Philosophy Underlining The Mission Statement

• We offer high quality affordable housing choices for functionally independent seniors with an emphasis on service programs, which provide independence, compassion, respect, privacy and dignity in a supportive environment.
  
• We believe in utilizing and fostering community resources to strengthen and enrich the quality of life for our residents.
  
• We are accountable and responsible to our clients, their families, our employees and the electors of the requisitioned municipalities.
  
• We strive to operate the organization in a collaborative fashion with integrity and trust.
  
• We value and respect our employees by providing professional development and continuous learning programs and services that continually enhance employees. We provide our employees with a competitive wage and benefits package as well as an opportunity to receive performance and service incentives.
  
• We are accountable to all levels of government and our residents and therefore we must make efficient use of resources in the operation and maintenance of our facilities.
  
• We respect equally all people in our organization.
  
• We believe in innovation and self-direction to achieve adaptation and autonomy.

The Rocky View Foundation is a non-profit association, established in February 1964 to provide low rental housing units for the seniors residing in the Municipal District of Rocky View and the Province of Alberta.

The first facility built for the Foundation was the Rocky View Lodge in Crossfield. The Lodge originally accommodated fifty residents in thirty-two suites. The site was expanded in 1985 by ten additional suites, and renovated and expanded in 1997/98 bringing the total to forty-four suites.

In 1977, Big Hill Lodge in Cochrane was opened. The Big Hill Lodge accommodated sixty-five residents throughout the two-story structure. In 1982, the facility expanded to seventy-five suites including the addition of a multi-purpose activity room.

In 1995, the Foundation took the local lead role in the provincial initiative of agency consolidation. Effective April 1, 1995, the Beiseker Housing Society, Diamond Jubilee Association and Dr. Whillans’ Management Association were amalgamated into the Rocky View Foundation. The Foundation’s portfolio expanded to include three Manors and five social housing units in addition to the previously mentioned Lodge.

In 1997, the Foundation returned the operation of the five social housing facilities back to the province and concentrate exclusively on seniors' housing.

The Board of Directors

The Foundation Board of Directors ensures the objectives of the Rocky View Foundation are realized. In addition, the Directors administrate the collective and individual duties as set out under the Alberta Housing Act, and properly discharge the responsibility of municipal and provincial tax payers by overseeing the cost-effective operation of the Foundation.

The Board is composed of seven Directors, representation as follows:
Municipal District of Rocky View #44 (2)
City of Airdrie (1)
Village of Beiseker (1)
Town of Cochrane (1)
Town of Crossfield (1)
Town of Irricana (1)

The Foundation shall endeavor to successfully operate and administer Senior Citizen’s Housing by:

• Continuing to provide affordable Senior Citizen’s housing while operating fiscally responsible facilities.
  
• Adhering to the General Accepted Accounting Principles and Standards and practicing financial management to allow the Foundation to become financially secure.
  
• Continuing to provide a warm, welcoming and compassionate environment for our seniors and their families. Allowing residents to maintain their well-being, independence, privacy and dignity.
  
• Encouraging an atmosphere of continuous learning and professional development of our greatest asset - our employees.
  
• Providing all employees with the training, support and tools necessary to allow our employees to excel at their positions.
  
• Bringing together and utilizing available community resources to strengthen and enrich the quality of life of our residents.
  
• Fostering community awareness by becoming community-based and orientated facilities.
  
• Coordinating services among the facilities operated by the Rocky View Foundation.
  
• Planning and providing preventative maintenance services that will ensure safe, clean, and structurally sound and efficiently operated facilities for our residents.

Providing a high level of safety in all the Foundation facilities, through the provision of plans for maintenance and safe procedural operations, and by the thorough training of employees and residents in safety procedures.

Developing and adopting policies and guidelines that will ensure that the preceding objectives are pursued by the Foundation.

FACILITIES

Lodges

The Senior Citizen Lodges are bedroom style suites with shared dining and entertainment areas. The Rocky View Foundation provides affordable accommodation, maintenance-free housing, basic room furnishings, food service including meals and snacks, housekeeping services, building security, twenty-four hour non-medical staffing, referral to community-based services, laundry service, entertainment and life enrichment activities.

The Foundation accepts functionally independent seniors who are sixty-five years of age or older, except that a married couple with one spouse under the age of sixty-five will be accepted.

Lodge applications are prioritized according to need and residency requirements. Potential residents complete the lodge application package and arrange for a personal interview and tour with the Lodge Manager prior to tenancy consideration. All tenants must comply with the regulation outlined in the tenancy agreement.

Residents residing within the Lodge choose to live there as they no can longer manage within their own home, require supervision or medication assistance, want to be closer to family members, desire the security of twenty-four hour staffing or would benefit from social integration opportunties.

Both lodges charge a nominal fee of $25.00 per month for weekly laundry service and $10 per month for parking. The Calgary Health Region coordinates the delivery of medication and bathing assistance in both lodges. These services are provided to lodge residents free of charge.

Each lodge offers similar activities and services for their residents. Activities may include exercises, bingo, cards, tournaments, happy hour, theme days, story time, sing-a-long, day trips, movie night, barbecues, fundraising dinners, tuck shop, computer, mail service, photocopying, hair care, transportation and some medical services.

Manors

The Rocky View Foundation Manors are senior citizen self-contained suites. Each suite contains a minimum of a living/dining area, kitchen, bathroom, storage closet, and one bedroom. Tenants occupying these facilities generally share laundry facilities and a common area. Tenants residing in these facilities are self-sufficient and generally mobile. Common features of all the manors’ services are affordable accommodation, building security, maintenance-free housing, and referral to community-based services.

The Foundation accepts tenants into the manors who are sixty years of age or older and functionally independent. Applications are prioritized according to need per Alberta Seniors & Community Supports legislation.

Tenants in the manors enjoy the accessibility to local community services and prioritize security, independence and socialization as the primary reasons for living in the manors.

The manor rental structure is geared to income. The current provincial rental rate for a manor unit is thirty percent of income in addition to a nominal utility fee and $10 parking charge.

In each Manor, activities are organized by the tenants. Activities may include bingo, shuffleboard, day trips, movies and parties.

Community Services

The Rocky View Foundation operates a Meals-on-Wheels program for the communities of Crossfield and Cochrane. The program operates weekdays and provides delivery of nutritious home-cooked meals at a nominal cost of $5.00 per meal through Lodge operations.