First on-reserve Elders' care facility opened

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The grandson of the man for whom the Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation is named cut the ceremonial ribbon Aug. 12 to officially open the first personal care home on a Saskatchewan reserve.

Charlie Buffalo smiled and applauded after performing the ceremony in front of a crowd of about 300 band members and dignitaries. He is also one of about 25 residents in the new $2.6 million facility, which overlooks Echo Lake nestled in the Qu'Appelle Valley.

The 40-room facility will be the first of many for Saskatchewan's First Nations, said Standing Buffalo Chief Mel Isnana.

"It's one of the biggest days in a long time for our people," said Isnana. "We didn't realize we had the capability to do this but now we're very happy the people of Standing Buffalo can support such an endeavor. Lakeview Lodge employs about 20 people, many of whom come from the reserve and have taken courses in the lodge's operation - from cooking and laundry to caring for Elders - through Parkland Region College in Fort Qu'Appelle.

Isnana said the financial transfer agreement reached with Indian Affairs earlier this decade prompted the band to consider the project which resulted in Lakeview Lodge.

"We realized how much money was coming to our band (for adult personal care residences), and how much we were spending, and all that money was leaving the reserve," he said.

If Standing Buffalo had such a residence, that money would stay on the reserve and be used to hire people to build the facility, maintain it after construction finished, and to care for the people inside, he added.

A study done by the band's economic development department showed that there was demand for such an Elders' lodge.

"We would have to market it (the residence)," the chief said. "We know there will be a demand for this in Indian Country. If we did a business plan maybe we could market the residence across the province and other provinces. We would be able to have a sustainable project providing jobs for our people."

The band eventually convinced INAC to approve the project, he said, but neither the federal nor the provincial governments provided any dollars towards the project.

"We didn't wait for governments and we didn't wait for any kind of grants."

The project is financed through a loan by Peace Hills Trust.

The major difference between building an Elders' home on a reserve as opposed to off-reserve was the different lending requirements in order to obtain a mortgage on the new facility, said the chief.

Of the 25 current residents, about 10 are Standing Buffalo band members, Chief Isnana said. The remainder come from First Nations across Saskatchewan.

Many Lakeview Lodge residents move from personal care homes in the area, such as in Balcarres, or from the Sioux Valley Dakota Lodge in southwestern Manitoba.

While currently at about 60 per cent of capacity, Chief Isnana predicts the lodge's vacancy rate will soon drop.

"The demand is there. We've had phone calls and people faxing in their registration forms to live in this facility," he said. "Within three or four months I feel that we will be running at full capacity, with a waiting list."

Lakeview Lodge currently follows provincial guidelines for admissions and care of residents.

"We review applications and make arrangements for an assessment once they come here. Doctors and registered nurses are also involved to ensure they get the quality of care they require."

Residents make payments for living at Lakeview Lodge through automatic deductions of Old Age Security benefits and payments from INAC.

When they arrive they are treated to a top-of-the-line residence.

Lakeview Lodge boasts 40 individual rooms for residents with individual thermostats and half-baths, cable and telephone hookups, adjoining rooms for couples, common living and dining rooms, an activity area, an on-site laundry which will be done by lodge staff, an in-house doctor's examination room, an administrator who is a registered nurse and 24hour supervision.

Th project has attracted a lot of interest from other Saskatchewan First Nations, Chief Isnana said.

"We have members from the Prince Albert Grand Council at the opening ceremonies."

The Saskatoon Tribal Council and the White Bear First Nations have also talked to Lakeview Lodge officials about whether a similar project could operate on their reserves, the chief added.