The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1956, Blaðsíða 54

52
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Summer 1956
ings into a home for the aged presents
many problems to a municipality such
as acquiring suitable staff and ad-
ditional finances. In one Manitoba
town a hospital was converted for such
use. The individual rates are $3.00 a
day, with nursing care, and $4.50 a
day for bedridden patients, but with-
out medical attention. For the average
pensioner such costs are prohibitive
without charitable assistance or town
welfare expense, as few can afford to
pay $90.00 per month.
The “Betel Plan” for assisting the
aged has been in operation for forty
years. Betel is primarily a charit-
able institution and because of don-
ations and bequests extending over
the years will continue to function.
In the past all conceivable problems
have arisen and the proposed plans
are designed to meet those situations.
Betel is at present able to board
and room a resident at an average cost
of $56.00 a month. This is $18.00 be-
low any comparable institution in
Canada. The cost above a resident’s
pension is met by Betel in most
cases.
Betel desires to follow the mod-
ern idea of keeping the aged residents
on their own as long as possible. How-
ever, as residents now come to the
home at a greater age than before,
the average being 86, a diverse plan
is necessary.
The “Betel Plan” is to have the pre-
sent home remodelled to provide a
large central recreation room or social
centre on the main floor. The dining
room will be on this floor. A large
infirmary will be on the second floor
for the very ill and disabled with con-
stant nursing care. The new wing of
fifty fireproof rooms will be for
active residents. Each of these rooms
will be large enough for two in order
to keep married couples together. The
ultimate plan is to have some low-
cost housing units on the Betel
property where the younger and more
vigorous can be together “on their
own”. Any such resident becoming
single moves into the main building.
The “Betel Plan” therefore provides
a complete program of care for the
aged, where security is offered within
the income of the average pensioner,
as well as companionship in a larger
community group.
This explanation of the “Betel Plan”
is given to show the necessity to com-
plete the project. The appeal for
money to build is based on an urgent
need to help the deserving aged in our
Icelandic community. Betel has be-
come an institution of good repute in
its forty years and it must now be im-
proved for its future work. As every
community is represented at Betel,
we must call on all communities to
assist us in this work.
YOUR HELP IS NEEDED
N-O-W
DURING THIS BUILDING
CAMPAIGN