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Times Advocate, 1997-01-08, Page 5Times -Advocate, January 8, 1997 Page 5 Braemor residents cared for "...1 resent the implication that thought did not go into the care of the residents." Dear Editor: Braemor Manor residents were not "ousted" nor were they "abruptly" moved without reason. The residents were under the care of the staff of Braemor under the direction of Mrs. Sybil Lodge as well as guidance from LPH (London Psychiatric Hospital). As a privately owned facility, Braemor Manor, with the death of Mrs. Lodge, is the proper- ty of the estate. With no specific direction from the family and with the lack of facilities in the area to house the residents, it was necessary to relocate them as quickly as possible. In this instance, a con- tingency plan would not necessarily have helped. As a former employee, I resent the implication that thought did not go into the care of the -residents. The remaining staff worked diligently and conscien- tiously to ensure the residents' would not be upset. With no assistance from the other psychiatric care agency in the area, (except LPH and Dr. Hodder), relocation of Braemor residents was handled with speed and most importantly to serve the best needs of the residents. Colleen Swanson, Exeter A patronizing attitude "His comments are degrading and insulting to every resident of rural Ontario." '- Dear Editor: I wistNo applaud the London Free Press, and par- ticularly ttcalth reporter Mary -Jane Egan, for the ex- cellent covdkage of the dilemma being faced by ru- ral hospitals fA Ontario involving the Harris , government's R alth Services Restructuring Com- mission. The supp‘irt shown by this newspaper for the many local 'Sava Our Hospital' campaigns has most certainly been alpreciated by all the communi- ties waging battle agamst their respective District Health Councils and fife Restructuring Commission. I am a Registered N*rse employed at the Memori- al Hospital in St. Marys, Ontario. I read, with great interest, the article that appeared in the December 28th issue of the London Free Press entitled "Small Towns Wage Big Battle" and was delighted to sec front page honours! However, I cannot begin to describe the anger and frustration I felt upon reading the comments made by David Naylor, CEO of Toronto's Institute for Clinical Evaluation Sciences in Ontario and an ad- visor to the Restructuring Commission. I, as a resident of rural Ontario and an employee of one of Ontario's rural hospitals, am incensed by the fact that those who live and work in an urban centre, such as Toronto, are making assumptions and decisions which will inevitably change and eventually destroy the face of rural Ontario! When was the last time that Dr. David Naylor set foot in an Emergency Department of a rural hospital? His comments are degrading and insulting to every resi- dent of rural Ontario! We are not a biinch of country bumpkins and detest the patronizing attitude he dis= Rlays. Believe it or not, Dr. Naylor, all members of *Emergency Room staff in the majority of rural hospitals are highly trained individuals committed _to providing quick, efficient and quality emergency care. Every Registered Nurse working in the ER of St. Marys Memorial Hospital is certified in and ,able to. practice ACLS (Advanced Cardiac Life Support) and NRP (Neonatal Resuscitation) and some in ATLS (Advanced Trauma Life Support). It is an in- sult to think that rural hospitals should be limited "to providing care for lacerations or the chest cold that may be verging on pneumonia." I am appalled by Dr. Naylor's insinuation that "speedier health care" could result from the closure of rural hospitals because they are limited to "skele- tal after hours staff and have to call a physician from off-site in an emergency." We offer 24• -hour emergency services without compromise! No one is disputing the importance of the largeur- ban hospitals who offer speciality care for those cas- es which cannot be managed at the community Lev- el, but, as stated in the third paragraph of December 28th's article, these are also the very institutions in which the greatest savings of health care dollars can be realized. I'm sure Dr. Naylor is aware that in To- ronto, last year alone, the health care deficit created by the 44 hospitals was over one billion dollars. He must also realize, then, that the savings derived from the closure of rural hospitals can only he a drop in the proverbial bucket, because the total health care budget utilized by Ontario's rural hospi- tals 1 Ih0SC with under 100 beds) is less than 10 per cent. It is time for the decision makers to open their eyes and see what the general public sees. It seems that this 'Common Sense Revolution' islacking one. very important element - common sense! I challenge every rural Ontarian to stand up and fight for our right to equal access health care. We are not second rate citizens and will not be treated as such. Let your MPP, your District Health Coun- cil, the