norview Lodge administrator Bill Nolan said some long-term-care homes in Norfolk charge for transportation to medical appointments, which Norview also does.

But 56 of Norview’s 179 residents get “subsidized services” based on their means, Nolan explained.

Those residents receive $149 per month to cover hair and dental care, cable television and medical supplies not covered by the province.

“That all comes out of the $149,” Nolan said. “They have a limited amount.”

Offering free rides to off-site programs extends those dollars while being an “added bonus” for residents that makes Norview “one of the top choices for long-term care in this area,” he said.

Using Norfolk’s on-demand public transit system, Ride Norfolk, in lieu of Norview’s own bus would “create several challenges,” including limited capacity, safely getting the wheelchairs on and off the bus, and ensuring adequate infection control while on board, Nolan explained.

Residents could be left stuck in case of emergency if the bus has other stops to make. The public transit service ceases daily operations at 6 p.m. while Norview’s programming can go as late as 8 p.m.

Nolan’s argument that Norview residents need “access to safe, reliable, consistent transportation” won over councillors, who voted to approve the funding.

The new bus is expected to be in service for eight years, with about $5,000 in annual maintenance costs.

- J.P. Antonacci is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter based at the Hamilton Spectator. The initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.