Abbreviation Silvera Legal status active Headquarters Calgary Staff 325 | Formation 1962 Region served Alberta Founded 1962 Number of volunteers 200 | |
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Purpose Provides subsidized housing to lower-income seniors Location #804, 7015 Macleod Trail SW, Calgary, AB T2H 2K6 Type of business A non-profit charity that is funded by the Alberta Government as part of its housing management portfolio Profiles | ||
Silvera for Seniors is a charitable, not-for-profit organization based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada that provides subsidized housing to more than 1500 lower-income senior citizens in the city.
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History
Since 1962, Silvera for Seniors (formerly MCF Housing for Seniors and Metropolitan Calgary Foundation) has provided affordable housing for seniors living in the Calgary area.
Concerned about the growing need for quality accommodation for Calgary pensioners in the 1950s, former Calgary General Hospital administrator, Dr. Leonard O. Bradley formed the Bow Valley Lodges Foundation, which began constructing seniors’ residences with the help of grants of land and funding from the City of Calgary.
The success of this project led to provincial legislation called “The Homes for the Aged Act” in 1959, which then led to the creation of foundations to build retirement homes for low-income seniors.
In 1962, the Bow Valley Lodges Foundation was replaced by the Metropolitan Calgary Foundation (MCF). Over the next 50 years, MCF built hundreds of affordable housing units and senior residences in the Calgary area.
In 2012, MCF Housing for Seniors changed its name to Silvera for Seniors. The non-profit organization continues to develop programming and services for seniors, as well as advocate for affordable housing and quality of living.
Programs
Working with partners such as Alberta Health Services and the City of Calgary, Silvera for Seniors offers subsidized living accommodation that includes independent and supportive living options, as well as specialized programs for seniors living with mild to moderate dementia. The subsidized seniors communities include activities, services and programs intended to encourage an active and engaged lifestyle.
In 2012, the seniors at Silvera broke a Guinness World Records for the most people engaging in a chair-based exercise, Cane Fu.
In 2013, Silvera had to evacuate more than 600 seniors due to extreme flooding throughout downtown Calgary. Seniors were successfully relocated to hotels in safe zones. The organization issued a policy briefing for other organizations, Surviving the Flood of a Lifetime, to help them prepare for such emergency situations when dealing with a senior population. They also authored commentaries in various news outlets to help other organizations know how to facilitate and prepare for disaster relief for a senior population.
Purpose
In addition to its role as a housing management body supported by the Alberta Government, Silvera for Seniors is one of several key stakeholders working with the province and the city to develop and implement strategies to support senior citizens. It works to ensure publicly funded care services in the province of Alberta adapt to changing needs and add to the quality of life of people in the province, making sure that seniors in Alberta (and Canada) are “aging in the right place,”as the CEO, Arlene Adamson says in a recent Op-Ed.
In partnership with the Older Adult Service Providers of Calgary, Silvera contributed to the report, Effective Practices on Collaboration Between Affordable Seniors' Housing Providers and Mental Health Service Providers, which highlights the need for senior-specific mental health services and facilities. As the report notes, with the growing population of seniors and rising rates of Alzheimer's, persistent psychotic disorders, including schizophrenia and delusional disorder, this constitutes a gap in service provision that will only get greater in time.
In the mainstream media, the organization's CEO advocates for continued affordable and accessible options for seniors' housing such as those offered through subsidized independent living governed by a rent-geared-to-income formula. This means seniors only pay a maximum of 30 per cent of their income in rent so they can afford other basic life necessities. Increased housing options for seniors also means that they stay independent as long as possible and use less costly supports until they require them.