Growing number of homeless seniors in Kamloops presents unexpected issues
Most people in Kamloops will never know them, but when people who are homeless and living on the street die, it never goes unnoticed. Other times, there's a void and when the community around the Out of the Cold shelter speaks of the loss of this man in particular, it's with sorrow.
Staff talk about friendships they developed with him over a cold cup of coffee he enjoyed every morning.
They won't let us tell his name, but he died in early March.
He was 77 years old.
“He was with us almost every night,” shelter executive director Renee Stein told iNFOnews.ca. “He had a bed and we knew his routine. His passing left a hole in the shelter, it was hard on staff. He’d been cared for and cared about.”
He had been suffering from numerous health issues, including a perforated bowel.
Homeless seniors used to be a rare sight, but Stein said that isn’t the case anymore. The average age and lifespan for a person living rough is 44 years. Homeless seniors are more likely to be in a fragile medical state.
“We’re seeing an increase in elderly folk accessing the shelter, very medically fragile folks let out of the hospital,” she said. “Hospital staff want to help but there are no beds available and nowhere for these seniors to go. They can arrive at the shelter with colostomy bags and walkers and it’s beyond the scope of practise for shelter workers. We do our best but when there is incontinence and dementia it’s challenging.”
She said most of the seniors haven’t always been homeless. Sometimes the house they were in was too expensive or they were too old to maintain it. With seniors it’s usually a situational thing, not as much a substance abuse issue. Some seniors have significant others, which can be a barrier to supportive housing.
“We do see a fair number of couples coming in and we allow couples to stay together,” she said. “Most supported housing units don’t provide for couples and they may not be willing to give up a partner and main support person.”
Stein worked with the family of the 77-year-old man who died to provide support and walk through what his journey was in the months prior. They explored the facility and shared stories. They hung his hat on the wall as a tribute to him and organized a memorial. She did not disclose the name of the man out of respect for his grieving family.
READ MORE: iN VIDEO: Homeless piano man lifting spirits in Kamloops
Darryl Chadukiewich is a homeless 65-year-old in Kamloops. He frequents The Loop shelter on the North Shore for food, warmth and conversation, and sleeps on the ground with a single blanket at night.
Born in Edmonton, he was into body building and drove a commercial truck for much of his life. Now he struggles with memory loss, an injured knee that prevents him from walking properly and arthritis throughout his body.
There is metal in his knee from a surgery he had after falling off scaffolding doing construction years ago.
“I have no regular doctor and the knee repair is coming apart,” he said. “WCB is saying it’s a new injury, but it isn’t, it’s a worn out repair on an old injury.”
He said he insured his motorcycle but couldn’t remember when, and it broke down in Vernon, where someone stole his license plate.
“I couldn’t cancel my insurance, ICBC kept taking money out of my account,” he said. “I tried to make payments but got robbed. Because I’m homeless it’s hard to do anything structurally, I can’t think, I haven’t slept.”
Chadukiewich collects a WCB pension and recently started receiving CPP but hasn’t been able to secure affordable housing. He doesn’t access overnight shelter beds because “shit gets stolen” and there’s been “more violence and thieving these past two years.”
“It’s hard to live with roommates, you lose your ability to communicate properly out here and have different interests.”
Chadukiewich said he only has one living relative who lives in Edmonton but he doesn’t want to bother them.
“I never did drugs but since living on the street I take drugs to cope, I feel beaten down and too old for hire.”
READ MORE: Leases extended for two Kamloops shelters
Out of the Cold is traditionally a winter shelter operating part time, but this year it moved to provided service full time, and recently got its lease extended until next winter. It's provided more than 10,000 meals and 515 beds since Nov. 7.
Shelter staff work hard to build good relationships with “guests” and get to know their names and personal stories. They work to make a space that belongs to the guests and help them do things they enjoyed before losing their homes.
Stein said more long-term shelter beds are needed, along with a more flexible model.
“We need to look at different levels of care within the shelter, it isn’t a one size fits all, and get staff that is confident to meet different needs,” she said. “We’d have fewer issues if we were able to provide care at the level they’re at, our cookie cutter model doesn’t work.”
READ MORE: Why homelessness will only get worse in the Okanagan, Kamloops
Out of the Cold is located at Stuart Wood Elementary at Third and St. Paul Street, and is accepting donations of clean bedding, clothes and toiletries.
Go here to find out more and arrange a donation drop-off.
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