When Winter is Beautiful

Finally, Lethbridge finally makes it as a cultured city (corrected - thanks Mom)

What does every city need to be considered a decent place to live? An East Indian restaurant! Well, finally Lethbridge has arrived. The Taj opened before Christmas and the food is delicious. The service was a little slow (the place was packed and they didn't have enough servers I think) but the food was well worth the wait. We ordered appetizers first and then had a significant wait for the rest of our food. But oh was is good. Here is the write up in the Lethbridge Herald.

More on the Closure of Extendicare

Ms Pastoor: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. The Minister of Health and Wellness stated on May 20 of ’08 in this Legislature that “obviously, we need more long-term care facilities,” which gave me great hope. However, two days ago in Lethbridge families were told that the long-term care facility operated by Extendicare would be closed by July 1 of 2009.
To the Minister of Health and Wellness: why is the minister allowing this situation in Lethbridge, where Extendicare is closing 120 long-term care facility beds in spite of his statement that long-term care facilities are needed in the province?

Mr. Liepert: Well, Mr. Speaker, the member is correct that the facility in Lethbridge, which is quite aged, is going to close. However, what the hon. member did not mention is the fact that there is a replacement centre going up. It’s a designated assisted living centre. As a matter of fact, the former Chinook health region has one of the leading models on how we can have seniors live in facilities that are not always long-term care.

Ms Pastoor: Definitions are clearly needed to be understood in this province. DAL is not long-term care. Is this what the minister was referring to on May 20 in ’08, when he said that “we need to look at removing barriers that exist today for private operators to also participate in the delivery of long-term care?”
Does the minister want to shut down the pre-existing facilities in order to create more demand for profit long-term care?

Mr. Liepert: Mr. Speaker, I know where this member is coming from. This member believes in a philosophy that as soon as you can, you stick a senior citizen into long-term care in an area that they don’t necessary feel the most comfortable in. It’s a philosophical difference. What we are going to do in this province is provide facilities, a variety of facilities, where our seniors can live in dignity where they want to live, not where the opposition wants them to be.

Ms Pastoor: Absolutely, totally wrong. You’re not getting it.
When long-term care was deregulated – housing and care are two different things. I’m talking about care. What is the minister’s response to the residents of the current long-term care facility who were assessed as needing care beyond the level that can be delivered by a designated assisted living facility that won’t even be completed by the time the long-term care facility closes?

Mr. Liepert: Mr. Speaker, this member can get all worked up into a sweat about it, but there are other long-term care facilities in
Lethbridge, so the health region has said that they will ensure that these particular patients are looked after. There are many facilities in southern Alberta that can accommodate the needs of these citizens.

Alberta Hansard, October 22, page #1473

Long Term Plans for Long Term Care

For the past few years the regional health authorities have been pursuing a policy of converting Long Term Care (LTC) facilities into Designated Assisted Living (DAL) facilities in our region. The latest measure is the announced closing of Extendicare's LTC facility on the northside of Lethbridge and the building of a new DAL facility on the southside, down by Superstore.

What are the implications of this policy?

1. LTC facilities have RNs, LPNs, a Director of Care, social workers, dieticians, physical/occupational therapists, rec therapists, and Personal Care Aides (PCAs) - DALs have PCAs and may have an LPN.

2. In LTC residents meds, incontinence products etc are covered. In DAL the resident or their family pay for them.

The rationale offered for the policy is that not all seniors need a nursing home level of care so the building of DAL facilities offers a medium step between a lodge and LTC. Fine. But once Extendicare closes its LTC the only nursing home left in the city will be Edith Cavell. I've spent a lot of time in nursing homes and I don't believe that there is any way that one 80 bed facility can handle the nursing care needs of seniors in our community. This isn't about creating more options. This is about slashing the cost of caring for seniors with significant nursing needs and transferring those costs onto the families. This is about warehousing seniors. I find it an appalling policy.

The more immediate issue is the decision to close Extendicare in July and farm 120 residents out to the existing DALs in the region until a new DAL facility is built. So people will not only lose their home they will be separated from the other residents and from the staff who are like their family. They may find themselves placed in Taber or the Pass and their families will not be able to visit as often. It may mean they will see much less of their husbands or wives. It is a horrible decision with grave implications. My letter to the editor appeared in the paper this morning. You can read it here.

Great News

Last Monday was a brutal day. Families were told at Extendicare that the Lethbridge facility would be closed next July although they haven't even started building the new facility. This means residents will be separated not only from their home but also from their friends to be farmed out across the health region.

Then a hearing was held concerning the rezoning necessary to move the Native Women's Transition Home into the old Netherlands Reformed Church. It was tough to sit and listen to people raising their concerns about the home moving into their neighbourhood and then have one of the women from the Transition board cry asking the neighbours to please just accept them.

But today was a good day. The City Council voted unanimously to approve the rezoning so the Transition Home now has a new permanent site!

Now we have to do what we can to convince the powers that be to postpone the closing of Extendicare until the new facility is built.

Thanksgiving at Henderson Lake

Ethiopian Restaurant

I was checking my blog stats this morning to see who has come by lately. It is cool to see the hits from around the world. Hello Peter in Japan! There was another hit from someone looking for the new Ethiopian restaurant in Lethbridge. I forget the name of it but I ate there and really liked it. So if you are looking for it (and lots of people must be because I get regular hits from people googling it) it is on 5th St. in the cigar building next to the alley in the spot where Miros use to be before they bought their new building down the street.

Hope that helps!

Update: Just drove by and it is called the Abyssinian.

Further update: ate there again today with the kids and it was delicious. I highly recommend #14. It is 313-5th St. South and the phone number is 327-3315. Enjoy!