Crowd urges board to keep Rainycrest in public hands

Rainycrest Home for the Aged’s board of management made no final decisions Tuesday regarding how best to proceed with efforts to keep its spiralling costs in check.
More than 50 people turned out for the meeting to discuss the board’s previous decision to pursue negotiations with Extendicare Inc.—a private corporation—to provide interim management services at Rainycrest.
Representatives from CUPE Local 65, the Ontario Nurses Association, district councils, and concerned members of the public all came out to ask questions and have their voices heard.
“If we have a for-profit company that comes in, how are they going to proceed?” asked Susana Leahey, a shop steward at Rainycrest, adding she was concerned about staff cuts and a decline in residents’ care.
“As the public, we have the right to know what happens to our seniors here,” she said.
“Not one person on this board wants to see any decrease in service to residents,” replied Atikokan Mayor Dennis Brown, who chairs the board.
Mayor Brown noted other long-term care facilities in the province are able to function solely on funding from the Ministry of Health and Long-term Care and on residents’ fees.
But while Rainycrest received about $1.6 million from municipalities last year, it still is expecting a deficit of nearly $300,000 by the end of 2004.
It’s for this reason the board is looking into a contract with Extendicare.
“We’re simply getting a management group to come and helps us with the management of the home,” he said.
“Have the hospital manage this home,” said Jane Hayes, executive vice-president of CUPE Local 65.
At a special meeting Nov. 9, the Rainycrest board passed two resolutions: one to pursue a proposal received from Extendicare on Oct. 21, “with a view to providing interim management services to Rainycrest Home for the Aged.”
The second was to proceed with negotiations with the ministry and with Riverside Health Care Facilities, Inc. “in an attempt to form a future partnership/merger.”
“I don’t understand how you can work both ends,” said Marnie Hill. “How can you start honest negotiations with Riverside and go out the back door to talk to Extendicare?”
“We want to know why you’re not continuing negotiations with Riverside,” said La Vallee Reeve Emily Watson.
“The one real good reason is municipalities—working with Extendicare—will not have to pay any more in 2005 than they did in 2004,” noted Mayor Brown.
“We have to do something about our spiraling costs,” he stressed.
Last year, the levy district municipalities pay to Rainycrest increased by 12.5 percent.
Finance director Pat Crewson noted the average annual levy increase over the last 10 years has been two-three percent.
“We’re not against going with Riverside,” Mayor Brown added. “We think it’s going to take a long time to work something out there.
“We have not been assured by Riverside that municipalities will not be paying more in 2005 than they did in 2004,” he continued.
“Of course we can’t guarantee that because we haven’t been able to enter into negotiations yet,” noted Craig Sanders, chairman of the Riverside board, who attended Tuesday’s meeting.
Sanders explained the resolution passed by the Rainycrest board earlier this month (“That the Rainycrest Board of Management proceed with negotiations with Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and Riverside Health Care Facilities in an attempt to form a future partnership/merger”) was not considered a “clear and direct resolution” by the ministry.
“We have not yet received the kind of resolution that we require,” he noted. “Riverside has done everything it can do at this point.”
Fort Frances Mayor Dan Onichuk, who sits on the Rainycrest board, said Riverside never replied to the Rainycrest’s motion and so had no idea the resolution was not properly worded.
“I’ve heard it today for the first time,” he remarked.
Mayor Brown said he didn’t think the majority of municipalities in the district would be willing to see another 12.5 percent levy increase in order to keep Rainycrest in public hands.
“Have you asked the question? Have you given us any numbers? No,” countered Reeve Watson.
Mayor Brown noted that of the 10 municipalities in Rainy River District, only two—Fort Frances and La Vallee—have sent letters to the board expressing a desire to see Rainycrest pursue a partnership with Riverside.
Atikokan council has voted in favour of negotiations with Extendicare, he added.
