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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1979-03-22, Page 18PAGE 18—GODERICH SIGNAL -STAR, THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 1979 Elderly fear the future �. .and euthanasia.. ® from page I be. For instance, day care surgery has gone away up at AM&G recently, and probably will continue to climb. There's. a whole list of surgical procedures which are approved for a day care surgery unit. It means the patients are brought into hospital in the morning, the operations are done,, the operating rQOm and recovery room staff takes care of them for the day, and in the evening the unit is cleared of staff and patients. Everybody goes home. Doctors are looking more and more to home care for patients, but in Huron County the home "care program is limited to a very restrictive set of criteria. Not every patient qualifies for the program that gets people out of hospital and home where medical treatment continues under OHIP funds. The services of the Victorian Order Nurses and the staff from the Huron County Health Unit are also possible alternatives to in-hospital care for some patients, but provincial funding for these services haven't increased suf- ficiently to expect them to accept any increased load. There may indeed be other ways of coping with a reduced hospital bed situation, but as Dr. Thomson points out many of these programs aren't in place in Huron County as they are in some other counties, and really don't provide a viable alternative. FLOAT SUNK The ministry itself understands some of this conundrum and has provided small hospitals with a 10 -bed float during the switch -over period. But it isn't of much use to AM&G. This hospital has been on a tight . money- saving regime for months trying to make up a deficit and will pay a fine of $60,000 for having more beds open than the ministry guidelines decreed. AM&G can't afford to run a" 10 -bed float. The bed cuts must be effected right away. Doctors in Goderich are really quite bitter about the penalties imposed by the ministry for being "over -bedded". In fact, Dr. Ken Lambert believes they aren't legal and says that if some hospital would take the ministry to court on this matter, it might be proven that the ministry has no right to penalize hospitals and withhold funds. Dr. Thomson has a similar feeling. He says AM&G got "an overwhelming vote of con- fidence" when it received a three year ac- creditation recently. "And then we get hit for $60,000," said Dr. Thomson in disbelief."We have to maintain good care in spite of it." But there's even more to fear. Dr. Thomson says no one knows what further penalties will be imposed by the ministry .... or when. AM&G simply cannot afford any more budget sur- prises this year, next year or any time. The ministry has decreed that for 1979, four beds per 1,000 referral population Will be ap- proved. That computes to 43 active treatment beds for AM&G. I.n 1980 that number will drop to 3.5 beds per 1,000 referral population, or 37 beds for AM&G. . It is that the bed allocation will be appoet annually_ by the_ministry, and that about thee only way to increase a hospital's bed will be to document an increase in the referral population. REFERRAL RED TAPE • It is exactly• this referral population that is ' concerning not only the community's doctors but the board of AM&G as well. Board members have been in the ministry office time and time again to ask questions and to express concerns. Until recently, board members and doctors felt they weren't getting the number of beds to which they are actually entitled under the ministry's own guidelines. But last week it was finally explained that the ministry accepted 10,032 as the referral population for AM&G while the hospital board had assumed from their calculations the referral population was 14,581. The administrator of AM&G said it was an honest•mistake on the board's part.'He said the board was adding in 4,549 referral population for obstetrics (based on cases discharged from hospital). But for ministry purposes, the ob- stetrics population was included in the 15-44 age group referral population ... and the board isn't quite satisfied that this is"fair. The population allowed by the ministry for the 15-44 age group is 4,603. That's men and women. By the ministry's own calculations, the referral population includes 4;549 for ob- stetrical services only which shows that some women are using AM&G when they have their babies and other hospitals for all other medical proedures. "We really can't dispute the statistics," Elmer Taylor