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Not enough care beds

A Red Deer senior whose husband is in continuing care in Rimbey can’t understand why Alberta Health Services is closing two Red Deer nursing homes.
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Loraie Dalke wants to know why her husband Wayne Brown is stuck in a Rimbey long term care facility instead of one in Red Deer.

A Red Deer senior whose husband is in continuing care in Rimbey can’t understand why Alberta Health Services is closing two Red Deer nursing homes.

Loraie Dalke said her husband, Wayne Brown, 64, is waiting for a bed at a Red Deer facility. He had a stroke in 2008 and was moved to Rimbey Care Centre in November after spending 11 months in Red Deer Regional Hospital.

“Rimbey is a beautiful facility — if only it was in Red Deer,” Dalke, said on Thursday. “We need these facilities and we need them in our home communities and nobody’s listening.”

Dalke, 67, drives to Rimbey often to visit her husband, but he feels isolated, she said.

“How cruel it is to be sent out of our home community where you don’t have your family and friends readily available.”

On Tuesday, the Central Alberta Council on Aging announced it is leading the charge to stop Alberta Health Services from closing Red Deer Nursing Home and Valley Park Manor.

Residents from those facilities will be moved to Extendicare Canada’s new Michener Hill Village, which is expected to open in September.

With the 220 long-term care beds at Michener Hill, the city will only gain four more beds while Central Zone of Alberta Health Services has 227 people waiting for a bed. Of those, Red Deer has a wait list of 49.

Dalke said with an aging baby boomer population, Alberta needs to be prepared.

“We’re not planning. We need to keep the extra beds in Red Deer.”

Residents from the two nursing homes will be moved to the Michener Hill over a period of about six weeks.

The new continuing care facility at Michener Hill Village will continue to be publicly funded, but will be run by Extendicare Canada, a for-profit company.

Working at Red Deer Nursing Home and Valley Park Manor doesn’t automatically get workers a job at Extendicare Canada. They must submit an application like anyone else.

“This is Extendicare’s. It’s a new facility for us in Red Deer. Anyone is welcome to apply for a position and we certainly will consider all applicants,” said Rebecca Scott, Extendicare Canada spokesperson.

Red Deer Nursing Home was built in 1964 and has about 195 staff. Valley Park Manor was constructed in 1969 and has about 175 staff.

Alberta Union of Provincial Employees represents 148 auxiliary nurses and support workers at Red Deer Nursing Home and Valley Park Manor.

David Climenhaga, AUPE communications director, said Alberta Health Services does have the ability to abolish jobs but AUPE is still waiting to be officially notified of the closures.

If jobs are lost, AUPE will try to find other positions for workers with Alberta Health Services.

“We know there has been a hiring freeze at Alberta Health Services. We know there are staff shortages in some areas at acute care hospitals and other nursing homes that AHS operates that could use some of these people,” Climenhaga said.

Alberta Health Services is still determining what to do with Red Deer Nursing Home and Valley Park Manor once they are vacated.

“Previously an extensive cost-benefit analysis has shown it’s more cost-effective to replace the facilities rather than renovate them,” said Shelley Rattray, Alberta Health spokesperson.

szielinski@www.reddeeradvocate.com