Restructuring Commission and Mike Hams know how you feel. How -can this not he an emo- tional issue? This is, I'm afraid, a matter of life and death! Janet van Koot, 'Denfield, Ontario Task Force examines concerns "All of the feedback forms have been read and summarized by District Health Council staff." Dear Editor: On behalf of the Hospital and Related Health Ser- vices Study Task Force of the Huron Perth District Health Council, I would like to thank residents from Huron Perth and surrounding areas for their alien danceand feedback at our recent Open Houses. As we are unable to reply individually to the many let- ters and feedback forms, I am submitting this Letter to the Editor in response. All of the feedback forms have been read and summarized by District Health Council staff. In ad- dition, the feedback forms and letters received to date have been divided and distributed so that each submission maybe read by a member of the Task Forge. Many concerns have been raised by commu- nity members, and certainly the Task Force has and will consider the feedback that has been received prior w selecting a preferred hospital restructuring option on January 21, 1997. Many themes have emerged from the feedback re- ceived by the Task Force. A number of the concerns and suggestions identified are beyond the mandate of the Task Force and are issues that must be con- sidered by others, such as the provincial or federal government. For example, many residents have sug- gested that user fees for health care would be ac- ceptable. However, there is currently federal legisla- tion (the Canada Health Act) which prevents user fees from being put in place. A number of innovative suggestions have come forward regarding the use of hospital facilities and creative fundraising approaches. All submissions re- ceived by December 13, 1996 were presented to the Task Force on December 15, 1996. Although these suggestions are also beyond the mandate of the Task Force, it will be important for communities to work together once restructuring has occurred, to ensure that local resources are used to best serve the needs of residents. `' Concern was also raised about the process that the , Task Force has undertaken. Certainly the.Task Force has done their best to ensure that their process is of the highest quality, however nothing is ever perfect. We appreciate the many comnients and will, where possible, incorporate the suggestions into fu- ture planning. u The following questions were raised in a number of communities, and along with the many other is- sues facing the Task Force, these questions will be considered thoroughly before a final option is select- ed: ' • will physicians leave Huron Perth if hospitals close? • can the three preliminary hospital restructuring options be modified to provide better access to inpa- , tient services? • does Huron County require a secondary centre? • will surgical back-up for obstetrics be available within 30 minutes? • is a 20 per cent financial savings target realistic for Huron Perth? Although hospital restructuring is a difficult and challenging process, the Task Force is committed, to making recommendations which will ensure that lo- cal residents have access to high quality, coordinat- ed health care services. The constructive advice that was received through the Open House process, will assist the Task Force in identifying the best possible solution for hospital restructuring. Sincerely, Janet Hook, Chair Hospital and Related Health Services Study Task Force A most wonderful gift "I got to,spend another year with the two girls of my life." Dear Editor: It's just three days after Christmas. I have been asked almost a hundred times the same question, 'What did you get for Christmas?' Several years ago I came out of an office at a company where I was working and I noticed this - beautiful girl going down the stairs:I fell in love with her then and there! We got married after a courtship that made our love for each other grow, but just as important, we became very good friends Almost four years ago we were blessed with a beau-. tiful healthy girl whom we both have come to love and appreciate so very much. But I digress. in answer to the question i respond: "I got a new pair of slippers and a long sleeved shirt." But my heart says, "I got to spend another year with the two girls of my life." This.is my hope for next year. Sincerely, J. Wilson Thompson 4 Misunderstanding explained Perpetual flower care does not mean for 20, 30 or 100 years... it is forever... Dear Editor: It has come to my attention that some readers may have interpreted my comments concerning the Exet- er Cemetery, as reported in last weeks edition, as something other than intended. Let me assure you the elimination of the flowerbeds was not what I was talking about. The point I was trying to make is that we can ill afford to continue to offer_ the "perpetual" flower care plan at a fixed one time cost. Perpetual flower care does not mean the provision of annual beds