For 84-year-old Pat Booth, Surrey has been home for the past 25 years. So it was an easy move for her just down the street to The Gateway, an assisted living development that opened earlier this year.

“I’d been receiving home care twice a week before moving here,” explained Pat. “But it wasn’t enough. I’d just had hip replacement surgery and my daughter who lives in Richmond was having to help out a lot with shopping, banking and laundry. And frozen meals were getting to be very boring!”

Pat’s new home is just one of the many housing developments helping to meet Fraser Health’s target of creating more than 1,100 assisted living units. The 60 apartments at The Gateway receive rent supplements under the province’s Independent Living BC program, which makes assisted living an affordable option for B.C. seniors.

Pat was assessed by a case worker from Fraser Health and six weeks later she moved into her new home. “It’s wonderful to be in the same neighbourhood,” she said. “People can come and visit me easily and it’s within driving distance for everyone. I have my own place, so I can put my feet up and watch TV, read a book or do some knitting. It’s up to me if I want to invite a friend over or take part in the social activities.”

A former nurse at the BC Cancer Agency, Pat’s caring nature is still apparent. “I like to help out,” she said. “If I see someone having difficulty walking, I’ll help them get their lunch. Every little bit helps.”

With her positive attitude, Pat has made many new friends. “There’s a camaraderie amongst us,” she added. “We’re all here for health reasons and it somehow helps us understand each other. When I had my own place, I could talk to friends over the phone, but it makes a big difference to talk face to face.”

Pat participates in many social activities at the development, including a daily exercise program and special events such as bingo, flower arranging, movies, and mix and mingles. “I like to get in on everything that goes,” said Pat, “it’s a great way to meet all sorts of people.”

Pat’s three children know that their mother is well looked after in assisted living. “They know that there’s no need to worry,” she emphasized, “as help is available immediately should anything happen. That’s a big relief to them.”

With the rent for the apartments subsidized under the Independent Living BC program, residents pay 70 per cent of their after-tax income for the rent and a wide range of hospitality and care services, including meals, laundry and housekeeping, social and recreational activities, help with medications and mobility and a 24-hour response system. Through the program, assisted living homes are made more affordable for those seniors with low to moderate incomes who can no longer live completely on their own but who do not want or need 24-hour residential care.