has said. "But we still have some doubts about the referral population figures and we really didn't get a satisfactory answer for that." Doctors have -even more doubts. Doctors say that the referral population is based on 1977-78 referral patterns. And there seems to be little argument that these referral patterns have changed drastically in the last year or so. Nearly the entire medical staff in Goderich has changed since those referral patterns were established,•-the•board agrees. Whereas doctors who formerly practised in Goderich often sent their patients out-of-town for medical care, doctors in Goderich now prefer to treat their patients, themselves in the local hospital, creating a greater need for hospital beds at AM&G. TOURIST TRADEOFF Dr. Michael Conlon has continually ex- pressed his concern that the ministry has not taken into account the fact that ,Goderich is a tourist town and as such, has an increased population in the summer months. Dr. Conlon gave out figures to substantiate his claim. He says the summer population in the area swells by 9,311 persons according to available statistics including 859 in Goderich Township, 1,169 in Ashfield Township, 733 in Colborne Township, 580 in Goderich, 1,800 at Point Farms, 870 at Pine Lake and 3,500 at Bayfield. Dr. Conlon had done his homework. He cited the fact that based on three persons per visiting car, 38,929 persons had called into the Goderich Tourist Booth last summer. While doctors don't believe all these people require hospital care, the fact remains the patient load at AM&G does increase during the summer months and some active treatment hospital beds are required. But according to Administrator Taylor, the health ministry has taken into account Goderich's tourist population. And facts 'are facts, says the ministry. Goderich does not qualify for one extra active treatment bed becaus o the increased number of people in the area. There is a formula to determine how many hospital beds are required for tourist population. It is simple, really, In 1977, the hospital must have had one out -of -the -area patient each day for 365 days to qualify for one additional bed. Goderich didn't meet that criteria. No additional beds. But as Dr. Lambert is quick to point out, there's a big difference between rural hospitals and 'urban hospitals. "What if there is a mine disaster, for in- stance?" says Dr. Lam.bert. "Nobody has even mentioned that." "The formula is rigid," notes Dr. James Hollingworth. "And no rigid formula can work ' province wide when you are dealing with such a personal thing as health services." "The ministry should allow us to give•quality care," the doctor argued. "Ontario is the province with the second lowest number f da. acute care beds in Canada. Ontario a a nta o i s supposed to be a rich province. Why must we go to the bottom of th'e list forhealth care?" NO RECOURSE "We're going to have difficulty funding the beds we've been allotted and we've been told we can't use any private money to help," lamented Dr. Hollingworth. "Now that's sad." Dr. Hollingworth said doctors are aware "government f'.i ds are not bottomless" but he questioned why the government -was --not -per- mitting community hospitals to use alternate methods of financing for operating expenses. Jack Riddell had the answers for this one ... from a ministry's point of view. He said he'd been advised by the Hon. Dennis Timbrell during question period in the Legislature that the ministry of health was bent' on providing uniform health care across the province, and felt wealthy areas would unfairly be able to offer a better standard of health care than less affluent areas. What's more, Timbrell told Riddell he doubted if communities, could continue to raise funds year after year for operating their hospitals. "But historically, that's how these hospitals FOR ALL YOUR ELECTRICAL SUPPLIES Come In & see us E DON1Nt0111VIHARDWA. HARDWARE 30 VICTORIA ST. NORTH GODERICH S2k-85?' were built,". argues Dr. Thomson. "When you start to destroy local initiative, it is going to cost the government more money for certain." But still there's more to worry about. The bid concern is for the long term patients. Some are elderly men and women for whom a nursing home is; the best answer. Some are younger people with permanent disabilities. Some are sick people with illnesses that will keep them confined for months on end. These are the patients that occupy the thoughts of many doctors and •hospital board members. Where will they go? •NOPLACE TOGO For those who could be transferred to nursing homes, there is no .place to