The site offers eight programs out of new long-term-care building in Fort Erie
A place for older adults to call home, Gilmore Lodge is also opening to the broader community.
The 160-bed long-term-care home, opened in Fort Erie in late 2024, also includes an attached community hub, a place offering services and programs for seniors, as well as hosting an EarlyON drop-in centre.
A fall open house held Tuesday welcomed people who might be curious about what’s available there.
Since opening in January, the hub has been a place for older adults to “stay active and stay engaged” in their community, said Beth Plato-Giles, Niagara Region’s seniors community programs administrator.
Wellness services, such as group exercises, focus on healthy aging. There is also a virtual wellness component that offers workshops, information and resources about health and wellness.
Located in the hub, South Niagara Health and Wellness Centre is a partnership of community and health-care providers offering rehabilitation, wellness education and community resource connections.
As well, Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre provides services related to physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology. A physician referral is required to take advantage of these.
Adult day programs have been a success since the hub opened, Plato-Giles said, adding the programs help older adults stay physically active, cognitively stimulated and socially connected.
She said many friendships have formed through this program.
“The next thing you know, they’re going out for coffee.”
Outreach services are important, as well, offering residents connections within the community and navigation in using other services in the community, she said.
“If they don’t know what to do, we can connect them that way.”
The number of people using the hub and its eight programs is growing significantly, she said.
While many older adults are unable to learn about what takes place at the hub by logging onto a computer or a smartphone, Niagara Region makes every effort to promote its programs through primary care providers, doctors offices, seniors residences and pharmacies.
“We pound the pavement a lot because not everyone wants to be online,” Plato-Giles said, adding registration can be done in person.
A similar hub is to open next year at Linhaven, a Niagara Region long-term-care home in St. Catharines that is undergoing a major redevelopment.
The Region’s seniors community programs served 2,600 individuals in 2024, said Plato-Giles.
Under construction on the same Linhaven property is a 10-bed Hospice Niagara facility, Willson House, expected to open in late 2026 or early 2027.
Gilmore Lodge, an $85-million project, replaced the former site on Gilmore Road, which is empty and for sale.
For more information about the hub, call 905-984-2621 or 1-877-212-3922.
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