Wawota residents voice frustrations
by Kevin Weedmark
If there is a divide between the people of Wawota and the senior administrators and board members of the Sun Country Health Region over the closure of five beds at Deer View Lodge, a public meeting Wednesday did nothing to bridge it.
Board members, administrators, and Cannington MLA Dan D’Autremont were laughed at, booed, and heckled by the crowd when they responded to some questions, and many Wawota residents said after the meeting they feel they were not listened to at all.
There was no hint of any immediate change in the board’s decision to close the five beds, and no hint that the people of Wawota are about to give up their fight.
In fact, some Wawota residents said after the meeting they’re more angry than ever, and they no longer believe board members understand or care about the bed closures.
On top of all that, there were accusations flying. CEO Cal Tant denied he had proposed to the Save Our Beds Committee that if local municipalities had raised $110,000 the beds could be reopened, but Save Our Beds chair Dale Easton said Tant phoned him after the last Sun Country board meeting with the offer.
Board member Derrell Rodine said he was aware of the offer, and other board members said they were not.
Easton challenged Rodine to admit in front of the other board members that he had told him the claim of safety concerns was just a “crutch.”
Rodine said he had not used the word crutch, but Easton insisted he had.
Marga Cugnet has been interviewed by the World-Spectator on several occasions throughout the controversy over the bed closures at Deer View Lodge.
But when one questioner asked about comments Cugnet made in the World-Spectator on June 21, Cugnet claimed “I’ve never spoken to Kevin of the Spectator.” (She has on several occasions, but in this case had spoken to reporter Miranda Minassian).
In a telephone interview Thursday, Cugnet reversed herself and said she does recall speaking to the World-Spectator and making the statements.
“I didn’t mean I’ve never spoken to you,” she said. “I didn’t recall making those statements to you but it was your reporter I spoke to.”
Frustration expressed
Ken Wilson, a member of the Save Our Beds committee, expressed his frustration at the meeting.
“These people in front of you I am told they are the ones who work for you. To you, the decision makers of Sun Country, I believe your job is to represent all the people of Sun Country. But here there is no one to listen to our concerns. Even when we meet with you our words are met with deaf ears and stone faces. In an area where there is the greatest need, Deer View Lodge, you have made the deepest cuts. What a way to treat the elderly. We all know there was a grave injustice done here. Rather than admit it, you come up with ridiculous reasons. Isn’t that the way of politicians and bureaucrats? Deny, deny deny.”
Wilson went on: “To the MLAs I would like to thank you for your help but I cannot. You just sat back and did nothing to this point.
“To the board, it is really hard to believe how misinformed you were. We know this by the early replies.
“My question is for Mr. Rodine. In my conversations with you I know you are not comfortable with what happened here. Why is it you cannot say that in front of the board?”
Board member Darrell Rodine dodged the implication that he does not agree with the decision. “You’re right I’m not comfortable,” he replied. “It was not a pleasant thing that we did. We spent a lot of time. If there was another way to do this, show me. Cuts are not easy anywhere. When it finally came down to it we had to make these decisions. It wasn’t easy. It’s not a pleasant thing to do. We sat down at a meeting and talked about it to see if there was something else we could do.”
Expenses questioned
Wawota Deputy Mayor Don Horvath asked CEO Cal Tant why travel expenses have increased from $505,000 in 2004-05 to $1,250,000 last year. “Can you explain and justify this massive increase in travel expense?” he asked.
Tant replied that the increase is because of increased travel by home care staff.
Crowd expresses anger
At some points, the crowd’s boos drowned out statements by board members. When board member Karen Steffenson said that the board was concerned about safety, not just saving $110,000, she was drowned out by crowd noise.
Marga Cugnet was met by hoots of derision when she claimed that with the closure of the five beds everyone in Deer View is now in one wing. The beds are spread over two wings, and the third wing was closed.
Asked if there were any incident reports suggesting there were safety concerns with the five beds, Cugnet replied ”no, but it’ a concern I have. I’m not aware of any incident but I’m concerned it could be a problem in the future” before she was drowned out by boos.
