Home away from home

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Aboriginal people travelling to Toronto for medical services can experience home away from home.

Celebrating its first year in business, Waasagamik provides short-term accommodation and support services to Native people from all regions of Ontario and some other provinces. Guests of Waasagamik come to Toronto for surgery, chronic health problems and other physical ailments.

"Waasagamik is a guest home, not a hostel. I've heard guests say it's good to come home tonight," said Manager Shirley Kendall. "It's amazing to watch guests who don't even know each other start talking and discover they are related."

Kendall said it's often difficult to see people leave after they spend so much time at the facility.

"Sometimes their course of treatment necessitates a longer stay than was originally predicted. The staff and guests develop lasting familial bonds. The guests and their escorts will be forever extended family of Waasagamik," said Kendall.

"I take pictures of all the children, and, with the permission from parents, I post them all up on a wall. We call it the children of Waasagamik."

Kendall said the service has been necessary for a very long time and from research data, she anticipates an expansion in the next few years.

"Right now we are a 17-bed facility with extra beds for overflow. The expansion of this specialized service will be within the next three or four years. At that point Waasagamik will become a 28-bed facility. Within five years, Waasagamik will service 75 per cent of Aboriginal people who come to the city for medical services," she said.

Waasagamik is managed by Anishawbe Health Toronto, a culture-based health centre for Toronto's Native community. The program has many cultural components to make the visitors feel comfortable, including traditional ceremonies and healers.

"Sometimes we get people who just come down to see the healers and not wanting to see medical doctors at all," said Kendall.

Kendall said because there are many different beliefs within the Native culture, Waasagamik accommodates all of them.

"We honor all cultures, no matter how different. It's our responsibility to ensure that all the guests' needs are met, including spiritual needs," said Kendall.

The program costs were funded only to 20 per cent by government, so visitors cover operating costs.

There is a daily rate of $75 for adults, $45 for children five to 12 years old, and $27 for two to five year olds.

Since most visitors are covered under the medical services branch of Health and Welfare Canada, they receive financial assistance.

Kendall said there have been packages with reduced rates developed for families who do not have medical coverage.

Waasagamik also has translation services available in Ojibway, Oji-Cree, Inuit, and other languages.