Niwaas is the Punjabi word for home and this is the name of Ontario’s first Sikh-Punjabi long-term care facility due to open its doors in 2027. Dying With Dignity Canada had the chance to speak with Brampton’s Deputy Mayor, Harkirat Singh, about the new home and what it means for the community.

You have been involved in the planning of Niwaas, why is this project important to you? 

The needs of the Sikh-Punjabi community in the diaspora have evolved and changed over time. Growing up, the Punjabi community traditionally lived in multi-generational homes, so grandparents lived with their children and grandchildren. We come from deeply agrarian communities but as a second generation Canadian I realized that this dynamic has changed, and the needs of families are different. For example, with both parents working, there is less capacity for care giving. 

While visiting long-term care homes, I often saw that Punjabi residents were not always as engaged in the activities of the home. While speaking with them I learnt they often felt isolated due to language barriers and unfamiliar foods and activities. I realized that there was a clear need for a care facility that catered to the Sikh-Punjabi community. 

We set out to create a place that feels like home, allowing the most wholesome experience to help residents and their families through this transition in life. 

Culturally sensitive health care is so important in a country like Canada with so many diverse cultures represented. Who was involved in the planning of the facility?  

This land is owned by the Sri Guru Nanak Sikh Centre Brampton, a Sikh place of worship who currently run two Gurdwaras in the community. The original plan was to build another Sikh place of worship, but they were open to discussing other opportunities. I approached them to discuss the growing need for a long-term care facility that caters to the Sikh-Punjabi community. Jointly, we put in an application for long-term care beds to the Ministry and were granted a license for 160 beds. The project’s core team includes Stingray Architects, who also designed the Mon Sheong care home. We brought on UniversalCare as our Operator, and they bring 15 years of experience in the senior care industry and have vast experience providing care in culturally sensitive settings, including to the Italian and Indigenous communities. 

This is a community project. The outpouring of support and interest from the Sikh-Punjabi community has been monumental. As we work through the construction phase, we continue to connect with community organizations and individuals who are supporting through fundraising and awareness building.   

What features of this new facility will specifically serve Sikh-Punjabi residents? 

In addition to ensuring the highest quality of care, the main focus will be on catering to the cultural and religious needs of the Sikh-Punjabi community. For example, it’s important that employees are able to communicate with residents so prioritizing Punjabi speaking staff is a consideration. A big focus will be on food; we want to ensure residents are receiving food they are familiar with. We also designed the kitchen to accommodate vegetarian food preparation based on religious practices. And, the programming and activities will focus on spiritual and cultural practices, like ensuring residents have access to daily prayers and making use of the horticulture room. We really want to ensure we’re taking a holistic view on resident care and providing a social and familiar experience for the residents. 

We are creating an Alzheimer’s and Dementia wing which will cater for those unique care needs, as well as looking at specialized care to help manage health risks prevalent in the Punjabi community, such as diabetes. We have already begun working out a partnership with the Toronto Metropolitan University’s School of Medicine, located in Brampton, and have been approached by others as well. We are excited by the opportunity to help support and enhance learning, research and care for culturally sensitive healthcare.  

I want to reiterate that though this LTC home is being designed to cater to the Sikh-Punjabi lifestyle, it is open to anyone who needs long-term care. The need to create a care home that meets the unique needs of the Sikh-Punjabi community is evident, especially when we see how other communities have already addressed this need. 

What can other future facilities learn from the experience of developing ‘Niwaas’? 

We have already been asked to start an application for another, similar home. It’s a huge undertaking and we have learned a lot along the way. Having a strong architect who understands your vision and goal is essential. When choosing an operator to support the day to day running of the facility, ensure you’re choosing an operator who will take the time to learn about your home’s unique needs. As a not-for-profit LTC home, run by a volunteer board and backed by a charity, we’ve learned that open communication with stakeholders and involved parties is essential in keeping things running smoothly. When we can, we support other long-term care homes coming online with their processes and development. We think it’s important to have a robust, non-profit, long-term care sector in Ontario and we’re proud to be one piece of that community.