BY HEIDI ULRICHSEN
Ontario Health and Long-Term Care minister George Smitherman is allowing Sudburians to come up with their own plan to solve the long-term care crisis in the city.
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SMITHERMAN |
After that, he'll do what he can to implement their suggestions.
Sudbury mayor Dave Courtemanche, MPP Rick Bartolucci, Ward 2 Ron Bradley and city staffer Catherine Matheson met with Smitherman in Toronto Thursday, seeking a solution to the problem.
"The main outcome to the meeting is the minister would like to see a made-in-Sudbury solution. He asked that we work with our community partners to come up with a solution that we can bring back for his consideration," said Courtemanche.
"It was a very positive discussion and a very productive meeting. Clearly, the minister understands the problem and the urgency of the problem in our community. He understand the impact that this is having on families."
Sudbury has been under a Crisis 1A designation since April 2004 because there aren't enough provincially-funded beds in the city for people needing nursing care.
The designation means patients can be sent to long-term care facilities in Manitoulin Island and Espanola, and more recently, the Lakeland Nursing Home in Parry Sound.
Sudbury Regional Hospital is also overflowing with alternative level of care (ALC) patients who are are waiting for long-term care beds.
Courtemanche said the city and its partners would likely recommend funding for more interim long-term care beds in Sudbury, which could be housed at Pioneer Manor.
He would not say how many beds were needed. The province has already funded 25 interim long-term care beds in the city.
The mayor said he would make sure a solution is presented to Smitherman as soon as possible.
"This is something that we're not going to spend six months on producing a study. This is something that we're going to work on right now with our community partners, and we're going to bring something back very quickly to the minister," he said.
Smitherman has also invited the community to suggest a more permanent solution to the crisis.
Courtemanche doesn't know whether a new long-term care facility will be recommended, but said the idea would be taken under consideration.
The minister is quite concerned that Sudburians are being transferred out of their city to get care, said the mayor. He wants to end the Crisis 1A designation as soon as possible.
"That's the most urgent issue (people being sent away) that needs to be addressed. A lot of our discussion was around that particular issue. The solution is increasing our capacity so we don't have to do send people away," he said.
"The minister understands that, and is very receptive to ideas on how we can resolve the problem."
