For officials of the Northern Health Authority this last week was not one of their better days in the world of Public Relations. Things went off the rails a bit on Monday when a large group of seniors gathered at City Hall to ask some pretty pointed questions about the status of Acropolis Manor, when a new residence might be on the horizon and why residents can’t be put into the rooms currently being used as offices at the care facility. With a waiting list of 11 seniors and an entire floor of the hospital being used for extended care, it’s a rather un-nerving situation for many in the city. Despite assurances that the much promised replacement facility is still on track, it was admitted that any new residence won’t come along until early 2008 at the earliest, a situation that did not really pacify the group who are tired of finding their project forever seemingly sitting on the back burner.
Things didn’t get much better later in the week, as the latest transportation plan; that of a highway bus to make the journey along the Northern region. The idea of taking patients as far as Prince George and then possibly to Vancouver for treatment is not exactly winning converts among the population. The prospect of sitting on a bus for at least twelve east and then possibly another 8 hours south is not going to be an easy sell for the NHA. In fact many are suggesting that if they launch this service, it will only serve to centralize specialists even more in one location, taking away valuable support systems to local hospitals dotting the North and Northwest.
They are two vital issues to health care in the Prince Rupert area, and so far the population does not seem to be following the lead of its health board. Instead there seems to be a growing frustration at the distance between what the local folks want and what the bureaucrats are ready to provide. It’s a situation that is not going to make for an enjoyable time for the local board for the short term. And will only serve to create more concern locally as their opinions gather dust on a shelf somewhere between here and Prince George.
You can check out the developments as provided by the Daily News, in Podunkicized form below.
ACROPOLIS ROOMS WILL STAY CLOSED TO SENIORS
By James Vassallo
The Daily news
Wednesday, March 8, 2006
Page one and three
Despite local seniors collecting almost 1,300 signatures in less than two weeks, Northern Health will not open up more beds in Acropolis Manor.
“We have seniors who are alone, who have no family and no advocate for them and I know they are at risk,” said Glennis Glenncross, one of nearly 50 seniors who gathered in city council chambers on Monday to hear a Northern Health presentation on the status of a replacement facility for Acropolis Manor.
“I know you have the empty rooms up there … and I would like to see those rooms put into use when necessary.”
Northern Health chair Jeff Burghardt explained the facility was not up to provincial standards and simply couldn’t be further utilized.
“I don’t think we are prepared to plan on using space, to open up space that we know does not bee the design standards that are required by provincial regulation,” he said. “When it comes to complex care on the second floor of Acropolis, it is not appropriate.”
Seniors are upset that a number of rooms on the second floor of Acropolis have been converted to temporary office space, rather than housing. Eleven people are currently on waiting lists to get inside the facility. However, Burghardt noted that compared to the current standards of high level residential care in the province, rooms in Acropolis are 35 per cent smaller, doors are too small for beds to move through, washrooms in the facility are not designed for people with multiple disabilities and pose injury risks to both residents and staff.
Burghardt also said elevators are not big enough for stretchers and the facility requires work on the ventilation system and seismic upgrading.
Its problems like these, that mean Northern Health has to turn to the fourth floor of the hospital for extended care, a solution no one finds acceptable,” he said.
While the news disappointed and angered some seniors, Northern Health did commit to a timeline on developing a replacement for Acropolis.
“We have secured a good degree of funding that will allow the projects in Prince Rupert, Terrace in Quesnel to proceed,” said Burghardt.
A site preparation tender is expected in May, a project brief will be sent to interested bidders in June and a construction tender given out in July. Construction will be completed in late 2007 or early 2008.
The facility was expected to already be completed by now; however, a provincial election and a mandated province-wide 10 year capital plan – including everything from health care and education to the 2010 Olympics and transportation infrastructure – ground many projects to a halt.
Approvals were not given for 2005-06 capital budgets until all those 10-year plans were looked a carefully.
“I do feel this has caused us a setback in a number of areas and cost us eight or nine months in real construction time,” He said.
When the facility is completed it will bring together 15 specialized rooms for assisted living, 56 complex care beds for those who can no longer live independently, two palliative care (end of life) care beds, and three respite beds, for seniors that require short term stays, for a total of 76 beds. A new adult care space would also be created.
Councillor Tony Briglio, a long-time advocate of a new facility, said it’s time to get the facility built.
Briglio said nearly half the funding is waiting as soon as the health authority is ready.
“From the Regional Hospital District, you will not find any problems because we’ve made it… priority number one to be rebuilt,” said Briglio, who sits as vice-chair on the Regional Hospital District.
“And this was not coming from Prince Rupert, that was coming from Terrace, Smithers and Kitimat because we put some of their needs in as priority (in the past).
“We’re there with the 40 per cent; we need (Northern Health’s) 60 per cent so let’s not delay any further.”
Despite the project looking to finally go ahead, local senior’s say the new timeline does little to address the here and now.
“This was exactly the same meeting we had a year and a half ago,” said senior Marion Weir. “Most of these people will be six-feet under when this gets finished.”
CRITICS RAISE FEARS ABOUT PATIENT’S BUS
By James Vassallo
The Daily Hews
Friday march 10, 2006
Page One
Northern Health’s solution to patient transportation – a twice weekly bus service between communities – could drive health care services out of the community, say critics.
“I don’t like …. This idea that we may have to go from here to Vancouver by bus,” said Port Edward mayor Dave MacDonald, at a meeting in city council chambers with Norther Health earlier this week. “What about the people from the Queen Charlottes, are they going to come … and then get ona bus and head down the highway? I’d like to see as many services in our home.
“If we keep shifting them up the highway, that’s where the specialists are going to be, they’re not going to be in Rupert.”
When the new bus program is looked at in the same context as the Prince George cancer centre, the situation could become more grim for locals, he said.
“It really bothers me, just the fact are we going to have between (Prince George and Vancouver).” said MacDonald. “Sometimes it’s easier, especially with our roads … to get on a plane even though it’s more expensive and go to Vancouver for that treatment.
“I’m afraid that one day it wll be ‘no we’re not going to let you, you’re going to George.
Northern Health Chair Jeff Burghardt explained the system is not set-up to send people from the Charlottes on an 18 hour bus trip to Vancouver or to specialize services.
“We aren’t doing this with an active strategy of centralizing or changing specialist patterns as they exist today,” he said. “But we do know that people go to Terrace for eye surgeries.”
“There are times when the transportation service may be assistant for those type of circumstances… in now way are we going to limit services in communities where they currently are.”
The $4 million a year plan is to support bus services for the health region and to access medical centres in the south. The buses are not standard highway coaches, seating only half as many as people. They will be wheelchair-accessible and have better facility arrangements to ease travel.
“I think we recognized that ideally people would like to find a way to not utilize that service but from a financial needs standpoint... we have numerous people who travel from the Northern Interior to Vancouver for services,” said Burghardt. “For $20, they can get on a bus and they can find a way to access care if they don’t have other means of doing it.
“I think it’s important that we recognize that when we examine if this project is worthwhile.”
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