Tant challenged
“I really have struggled with this cut or closure being budgetary or safety,” Easton told Tant. “You and I have had a couple of conversations. The one that really hit me was after our visit to your board meeting June 23.
“I got a phone call from you saying would your local governments consider paying the $110,000 in operational costs.
“First of all, it showed me that you felt there was a need for those five beds in Deer View Lodge. Secondly the safety issue got thrown out the window because at that moment you were ready to be up and running again if we came up with the money.
“We discussed it. We thought it was wrong because it’s double taxation but we were willing to hear you out on your proposal. I phoned back and said we wanted to listen to you. You then told me that offer was off the table because you said you called the minister’s office and found out the public can’t pay operational costs.”
Easton asked board member Alan Arthur if he was aware of the offer.
“Dale, I was not aware that offer was made,” Arthur responded. “I would not feel comfortable asking municipalities for operational funding.”
Board member Darrell Rodine said he was aware of the offer. “Yes, that was part of a number of things we were looking at what we can do,” he said.
Tant denied it, however. “I did not call you to offer,” he said. “I called in response to the fact that this was discussed. I did not make that offer. There was never an offer made to you.”
“I know there was an offer made to me to resolve this issue,” Easton replied. “My question is how does a CEO of a health region not know that you cannot get money from municipalities for operations?” Tant didn’t respond.
Senior moved from DVL
Lois Greenbank got emotional as she spoke of her mother being forced to leave Wawota for a long-term care bed in Kipling.
“My mother has been living, working, volunteering and supporting this town all her life,” Greenbank said.
“Her name is Clara Wilson and she’s 89 years old. I don’t think you care about the facts but you’re going to get them anyway.”
Greenbank said her mother enjoyed the sense of security she felt in Deer View Lodge, being surrounded by family and friends.
“When Mom was forced to move from Wawota and go to Kipling where she knows no one, her health quickly deteriorated,” Greenbank said. “It’s not that Mom doesn’t have good care in Kipling. She does. But after being forced to leave, Mom says things like ‘I feel so useless’ and ‘whose idea was it that I come here anyway?’
“How does she feel? She feels useless. Unwanted. Sent away and not respected. Maybe she feels unloved even. At Deer View Mom took part in activities. She knew people. In my opinion older people being sent to other communities is abuse.
“It is you who are closing two respite and three long-term care beds in Wawota,” she told board members. “Are you guilty of abuse? Are you violating the rights of our older adults? Why is it so hard to say we are sorry or to admit that we made a mistake. This is the time when our seniors should be given the respect and dignity they deserve. Please give us back our beds.”
Province blamed
Don Dean said he believes the provincial government is underfunding health districts. “The province is shortchanging the health districts,” he said.
“There’s a lot of lying around this whole issue.”
Dean repeated MLA Dan D’Autremont’s comment that “People complained about the highways and now they’re complaining about these beds. Which do they want, highways or health care?”
“With all due respect, Mr. D’Autremont I think people want health care before highways.” D’Autremont now denies making the comment.
Did the meeting accomplish anything?
Cugnet said she believes the meeting did some good.
“I’m glad we got the background information out,” she said. “It was a good opportunity for people to hear the same message.”
Cugnet said she was hurt by accusations at the meeting that removing long-term care residents from their communities constitutes elder abuse. “I don’t feel good about moving people out of the community either,” she said. “It is a very emotional issue. Moving long-term care particularly is not easy.
“We’re trying to move people in the system. It puts them into long term quicker. We know there are some people who may be living at home and at risk.
“I’ve spent my career trying to educate staff on resident abuse and making sure care is up to standards. It’s not just about warehousing people. It hurts when people say things like that. We aren’t uncaring people. We don’t make these decisions at the snap of a finger.”
Sun Country CEO Cal Tant said he believed the meeting did some good. “I think it was a very important opportunity for people to ask questions,” he said. “There certainly are a lot of misunderstandings.”
Save Our Beds chair Dale Easton was left disappointed. “It’s frustrating,” he said. “I guess we just keep hitting our heads against the wall. It’s tough being lied to.” The committee is now seeking a meeting with Health Minister Don McMorris.