Business View - August 2015 179
or more seniors, and, according to Martin-Lindsay, that
includes “everything from small, personal care homes
to large, few-hundred-unit sites. Some have all types
of housing options on one site, others are singular.
They’re rural, urban, big, medium, and small. It’s the
full breadth and cross section of the seniors housing
industry.” Corporate and Stakeholder Associate Mem-
bers are also a vital part of the Association.
About 55 to 60 percent of regular members are in the
category of supportive living. Supportive living pro-
vides accommodation in a home-like setting, where
seniors can remain as independent as possible while
they still have access to accommodation and services
that meet their changing needs. “People don’t want to
live in institutional, medical-model settings. In the last
10 to 15 years, we’ve seen a real insurgence of what’s
called designated, supportive living. And what that en-
tails is the delivery of health services to the senior’s
residence, under contract with Alberta Health Servic-
es,” says Martin-Lindsay. ASCHA represents over 2500
designated, supportive living (DSL) units.
Martin-Lindsay explains that advocacy is the main
reason why its members join the organization. “It’s
the number one thing they want us to be working on,
and as such, it really takes up the vast majority of our
time – working to achieve the goals of government and
membership in a way that works for membership and
the seniors they serve. Certainly we have other ser-
vices – education, best practices, an energy program,
and other resources - but those are what I would call
‘value-adds.’ What the members are really looking for
is a voice and we certainly have a strong history and a
good reputation and that has served us very well.”
ASCHA recently developed what it calls its “Princi-
pled Advocacy Positions.” They are:
• Person-centered Housing - honors the individual’s
needs, desires and choices to maintain and enjoy a
wholesome, vibrant lifestyle.
• Housing First - Housing is the core need of individu-
HEALTHCARE
