The NDP revealed documents in the Alberta legislature on Thursday they say show the provincial government hired a public relations firm “to fabricate a rationale” for the closure of Michener Centre a month-and-a-half after the closure was announced.
The documents were obtained through a freedom of information request.
They include a request from the assistant deputy minister for the disability services division of Alberta Human Services to a public relations firm to come up with a set of principles for Alberta Health Services/Persons with Developmental Disabilities to transition residents from Michener to long-term care or supportive living.
The NDP say the province had not yet determined what was best for residents when it decided if the Red Deer facility should close.
“The point is how can you have concluded that this is the best outcome for these people if you don’t already have those principles in place? They made the decision to close, then they came up with the rules to find the best placement for them after the fact,” said New Democrat Human Services critic Rachel Notley on Thursday. “They went out in search of the justification.”
There are 224 people living at Michener and the government’s plan is to move 120 of those residents into community group and seniors homes while the rest stay in Michener group homes.
Associate Minister of Services for Persons with Disabilities Frank Oberle denied the NDP’s accusation in the legislature on Thursday.
“We simply did no such thing. What we did was have this firm codify what we were doing in planning for the transitioning of patients, nothing to do with the decision to close it,” Oberle said.
When Notely asked if the Tories would reverse its decision, Oberle said: “People living in supportive community living arrangements have better outcomes bar none. Evidence is there.”
Notley said very few health-care professionals would argue that moving Michener residents against their will, at this point in their lives, after many years at Michener, is good for them.
“It’s just dishonest for the government to continuously claim this is about best practices, because it’s not.”
She said living in the community can be good, but there are also countless examples of where the system within the community has failed, she said.
“What we have at Michener is a number of residents and a number of families who are very happy with where they are.”
szielinski@www.reddeeradvocate.com