When it comes to elder care in Canada, Newfoundland is one of the more difficult places to be. A nurse from a long term care facility in St. John’s, NL, pointed out in an interview with People’s Response that her own nursing home has had to hire home health care workers rather than LPNs (certified nurses) because graduates of nursing school in Newfoundland tend to move to richer provinces in Canada. Just shifting the wages up to make them on par with the rest of Canada, begs the nurse, would help her own facility to find qualified personnel and keep them.
The Quality of Health Care and Elder Care in Rural Newfoundland
Meanwhile, CBC News reports that the Society of Rural Physicians in Newfoundland and Labrador has criticized the governments there for cutting medical services in small communities. The physicians claim these health cuts could cost lives.
As usual, those most vulnerable to these sorts of cuts are the elderly. By moving x-ray equipment out of small towns, doctors trying to care for elders will waste precious time trying to access diagnostic equipment. So far, x-ray departments have been closed in Lewisporte and Flower’s Cove; more closures are anticipated, including in Springdale. Not only have the x-ray departments been closed, the clinic hours have also been cut from 24 hours per day to 12 hours per day – another move that residents worry could endanger care for their elders.
Health Minister Paul Oram advised residents to put the cuts into perspective; the spending cuts to x-ray departments and clinics should help the government invest more in long term care facilities for the elderly, such as the one the nurse in St. John’s complained about being under-resourced and under-staffed. Oram hopes that the cuts will ultimately finances the creation of a long term care facility for the elderly in Lewisporte.
To critics, Oram has answered, “People would like to have every service in their backyard. Everybody would like a hospital in their home town.” But he advises the residents of Newfoundland and Labrador to try to be more realistic about their expectations: “there’s only so much money to go around,” Oram said.
The Future of Elder Care in Newfoundland and Labrador
Given the cuts in health care spending in Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as the comments made by the nursing home nurse from St. John’s, retirees might think twice about retiring in Newfoundland and Labrador. As part of their planning for their golden years, those nearing retirement age and their families should carefully consider the type of health care services available to them within their communities. Where health care is not adequate to meet the long term care needs of seniors and elders, Canadians might consider retiring elsewhere.
