VIDEO - Maison des aînés: An intergenerational residence is being built in Châteauguay

The future Maison des Aînés is taking shape on Châteauguay’s Principale Street as construction progresses. It will not only welcome 120 seniors, but also 80 little ones as a daycare centre will be integrated within the building. According to the Minister of Families, this intergenerational project could be the first of its kind to open in Quebec.

Translation Amanda Bennett

Several dignitaries met at the construction site on October 29th to update the media on the project’s progress.

MNA MarieChantal Chassé said that she was proud of the generational combination. “Seniors have the patience that parents lack. And children have vitality that they can give back to grandparents.”

This formula will make it possible to organize intergenerational activities.

The CISSSMO indicated that it will focus on a living environment that is open to the community. A café/bistro will be established within the building, in addition to a multifunctional room that will be available to community organizations and volunteers, as well as dedicated spaces for informal caregivers.  

The daycare

For its part, the daycare, which will be called CPE l’Océan des Petits, will be able to welcome 80 children, including 20 infants. The daycare will be reserved for CISSSMO employees and will be managed by the same corporation that manages the CPE Cachalot, which is located within Châteauguay’s Anna-Laberge hospital.

“Even though the new facilities will be reserved for CISSSMO employees, it will nonetheless free up spaces elsewhere, in other daycares,” CPE Cachalot daycare Director, Stéphane Cadieux, explained. 
This daycare project has been in the works since 2013. “There is so much red tape, so many steps,” explained Mr. Cadieux. “Each time there is a change in government, the whole thing starts over from square one.” 

Preventing the spread of infections

Questioned about the risk of spreading infections among the various vulnerable populations within the building, CISSSMO’s Assistant President-Director General Patrick Murphy-Lavallée explained that the pandemic allowed the administration to adjust its architectural plans.

“All means of preventing infection will be respected,” he said. “We only have to close the partition and there won’t be any interaction between young people, seniors and the alternative housing.”

There will be separate entrances for the daycare and the Maison des Aînés, and given that separate entities manage each institution, the staff will not be the same in each.

Reducing the housing wait lists

Evaluated at $73.8M, the Maison des Aînés and alternative living spaces will be able to house 120 residents, namely 96 places for seniors and 24 for adults with special needs. All rooms will be private and each will have its own washroom, ensured CISSSMO spokesperson Jade St-Jean via press release. The first residents are expected in the fall of 2022.

Of the total cost, $37M will be earmarked for the building itself, according to preliminary estimates. The other expenses include professional expenses such as architectural and engineering plans, as well as the cost of acquiring the land, among others, informed the Société Québécoise des Infrastructures which is acting as project manager.

According to Mr. Murphy-Lavallée, there is a high demand for long-term care residences in Montérégie Ouest. “The elderly population is growing here,” he said. “Slightly above the Quebec average.” 

At the moment, 250 seniors are on a waiting list to gain access to a residence in the region, but they receive home care support to delay placement,” he added.
 

CISSSMO President-Director-General, Patrick Murphy-Lavallée. (Photo: Le Soleil – Paula Dayan-Perez)