Support deal

The deal hammered out to transfer ownership of Rainycrest Home for the Aged here to Riverside Health Care Facilities, Inc. is a successful conclusion to a complicated and controversial issue—and should be supported by district municipalities.
At first glance, the deal’s biggest benefit is that our home for the aged remains in local hands with Riverside and its board of directors, not with the province or an out-of-town private firm like Extendicare—an option that had created such a backlash when Rainycrest’s financial woes first came to light two years ago.
As well, the deal—if accepted—will include 21 new beds and $1.35 million in capital grants from the province. The beds will help alleviate the almost 100-person long waiting list to get into Rainycrest while the money is sorely needed to help cover recently-identified improvements required there.
True, these upgrades mean district municipalities will have to provide annual funding for Rainycrest for 10 years now, instead of the five years initially envisioned, but that’s certainly a lot better than being on the hook for the whole tab.
The five-year extension on the funding commitment also is infinitely better than the alternative: permanent control of Rainycrest by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care—leaving municipalities to contribute annual levies in perpetuity without having any control over the home or the amount.
As it stands now, the proposed deal calls for the municipal levy to begin at 2006 levels and decrease by 10 percent each year until it is phased out completely by 2017.
And that means no more surprises with at least one less “uncontrollable” cost come budget time.
The process hasn’t been perfect, to be sure. Fort Frances Coun. Roy Avis says he’s still waiting for minutes from some meetings of Rainycrest’s board of management. As well, Alberton council, for one, is irked it wasn’t informed of the deal until the very last minute, which it felt might jeopardize its passage by some municipalities.
The consensus by all concerned, however, is that this is a win-win deal for district taxpayers—and more importantly, for our senior citizens who deserve the best care possible in their final years.