go. Dr. Thomson said he recently put one patient on a waiting list that has 65 names on it. His patient is the 66th. Obviously, the hospital will have to care for these people ... maybe in active treatment beds until the time comes when they can be moved to another health care facility. Some might qualify for home care for chronic patients, but this service isn't in place in Huron County. That avenue provides no solution then for AM&G. Dr. Conlon has another concern, just as worrisome. He draws attention to the men and women in nursing homes and psychiatric wards who might have to be transferred to hospital for active care. Where does the hospital put them? And according to Conlon, the psychiatric unit in the Bluewater Centre is a special situation. Patients from all over Huron County are referred there, and if they need active hospital treatment they are moved to AM&G. He estimates one or two beds at AM&G are often in use for just such patients. Dr. Conlon pointed out that 38 .psycho - geriatric beds were closed when the Goderich Psychiatric Hospital was closed two years ago. ",That has to. affect this situation," insisted Dr. Conlon. Cook request. • 0000000000 • There seems to be little doubt that 15 chronic beds just aren't enough for AM&G. A more realistic number would be 25 and the board is working hard now to document the need for more beds in this area. Statistics. show that Huron County has an unusually high percentage of elderly citizens (13 percent), much higher than the provincial average (8,6 percent). In fact, the ministry does recognize the fact and has built a weight factor into the formula to adjust Huron's chronic beds to suit the. needs. But there just aren't enough nursing home beds in the area and the government really isn't compensating the community in that sense. It was reported by Dr. Hollingworth that a recent application for more nursing home beds in Goderich was turned down in Toronto. "There's no question there has to •be some movement in that area," Murray Gaunt, MPP for Huron -Bruce has said. MORE TO THINK ABOUT There are other things that are concerning doctors and board members about the 3.5 beds per referral population. Things like the knowledge that 450 beds have been cut in London hospitals and will un- doubtedly result in long waits for Huron County people applying for admittance in the city. Things like having to make interim provisions at AM&G for certain patients waiting to be admitted to other referral cen- tres. Things like having to turn down referrals back from those centres,of patients who want to recouperate at home, closer to their families, but for whom there are no empty beds. Things like realizing if the local hospital can't accept those referrals, it is only creating more of a backlog in the city hospitals ... and longer waiting lists for Huron County patients. Things like knowing patients are paying insurance premiums for semi -private ac- • commodation in hospital ..: and that there will be no such luxury at AM&G as a choice off beds or rooms. Things like having to turn people away ... or putting them in holding areas or in the hallways. Or in improper, inappropriate mixing situations that run the risk of new dangers for patients in infections. Upsetting things. Degrading things. Frightening things. In Goderich, the doctors and the board members have been very vocal about their •fears and their frustrations. They have been working hard and furiously t6 get the answers they need to keep AM&G functioning safely and adequately. They have called on the peopl' 'of the com- munity to think about the situation .... and to make their; feelings known to government uf- ficials. That's why Jack Riddell has received such heart -wrenching letters. LIVING IN FEAR? It isn't difficult to understand that senior citizens ..will be the most anxious about the implications of the ministry's action. Senior citizens are naturally fearful about illness and old age. The two often go hand in hand. And where will they go? Who will take care of them? Sean Conway made a good point. He said the people of Ontario have been "surprisingly mute" about the bed cutbacks which he says have "very little to do with health care and a great deal to do with budget problems". It is a comment on the state of Ontario finances. Maybe some of the senior citizens who have been writing to Jack Riddell are more per- ceptive than this province would like to think. Maybe euthanasia would ease the financial crisis for the ministry of health. Who knows when that very suggestion will be made by someone? ••.~• 0000••. 