The senior citizens advisory committee hosts its annual general meeting Wednesday afternoon - Photo by Colton McKee

By Charles Lefebvre

Senior Services

Decision on future of senior services expected this year

Feb 19, 2020 | 4:36 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Consultations on the future of senior services in Medicine Hat have wrapped up, representatives from the city revealed Wednesday afternoon.

During the senior citizens advisory committee annual general meeting at the Veiner Centre, Brian Mastel, the commissioner of public services for Medicine Hat says his department is going through all of the submissions received and will make a decision later this year.

“We are just reviewing the final draft of the report, and we will be in a position to start sharing some of the themes that have come from that in the coming weeks,” Mastel said.

For much of the fall and winter, the city has been consulting with seniors about how to continue delivering senior services. The city is looking to see whether they should continue funding and operating senior services, or contract it out to a non-profit organization.

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During the meeting, Mastel noted they have approximately 26,000 residents of Medicine Hat who are aged 50 and older, roughly 38 per cent of the population, and he expects the number to grow.

However, only 4 per cent of the city’s current population that are 50 years and older have memberships to the Veiner Centre.

Mastel says as the population continues to age, it’s important to make the right decision for how senior services will appear in Medicine Hat.

“When you look at that many people in the community that have similar needs and are looking for a community type hub, I think it’s very important for us to be thinking about how we best serve them as we look forward,” he said.

It’s something LaVerne Noble, the chair of the advisory committee, agrees with.

“(The Veiner Centre) is the community home of seniors in Medicine Hat,” she said. “As the mayor said, it’s a safe place for seniors, and so it’s important to us, as representatives of the seniors, that this be as good as it can be.”

Mastel says recommendations are expected to come forward in the spring, including request for proposals, though city council will make the final decision.