Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care
Encyclopedia
The Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

, is a residential community for senior citizens, particularly those unable to care for themselves. It came about when Dr. Joseph Wong
Joseph Yu Kai Wong
Joseph Yu Kai Wong, CM is a notable philanthropist in the Chinese Canadian community. He founded The Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care in 1987 . He served as the chairman for the United Way of Greater Toronto from 1990 to 1992 and has been honorary chair since 1994. He was awarded the Order of...

 witnessed the lack of emotional support and difficulty in communicating for Chinese seniors within mainstream medical facilities. In 1987, Dr. Wong, spearheading the cause, gathered a group of thirty Chinese Canadian
Chinese Canadian
Chinese Canadians are Canadians of Chinese descent. They constitute the second-largest visible minority group in Canada, after South Asian Canadians...

friends who shared his vision of building a nursing home.

Yee Hong Community Wellness Foundation hosts the annual Dragon Ball Gala, one of Toronto's largest gala dinners to raise money for the centre.

History

The Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care, formerly the Chinese Community Nursing Home for Greater Toronto, came about when Dr. Joseph Wong witnessed the lack of emotional support and difficulty in communicating for Chinese seniors within mainstream medical facilities. In 1987, Dr. Wong, spearheading the cause, gathered a group of thirty Chinese Canadian friends.

The Yee Hong Centre was officially opened in October 1994. The Centre applied to the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation, and was awarded a three-year accreditation in June 1996, its 20th month of operation.

In November 1996, just two years after the Centre's Grand Opening, an ambitious $8 million Expansion Campaign was launched to add two floors with 65 more beds to the existing Nursing Home and extra Day Care Program space. The expansion was completed and the first resident, who had been on the waiting list since 1994, was admitted on June 14, 1999.

In December 1999 the Council awarded another three-year accreditation to the just expanded facility. It praised Yee Hong for providing "stellar care" to elderly members of the Chinese population in Scarborough. It found Yee Hong to be so perfect that "No recommendations have been made herein."

Located on a 4.2 acres (16,996.8 m²) site in the heart of Scarborough's Chinese community, the first Centre at Scarborough McNicoll has a nursing home with a specialized Alzheimer's unit and long-term care facility that was honoured thrice as Grand Prize winner of the Ontario Long Term Care Association (OLTCA) Occupational Health and Safety Week Competition since 1997. It also marked the third consecutive time Yee Hong has been accredited by the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation in 2003. With 155 beds at present in Scarborough McNicoll, the K.C. Poon Nursing Home is also connected to a Medical Centre and a Rehabilitation Centre. All of the Centre's staff are fluently bilingual in both English and Chinese and are familiar with the traditions of the Chinese culture.

The Centre includes a Seniors Community Centre which offers a number of social and daycare activities as well as community outreach, drop-in programs and meals-on-wheels. The Macrobian Club, Yee Hong's seniors social club which operates within the Seniors Community Centre, received the Certificate of Recognition from the Board of Health of the City of Scarborough. One of the Centre's other impressive accomplishments is the non-profit housing complex - the Aw Chan Kam Chee Evergreen Manor - featuring 130 apartments and 26 family townhouses. It was awarded the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association's Award for Excellence in 1997. In high demand, there is a waiting list of approximately couple of thousands who would like acceptance. Many of the residents have also become dedicated volunteers with the Centre as a way of giving back to the community.

With the Expansion Campaign successfully accomplished, Yee Hong has spread its renowned brand of high quality care to communities in other regions and to other seniors. In 1998 and 2001, the Ministry of Health awarded Yee Hong Centre a total of 715 bed licences, the largest such allocation to a non-profit organization in the history of Ontario.

The Yee Hong Centre Capital Campaign was embarked upon in April 1999 to build three new Yee Hong Centres with 200 beds each in Markham and Mississauga and 250 in the new Scarborough Finch centre. Yee Hong will extend its services to non-Chinese seniors, particularly those of the South Asian, Filipino and Japanese communities. While all three centres will contain an Alzheimer unit, each has its unique features. A child care centre will exist side by side with the senior day care centre in the Markham and Mississauga sites with their location in relatively young communities. The Scarborough Finch Centre will accommodate a 5-bed dialysis unit, the first one of its kind to be based in a nursing home. A separate 10-bed Hospice Care Center unit within the complex is being planned.

Locations

Scarborough McNicoll (Opened October 1994)
2311 McNicoll Avenue
Scarborough, Ontario
155 beds


Markham (Opened 2002)
2780 Bur Oak Avenue
Markham, Ontario
200 beds

Mississauga (Opened October 2003)
5510 Mavis Road
Mississauga, Ontario
200 beds


Scarborough Finch (Opened 2004)
60 Scottfield Drive
Scarborough, Ontario
250 beds

External links

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