Peel Manor Building Envelope Study Results
Executive Summary
Peel Long Term Care, a division of the Peel Health Services Department, has prepared a report for the Sept. 12, 2013 meeting of Peel Region Council providing the results of a technical study into the future maintenance and repairs required to keep the Peel Manor building safe and comfortable. The report also describes proposed next steps.
Peel Manor’s contributions to Peel
Peel Manor is the oldest of five long term care centres operated by the Region. It is located in central Brampton where it has cared for vulnerable citizens for the past 115 years. It was first conceived in 1896, when the Women’s Christian Temperance Union of Brampton and Port Credit pressured Peel County Council to find better accommodation than the jail for the destitute.
Today, the Manor provides care for 177 long term care residents and also serves up to 30 clients daily in the centre’s Adult Day Services Program. More than 200 staff, largely members of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 966 and the Ontario Nurses Association provide care at the centre. Staff care is complemented by more than 200 community volunteers who help residents and clients to participate in a range of social and therapeutic programs and who also assist with activities of daily living.
Report findings
In 2012, budget staff identified that significant funds are required to maintain Peel Manor. In fact, the building accounted for more than half of the proposed spending in the Long Term Care Division’s 10-year capital plan.
MMMC Architects and Pinchin Environmental Ltd undertook a comprehensive and intensive study of the building envelope. The most problematic building elements associated with the most significant repair costs are:
- Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC)
- Plumbing and mechanical systems
- Fire alarm system and the nurse call system
- Electrical interface, and power distribution
- The exterior walls and foundation of the building
- A large portion of the interior finishes
While there is no immediate safety threat for the building’s occupants, the extent of systems fatigue is daunting. The cost to address these problems is estimated to exceed $46.0 million in 2012 dollars (CDN) over a 15-year period. This includes:
| $22 million: | Recommended capital improvements |
| $12 million: | Infection control, health and safety requirements within the constraints of an occupied long term care centre |
| $12 million: | Soft costs, consulting fees, permits, inspections, and contingencies |
These investments will still not support the changing needs of clients in the future and, almost more importantly, there would be significant constraints in accomplishing the necessary work within an occupied centre including:
- Ongoing displacement of residents and programs, over the next 15 years, could significantly impact the quality of life for residents and clients who spend much of their time in the building.
- It may be difficult to develop work plans that would be approved by the Fire Marshall, building officials, and Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care while the centre is occupied during significant renovations.
Planning for the aging population
Through the strategic planning process, Regional Council identified the need to plan for the aging population. The purpose of Term of Council Priority (ToCP) #11 is to: “assess the impacts of the aging population on health and human services delivered.”
The vision is for Peel to be an age-friendly community where seniors have access to supports that enable them to age safely and with dignity, and to maximize their quality of life.
In May 2013 Regional Council established a Steering Committee to assess and make recommendations to Regional Council on the appropriate role(s) for the Region of Peel to support an aging population. Information gathered for and presented to the Steering Committee will help paint a picture of the system of services for seniors in Peel, including the long term care sector. It will also explore research and best practices to support seniors in the community and potential plans for the future.
Proposed directions
Based on the evidence gathered through this comprehensive building envelope study, staff do not recommend continued and substantial investment into Peel Manor, a building with no capacity to adapt to the changing needs of the clients it is intended to serve.
The results of the Peel Manor building study and the current work of Council’s Aging Population Term of Council Priority Steering Committee, support the need to undertake a high level conceptual plan for future services on the Peel Manor site.
Going forward, the division will:
- Include funds in the 2014 budget for a planning study and proposal development that is informed by the work of the Aging Population Term of Council Priority Steering Committee.
- The outcome of this work will be important for both the Steering Committee and Regional Council before making important decisions.
Work with the Central West Local Health Integration Network and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care –which both have a service and system-planning role– to develop a conceptual plan for the services provided through Peel Manor. - In 2014, provide Council with a conceptual framework for approval. This framework would recommend a role for the site that is consistent with the Aging Term of Council Priority Steering Committee’s deliberations for meeting the needs of seniors in Peel Region.
Typically, the planning and implementation of a change of significant magnitude is five years. Critical elements of this work will include:
- The discussions of the Steering Committee and work conducted as part of the Aging Population, Term of Council Priority will help inform a high level conceptual plan and future decisions about Peel Manor’s physical environment.
- Consideration of provincial health care priorities for an aging population.
- Communication with stakeholders who are deeply invested in the Peel Manor community. Meetings are being held with Union representatives, staff, Residents’ Council, long term care residents and Adult Day Services clients and their families to brief them on the report to Council.