100000••••••••x••••••••••••• i . • • ••l • Owner r • • Open o o p J • • • •• ••$••••••.......................:::•••,..•••••11.•••••••••.••• • MAXWELL HOUSE • MAPLE LEAF 3 DELMONTE ' 7 /4 :INSTANT :socKEYE$;TMATO 48FL. c•• 9• oz. T � • � oz. • a COFFEE ,AR , ►SALMON • JUICE • ••••••0••••••.....•••••••••••0 00•.0•=••0• •••••••••••••• :' CLOVERLEAF SOLID WHITE LEVER 10 FL. OZ. TIN • MAXWELL • • ALBACORE EACH * • MUSHROOMS • LB. _ _ _ ._.__. _._ _.. •._. _ – -- _ ._ .--...__ _.__....____.__ _. __ _. __... _ . -- - _. _ _ 7QZ.� •ROASTED •TUNA • STEMSBPCS. •$ 2 OFFEE ••••• O••• •••• •••••• 2.99: • COCA COLA CAdVIPBELL'S • • FOR : QUIK 2'LB: TIN • • PLUS •TOMATO :INSTANT • FAMILY PACK • i?,:.L.' • • • 6-750 M1, __..__._o MI . : SOUP_ _ y 7 ir ; CHOCOLATE • a 7: • •••0•••••0••00• ••••• ••••••••••••••• •••••••••••• •••• PREVIOUSLY' FROZEN • • . CANADA PACKER'S- ECONOMY -STORE PACKED :TURKEY DRUM.S.TICKS:... ,•.•,••....•.., 49c, LB, WIENERS 99c • LB. • • CANADA PACKER'S - SLICED - VAC PACK SCHNEIDER'S- FAMILY PACK 2 LB • DEVON BACON 1.49 LB. BEEF PATTIES PKG. 3.99 Bax • • • • SCHNEIDER'S STORE PACK :ENGLISH SAUSAGE $1.79 LB. • SCHNEIDER'S OLD FASHIONED '7.69 .. SCHNEIDER'S • • ', BEEF STEAKETTES 1.99 LB. BRUCE PACKER'S • • 9 RING BOLOGNA Le. • • KRAFT PLAIN 8 OZ. PKG •` PHILADELPHIA CREAM CHEESE 79¢ ORANGE FLAVOUR CRYSTALS - $1.09: • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••000000041100000000••••• • • VEGETABLE FOR • BOLOGNA BY THE PIECE 9° • from page 3 committee members that he thought "services should go before frills (like the gateway)". If the committee was not allotted as much money in the budget as it was hoping for, priorities should be placed in order with services taking top priority, he said. "Nobody disagrees that services aren't important but we must make it (the Park) outwardly attractive," said committee. member Elsa Haydon. "It's a small amount of money for an added attraction and it should not be written off because of a lack of priority," she continued. Committee member Bruce Sully said the committee should get the conceptfor the gateway and build it whenever the money is available. Sully said he would like to see the north -south road (Mooney Street) completed in the Park and' the east -west road (Mitchell Street) opened up. One road dead ends in the bush and the other ends up in a dirt pile, he said. Committee members seemed to agreed that putting in a water line should take top priority in the Park. One member pointed out that if this was not done, there would only be one serviced lot left for sale there. The committee passed a motion to support phase one of the plan drawn up by the sub- committee Cif Planning Board showing the road patterns and zoning for the Industrial Park S Pith of Highway 21 and to concur- with the basic premise of the overall plan. Committee members were presented with terms of reference drawn up under the headings of Industrial, Commercial, Tourism, Harbor and Planning subcommittees. Some terms are applicable to all the subcommittees and some are specific to certain subcommittees to be dveloped further. E'co omic Development Committee chair-, man, Dave Gower said he hoped the sub- committees would help the GEDC to operate more df ficiently. TANG' PKG. OF *TASTER'S CHOICE • PURINA • CAMPBELL'S ;INSTANT a. :CAT BAG :COFFEE JAR • • • CHOW 3 •. • SOUP 10FL.OZ. 99'1 • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.•••••••••••I•••001119!.00z0.••••• • • ROYALE LOWES • E. D. SMITH'S 25 LB. BAG CHERRY 8 BLUEBERRY ;.BATHROOM 40 KITTY ;PIE :TIssuE $ •� PKG' : LITTER • • FILLERS • ••••f•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••t•••-•••••••••••••••: ROSE • SUNLIGHT1 •GREEN GIANT • :DILL 32FL. 604 LIQUID:NIBLET•PICKLES Oz.v79:coRNg_` •. 24FL.OZ. FOR • .......••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• •••••• • TESS H POTATO OS • PRODUCE OF U.S.A. NO. 1 GRADE :HEAD LETTUCE- PRODUCEOY NTARIO NO. 1 GRADE :FLORIDA VEXAR ORANGES 5 LB. BAG 1 . 3 9 CARROTS • PRODUCE OF ONTARIO NO. 1 GRADE 2.25 G. PRODUCE OF U.S.A. NO. 1 GRADE 594 HEAD CELERY STALKS q4: • • • 59C STALK • • 3LB. BAG 594 • PRODUCE OF • O. • RUTABAGAS LARGE SIZE 3 FOR $1.00 RIONO.IGRADE COOKING—ONIONS 2LB. BAG • 39 • YORK FROZEN ••••• 4110 isSTRAWBERRIES 99* : PRODUCE OF ONT. NO.1 GRADE .• •JEDI*J+Mm CUTT Limited • POTATOES• z. • SWANSOMS •l 'E / RED 6. WHITE FOQDMASTER POT w • UI 91 VICTORIA ST., 6ODERICH • 10 LB. BAG • �/ FbR . TBEUEF 00 69' - Above prices in effect Monday. March 19 until • • 80Z. CHICKEN • closing time, 10:00 p.m. Saturday, March 24 or ' • $ . • while quantities last.. � • ••••••••••••••N►••s•!••••l••$.•`••••�••••••••••••••••• i