This year, Good Samaritan is celebrating its 75th anniversary of providing care to those who need it most. As we reflect on our remarkable journey, we must acknowledge and celebrate the vision and generosity that laid the foundation for our success today. Read on to learn more about second 25 years (1974-1999) of our history, an exciting period of growth and expansion for our community.
Expanding Care to New Communities
The very first Good Samaritan PPDD group home, located in the Meadowlark neighbourhood in Edmonton.The 1970s were a decade of great change within our organization. We officially changed our name to The Good Samaritan Society (A Lutheran Social Service Organization) to better reflect the organization’s mission during this period: to “engage in all manner of Christian Welfare.”
This new mission was taken to heart, as Good Samaritan began looking at extending its services to new and diverse communities. In 1976, Good Samaritan took over management of Pineview Centre, which housed 42 residents with developmental disabilities. By the end of the decade, Good Samaritan formally expanded its care beyond the elderly, infirmed, and physically disabled to also include those with “cognitive impairment, brain injuries, and developmental disabilities.”
As the 1980s began, Good Samaritan continued to cultivate new communities for persons with developmental disabilities. In 1981, Good Samaritan opened its first Program for Persons with Developmental Disabilities (PPDD) home in Meadowlark, with more community living homes opening the following year. In 1986, we introduced an innovative new program in partnership with the University of Alberta to develop individualized patient management plans for brain-damaged residents. By the end of the decade, Good Samaritan had begun working with the Alberta Association for the Dependent Handicapped in developing a vocational program to serve the severely disabled. “Options Unlimited” was the first of its kind in Edmonton and offered individuals volunteer projects in work settings.
Providing Choices
The doors opened for the CHOICE Program on February 5, 1996
While Good Samaritan blazed new trails in care for persons with developmental disabilities during this time, we also continued to pioneer new and innovative care options for the elderly, including non-institutional options for those seeking a higher level of independence.
In 1981, Good Samaritan began offering care in dedicated seniors’ apartments, allowing seniors to receive the care they need while still enjoying an independent lifestyle. Good Samaritan Place opened in 1983 in the Bonnie Doon community in Edmonton, laying the groundwork for our modern-day Independent Living program. In 1987, we began offering Lifeline, a personal electronic emergency response system which evolved into today’s nationwide TeleCare service. In 1991, we began offering Home Support services for Good Samaritan clients who live in their own homes. The next year, Good Samaritan created an Adult Day Support program for people living with dementia started after staff identified a need for individuals waiting for appropriate placements. Finally, 1996 saw the first CHOICE (Comprehensive Home Option for Integrated Care of the Elderly) program in Canada open at Good Samaritan Mount Pleasant Care Centre.
Building (and Footing the Bill!)
Groundbreaking for the new Good Samaritan Auxiliary Hospital (later the Dr. Gerald Zetter Care Centre) on November 10, 1975.
As the demand for long-term care increased, Good Samaritan continually expanded to meet the needs of the people we serve. By the early 1980s, it had become clear that the old Good Samaritan Auxiliary Hospital would need significant improvements. Although the initial idea was to simply remodel the original wing of the hospital, it was ultimately decided that a brand-new home would be the best option for new and current residents. Good Samaritan officially broke ground on the new Auxiliary Hospital in 1985, welcoming its first residents fall 1988. Years later, the care home was renamed the Dr. Gerald Zetter Care Centre to honour Good Samaritan’s Chief of Medical Staff from 1974-1999. Even today, the care home continues Zetter’s legacy by providing innovative, complete, and compassionate care to all those that call it home.
In addition to the Dr. Gerald Zetter Care Centre, Good Samaritan constructed new care homes throughout the 1990s to keep up with the demand for care. In 1994, Good Samaritan opened Wedman House, the first assisted living care home of its kind in Canada, followed by Good Samaritan Mill Woods Centre in 1995. 1997 saw the opening of Spruce Grove Centre and George Hennig Place, ensuring seniors in Spruce Grove and Stony Plain had access to the care they need.
Although the Province of Alberta provided much of the funding needed for the construction of these new facilities, there was still work to be done (and funds to be raised) to provide the high level of care that has become Good Samaritan’s hallmark. Just as it is today, Good Samaritan relied on the support of donors to provide funding for many critical equipment and program needs in our care homes. In 1992, Good Samaritan offered a new and fun way for donors to give back to our communities: The Spirit of Caring Golf Classic! The golf tournament attracted community support and sponsorship dollars, and has remained a successful fundraising event for our organization for the last 30 years. Today, the two Spirit of Caring Golf Classics (in both Northern and Southern Alberta) are a critical component of our fundraising efforts, having raised millions of dollars in support of resident comfort and care.