for :.0,30 or 100 years -- it is forever. We all ,understand the effects of inflation and regardless of the up front cost; there comes a time when the interest revenue is insufficient to cover actual operating costs. For example the 1979 cost of perpetual flower care was $ 100.00 and assuming a 6 per cent' interest rate, the revenue is far less than the actual cost of providing the bed and it will only get worse with the passage of time.. a During 1995 the Board was encouraged to replace the perpetual flower care plan with a fixed 10 year renewable plan as means of minimizing the effects of inflation. Surviving family members could on successive renewal anniversary dates, arrange at the then current rate structure for the continuation of flower care. This plan was implemented January 1996 but the Board still continues to offer the per- petual care plan. In my opinion, with the 10 year plan now in place, it is most difficult to rationalize the retention of the perpetual plan. Please keep in mind, the elimination -of the perpet- ual flower care plan would in no way change the ar- rangements for the 1400+ flower beds now under the provisions of perpetual care. The Board has a contractual obligation to provide continued service. Please accept my apologies for any concerns caused. Roy Triebner Exeter Councillor Editors note: The T -A regrets'any confusion this misunderstanding may have caused. What's new for the new year? There never will be, nor should there be a revision' to the simple Dear Editor: The fact that this new year now upon us is .the third last of a dying century would seem to presage uniqueness, either or both good or bad. Some pundits who deal in signs and wonders have no difficulty in pointing to portents of all 'things bad, while the con- firmed optimists claim to see light .on the horizon with better things on the crescendo. The writer is nei- ther desirous of nor qualified to call it either way but remains„one of the vast majority that hopes for the best under the given circumstances. Canadians have long kept a watchful eye and a ready ear 'turned .to the south where trends and devel- opments are on a more easily detectable scale. Like it or not, willingly or inevitably we are copy cats. Cur- rent commentators and analystists irl the,US of A are asking, "What has happened. to 'the Great American dream?” The better -better progression year after year seems to have' come to a halt: Sights have had, to be pulled back and fixed upon less lofty and more im- minent' goals in an effort to hold on at a status quo • level, which, in itself may or not be easy. Priorities will need to be reset and clearer distinctions be- tween necessities and luxuries drawn. Admittedly it is wonderful to have lived through an age and to an age where scientific refinements are at finger tips. - There never will be, nor should there be a rever- sion to the simple life, but living generations may have to be satisfied within reasonable limits with se- lecting those assistive devices most needed and af- fordable. People used to make resolutions at the new year and some even made serious attempts to be bound by them, but that was under circumstances much more predictable than those which surround us to- day. At least this is a right and ripe time to take careful stock of resources, obligations and likely outcomes ahead. It is a built-in benefaction of hu- man nature that hype springs where and when all else threatens. Let it spring, and with hope, trust. At this time of the year we would do well to re -read and re -think those lines of Minnie Haskins begin- ning with, "I said to the man who stood at the gate of the year" and ending with, "Put your hand into the hand of God and step out into the darkness. That shall be to you fight and. safer than a known way." Gerry Dobrindt A life saved. "On .behalf of the entire Johnson family, thank you South Huron Hospital." Dear Editor: On the eve of December 19, my dad was brought into South Huron Hospital emergency suffering from a heartattack. Thanks to the quick actionsand high quality of care of the medical, nursing, lab, and X-ray staff, my dad's life was saved! His condition was stabilized. The cardiologist in London was con- sulted. Dad was to be monitored closely in South Huron Hospital overnight, where he would then be transferred to St. Joseph's Hospital the next day for advanced cardiac testing. That wasdone, and he re- ceived excellent cardiac monitoring in South Huron Hospital. It worries me to think...what if South Huron Hos- pital was closed? What would have mom and dad. done? Drive to London? Drive to Seaforth? By the way, it was snowing heavily that evening, and the roads were very slippery. If one of the three options that the DHC proposed were to become concrete, and this scenario were to happen again...then my dad would have been transferred to Seaforth, Gode- rich, or Stratford overnight, then all the way back to London the next day! Is that cost-effective to be transferring a patient all over the map? Is that feasi- ble? Does that ensure continuous quality of care? I don't think so. