Program aims to pair post-secondary students to live with seniors

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Bonita Paquette had her eureka moment this past spring when she dreamed up an idea that would consume her for the following months and maybe even for years to come: to breathe life into a seniors’ residence by matching elders with students in need of affordable housing and a sense of connection.

“The stereotype of (an assisted living centre) is that it’s kind of depressing,” Paquette said.

“It’s somewhere to go to wait and die, right? Nobody wants to do that. People should still feel like they’re a part of society.”

The program she has envisioned will select two students from SAIT and Bow Valley College and pair them with seniors, whom the chosen students will have to look after in various ways.

To understand Paquette’s view, however, it’s crucial to know how she arrived here.

Earlier this year, almost every day, Paquette would hear about how post-secondary students couldn’t find an affordable place to live.

Paquette, an auditor for several corporate companies throughout her three-decade career, took the news personally, as one of her stepdaughters was heading to Guelph, Ont., to pursue undergraduate studies. She “lucked out” as Paquette would say, but her daughter’s friends weren’t as fortunate.

Paquette was “disgusted” to hear instances of students sharing a bedroom apartment with several others for sometimes as high as $900 per person.

“I was pretty appalled by what I saw,” she said.

Meanwhile, she stayed in contact with her 87-year-old former neighbour who had become almost like a grandmother to Paquette’s daughters and now lived in a seniors’ residence.

Her gregarious personality had slowly been overshadowed by a dullness that Paquette thought was more stereotypical of seniors’ housing. Over conversations with several others, she found such spaces were short of staff, which led to social isolation and a sense of dread among the elders.

She thought of addressing the two issues at once by giving students an affordable place to stay and both seniors and students the gift of connection. The idea, however, was not a stretch for Paquette.

Few programs in Canada

Growing up in a Chinese household, she lived with her grandparents, who, she recalls, would spoil her with treats when they returned from a grocery store. As she grew older, she learned how guiding and caring for her and her siblings gave her grandparents a sense of purpose and made Paquette feel loved.

After some research, Paquette found similar programs in the Netherlands, France and the U.S., but few in Canada.

For instance, a retirement home in Edmonton opened up its units for post-secondary students in 2017 but didn’t mandate any volunteering.

Similar offerings have been provided by Alberta Rose Lodge, a seniors’ residence within walking distance of Lethbridge College, which also offers student accommodations where residents have breakfast and dinner included in their rent, as well as lunch for an additional fee.

In June, Paquette founded the Canadian Alliance for Intergenerational Living as a non-profit.

Soon, she found a seniors’ residence willing to participate in her program. She envisaged two students from post-secondary institutions closer to the facility being matched with two seniors, whom students would look after for 30 hours a month. (If successful, the pilot will be expanded to accommodate more students, Paquette said.)

That would mean spending time with the elders, responding to any emergencies if around, and ensuring every senior is at the residence by the end of the day, and the ones they’re caring for took their medication. Student residents would also have to comply with the rules of the facility, including restrictions on noise levels and guidelines for appropriate behaviour.

In exchange, the student residents will get to live in a one-bedroom unit for a quarter of the average rent in the market for one academic year.

Program may be mutually beneficial

The centre, which Paquette can’t name since the project is still in its early stages, has attempted to host several short courses for seniors but didn’t have the staff to conduct them.

They were interested, Paquette said, in whether students would hold classes for seniors related to their area of study, such as cooking, film-making or bike-riding — an element Paquette would like to experiment with her program.

Eligibility for the students, Paquette said, demands an alignment of values with those of the non-profit — inclusion, respect and empathy. The students will be asked to write an essay illustrating their principles and a desire to be involved in the community.

Paquette added that those new to the city will be prioritized, as she sees them benefitting the most with new connections. Once selected, the students will be trained on their responsibilities and ways to cope with the loss of close ones.

Corrine Ferguson, an instructor at Bow Valley College who teaches the sociology of aging, such interactions may help to reduce ageism.

“Students and older persons alike can certainly benefit from the companionship, emotional, and financial support each can provide in shared living spaces,” Ferguson said.

Initiative a good one, but more must be done: U of C Students’ Union

Mateusz Salmassi, U of C Students’ Union vice-president external and an outspoken advocate for student housing, said the initiative is a step in the right direction. However, such measures shouldn’t replace policy efforts to make housing for students more affordable, which include building more student residences and increasing the supply of houses through zoning amendments.

“At the end of the day, this isn’t a solution (for affordable housing),” Salmassi said.

“Because if we don’t see major investments in housing and programs like this are the only option, we’re going to see students overwhelmingly in programs where they have to work without cash for a cheaper alternative.”