About

The Good Samaritan Society (GSS) and Good Samaritan Canada are leading faith-based, not-for-profit, registered charities in Western Canada that provide quality accommodations, health, and community care services and programs to aging individuals in need. With 75 years of experience providing specialized health and community care services in innovative and caring environments, our operational effectiveness and overarching culture of service and care make us the provider of choice for individuals and their families seeking a supportive place to call home.

Our mission to extend Christian Hospitality to those in need or at risk encourages the well-being of the whole person. A foundational pillar of The Society’s Christian Hospitality Model is to provide access to spiritual care for all faiths. Our Pastoral-Spiritual Care model incorporates Chaplains as Spiritual Care Facilitators and Providers. They invite members from the churches to become volunteers, and to be trained as Pastoral Care Visitors. As well, we formally train all staff in spirituality and spiritual care so that they can meet the needs of residents and clients when the Chaplain is not available.

Presently, we have over 4,500 employees and more than 1,200 volunteers who, in the spirit of compassion, serve over 6,000 residents and clients. As one of the largest not-for-profit care providers in Alberta (21 locations) and British Columbia (8 locations), we provide safe, comfortable communities inspiring involvement, where people can experience a sense of caring, belonging and purpose.

We strive to be leaders in the industry and make GSS/GSC the home of choice in the communities we serve. To achieve this, we have mandated that 95 cents of every dollar spent goes towards direct frontline care and services. This enables us to be an efficient and effective organization that can provide quality care and quality accommodations.

We are also proud to be a partner in the Comprehensive Home Option of Integrated Care for the Elderly (CHOICE©) program, which was developed in 1996 and was the first program of its kind in Canada. Currently, there are four CHOICE© programs operating in the Edmonton region, and two are offered by GSS at the Dr. Gerald Zetter Centre and Good Samaritan Place. CHOICE© provides seniors with complex medical conditions the advantage of living at home while utilizing the support services made available at the sites. For example, physician care, rehabilitation services, medications and pharmacist consultants, recreation and socialization, etc.

Another way that we are committed to helping people lead more independent lives is through our Seniors’ Clinic. Located at our Head Office, the Clinic helps seniors with complex health issues by providing primary health care or partnering with a family physician. The Clinic is devoted to seniors, and the medical team includes physicians with training in caring for seniors, nurses with advanced training in geriatrics, a pharmacist, and a physiotherapist.

At GSS, we also have Programs for Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PPDD), which delivers services within the community, private homes, clients’ home, or homes owned and operated by us. Our support services are unique to each individual, and we currently care for 127 individuals, who are served either through Shared Living or the Supported Independent Living program. We provide services to 28 homes: 20 owned by GSS; 4 owned by families and 4 rental properties.

The Good Samaritan Society and Good Samaritan Canada are people-helping-people. It’s about providing service and programs with care, compassion, and commitment.

Populations Served

• The Healthy Elderly
• Frail Elderly
• Adults with Developmental Disabilities
• Chronically Ill Individuals

Service Areas of Care

• Independent Living
• Supportive/Assisted Living
• Long-Term Care
• Programs For Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PPDD)
• Good Samaritan Telecare® Personal Emergency Response Services
• Rehabilitative Services
• Community Care Programs
• Day Programs