Advocates say Sask. seniors’ care issues still not fixed

Seniors still aren’t getting their baths and other basic care – that’s the word from seniors’ advocates in the province.

“It’s still not fixed,” said Carrie Klassen, who has been fighting for improved senior care for more than a year. Her mother is in a long-term care home.

“We have wonderful staff. These facilities have caring people in them. It’s just, there’s not enough staff,” said Klassen standing in front of the steps of the legislature on Tuesday.

She was part of a group of protestors hoisting signs, one of which read, “We’re all getting older. Are you scared?”

“I had a guy phone me the other night and said his father is not doing very well. And he says, ‘Carrie, I don’t want that. I’m so afraid that he’s going to end up in a care home,’” said Klassen.

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The issues surrounding senior care were top of mind last year as Klassen and others pushed the province to look into the care being received in homes. The province came up with a one-time, $10-million payment to help address the problems after an extensive CEO tour of the homes.

“Not all of the dollars have been spent,” said Minister of Health Dustin Duncan. “We haven’t lost sight of this issue.”

Duncan says the province will evaluate how the program is doing after all of the equipment and training has been implemented in the health regions. He doesn’t have a timeline for when that will be.

“While the $10 million was a one-time injection,” said Duncan, “it wasn’t a one-and-we’re-going-to–move-on. We’re going to follow up, and we’re going to ensure that the dollars get to residents and to front-line staff.”

However, it’s not happening soon enough for Klassen and the others.

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