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the tremen- dous gap in services that these three options offelr. No hospital, or no hospital with beds from S orth to London, and from Stratford to Grand Bend. The , DHC's negligent disregard of the facts, that support South Huron Hospital to remain as a full primary care hospital, I feel, is an insult to every person in our area who rely on its services. My 'dad has worked his fingers to the bone to provide for his ' family, his entire life. He has paid his fair share of taxes, his entire Iife..He, along with all others de- serve to have.ourhospital remain open. How could one small group of people even propose to take that away? How they ever thought that people stop at county boundaries in,choosing a hospital. How they ever thought our hospital wasn't viable. It is imperative that we make our voices heard. We can write letters to the DHC. There is a toll-free phone number the DHC has set up for public feed- back. It is 1-888-648-3712. Call and voice your con- cerns. Also, it is critical that -everyone attend any scheduled Open Houses with the DHC, at the Rec Centre in Exeter. Go for your own personal reasons, but also for the future health care of all our citizens. Especially for our children and our elderly, because (heir voices will hardly be heard in this process. Hopefully together, we can make a difference. On behalf of the entire Johnson family, thank you South Huron Hospital. You are the beating heart of our community, -and once again...you have saved the beating heart of my dad! Respectively submitted, Arlene (Johnson) Berendsen ' Exeter L OPINION You have to think like a child By Pauline Kerr Saugeen City News 4 In the "now we've heard everything" category is the 4 hair -munching Cabbage Patch doll. Monster muncher doll mangles tot. Carnivorous toy chomps child. The doll is designed to automatically gobble down plastic french fries. Because it has no on-off switch (it doesn't need one, at least in theory), the thing chews hair right to the scalp, unless someone dis- mantles it. Makers say it's been tested and is completely safe. Sure. it undoubtedly has been tested, but apparently is far from safe. The reason? The people testing it have been adults. And would a grown-up think of watching the doll munch its way up the venetian blind cord, or feeding a lock of hair intd a doll's mouth? No. Would a child? Obviously. The monster muncher doll is not the first time re- searchers have failed to take into consideration one simple fact - a child's mind works differently from an adult's. Consider child -proof lids on medicine bottles, the kind you have to press down on while turning. It takes quite a bit of strength to do this, unless you put the lid in your mouth, clench down with your teeth and give the bottle a bit of a twist. Presto! The lid comes off easily. The lid also presents no problem if you smash the plastic pill bottle with a toy dump truck. Now, no self respecting adult would think of using either tactic to get at the pills. No, we read the in- . _ structions, and struggle away. But kids can't read. And even if they can, they don't know you are sup- posed to pay attention to the ins! actions. Then there are those special gizmos you can buy to A keep children from watching weird channels on tele- vision. Those things can be disarmed in moments by today's tiny techno geniuses. We of the pre -cable tele- vision era have adapted well to the new technology, but those kids have been raised with it. . The teacher's manual for the Canada Safety Council babysitting course suggests ferreting out hazards by looking at the home the way a child would, from about three feet high. Get down on your hands and knees, and look around. What do you see? It's a different world down there. X111 of a sudden, the sharp edges under the table become visible. The wall electrical outlet is right at eye level, a real atten- tion getter, especially if there's a couple of knitting needles lying around just begging to he electrified. All those household cleaners that adults have to bend over to get at are now within easy reach, it's just a matter of picking the one with the most appealing la- bel. The mail slot in the door becomes something you might want to look through, or poke your hand through, it's at the perfect height. On the other hand, the kitchen drawer with the cut- lery in it is too high to see into, and if you want'some- thing from it, you have to pull it out onto your head. The same thing is true of those pot handles full of mysterious and attractive substances bubbling away on the stove. , You have to think like a kid. Before anyone says a toy has been tested and is safe, hand over several prototypes to a group of intelligent, slightly demented children and see just how safe it is. The monster muncher doll's makers had a cute idea, but they weren't thinking like kids. And in their busi- ness, that's a fatal error.