Fort McMurray seniors and local MLA angry at Stelmach cabinet

The provincial policy to no longer build new long-term care hospitals despite the aging Alberta population is being challenged by concerned citizens and organizations throughout the province. In particular, residents in Fort McMurray (including the MLA) are angry that the government’s commitment to build a 48 bed long-term care hospital has been cancelled.

“At any given time there are 15 to 20  long-term care patients who are forced into the hospital because there’s no other place for them to go that provides the real medical care they need,” says 80 year old Fort McMurray resident and senior’s advocate, Jean Jensen.  “I know a number of people who are in desperate need for long-term care in our community, but they are either stuck in an acute care hospital bed or being forced to leave to go to another city away from family and friends.”  

In his e-mail comments to Mrs. Jensen on July 6th, 2009, Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo MLA Guy Boutilier concurs with her assessment:
“Thks Jean, good for u to get signatures (for the Friends of Medicare petition) at parade.  As u fully know I fought at Cabinet when I was minister and MLA to get the $ dollars over a year and a half ago for over $35 million dollars, for Long Term Care that I was successful with your help, now that Ron Liepert and Stelmach cabinet postponed, months ago after they kicked Ft.McMurray’s MLA out of cabinet...the Stelmach cabinet overturned what we fought very to get when I was in cabinet.”

“Given that Alberta Health Services CEO Stephen Duckett has identified long-term care as an area where ‘we can make savings and at the same time we can give a better service,’ our coalition of organizations is urging the government to take responsibility and to build the long-term care facilities that are required immediately across the province,” said David Eggen, Executive Director of Friends of Medicare. 

“According to the government’s own figures, there is an urgent need to build and staff at least 1500 long-term care spaces,” says Noel Somerville, Chair of the Senior’s Task Force of Public Interest Alberta.  “There are already many seniors and their families being hurt by this policy that leaves the building of long-term care facilities in the hands of the private sector, and it is only going to get worse as our population ages.”

Friends of Medicare and PIA’s Seniors Task Force, a coalition of more than 20 organizations, are supporting people in Fort McMurray to advocate that the government live up to its commitment to build a long-term care facility and is organizing a rally in Fort McMurray to call attention to this issue. The rally will take place on Friday, July 31st at 12 noon at the Alberta Provincial building (9915 Franklin Ave) in Fort McMurray.

Citizens can send a message to their MLA by going to the “Don’t Cut Seniors Out” campaign website at http://www.pialberta.org/program_areas/Seniors


Media Contacts – Noel Somerville (780) 420-0471, David Eggen (780) 887-0446, Jean Jensen (780) 748 4206