Emo Reeve Russ Fortier said he and Emo council were in favour of talks with Riverside over Extendicare, though they had not yet drafted a letter to that effect.
“We don’t want privatization in any form,” Reeve Watson stressed.
“We’re not going to privatize. We’re going to hire a management company to help us out. We have challenges,” Mayor Brown explained.
Doug McCaig, chair of the Fort Frances Power Corp. and a former Rainycrest board member, said hiring a private management company while keeping the home public “seems somewhat akin to being partly pregnant.”
“Rainycrest should be run in a business-like manner, but because you bring in a private corporation doesn’t ensure success,” he warned.
“A private company—they are going to have to make money to come in here. They’re not going to come in here unless they can make a profit,” noted Jack Gray, a steward on the union committee at Rainycrest.
“Have you given any thought to where they’re going to take it from? The food? The heat?”
“That’s a challenge they have,” Mayor Brown replied.
“I don’t understand. We shouldn’t even be there [in negotiations with a private management company],” said Fort Frances Coun. Struchan Gilson.
“Health care for seniors must remain in public hands. We should be dealing directly with Riverside. They’re ours,” he add-ed to applause.
“How are they going to reduce the deficit without affecting care?” asked Carol Gustafson of the Ontario Nurses’ Association. “Will the current management be re-moved?”
The board did not reply.
“Perhaps we should start talking publicly about the standard of care here, and about the fact we’re about to be put into en-forcement again by the ministry,” said Mayor Onichuk.
“Can we tell the public what we are deficient in?” asked Leahey. “They always bring that up but never explain what we are non-compliant about.”
Mayor Brown declined to comment.
Sanders noted the Riverside board has some concerns of its own regarding a private company managing Rainycrest.
“They will work within the standards of the province, but the standards are open to some negotiation,” he said. “There are minimum standards and there are standards.
“Rainycrest will likely take lighter-care patients. Heavier-care patients will be forced back into Riverside, or out of the community,” he continued.
While the Riverside board is willing to look at managing the facility locally, they are not willing to do so under any circumstances, Sanders noted. “It has to be in a financially responsible way,” he said.
“I think it’s pretty clear what we expect of you,” Reeve Watson said to the board. “Riverside is ready, willing, and able. We’re just waiting for you.”
Coun. Gilson suggested the board make a motion that would meet the requirements of River-side and the ministry.
“Dan, Neil [referring to Mayor Onichuk and Fort Frances Coun. Kabel, who also sits on the board], you should right now initiate the motion that Mr. Sanders wants,” he said.
Mayor Onichuk and Mayor Brown both preferred to have something back from Riverside in writing before making a motion.
Sanders promised to have a letter to them by the afternoon, but expressed some frustration at the delay.
“For the last three months we’ve been trying to get a resolution. We’ve had dancing around, we’ve had semantics, and delay,” he said. “Then it goes another month and Extendicare becomes more necessary.”
Another member of the public suggested the board make a motion to stop any further negotiations with Extendicare until all options with Riverside had been exhausted.
“I’m willing to make a resolution that we cease and desist with Extendicare until we go down the path with Riverside,” Coun. Kabel said.
But since there was no seconder from the board, the motion was defeated.
“In his refusal to second the motion, I believe that Mayor Onichuk made it abundantly clear where he expects the future of Rainycrest to head,” noted Fort Frances resident Mark Kowalchuk, whose father is a resident at the home.
“This demonstration of democracy certainly does not put faith in my town government,” he added.
“I’m a little disgusted this board wasn’t willing to take any stand,” said Gwen Miller, president of CUPE Local 65. She vowed they would continue to keep the issue at the forefront.
“We’re going to fight to keep this organization public,” she pledged.
Mayor Onichuk released a statement to the Times following the meeting.
“There are two key issues the board is dealing with. One, moving talks with the province and with Riverside forward as was passed by the board on Nov. 9.
“Two, dealing with current deficiencies in the operation of the home, firstly being the care of the residents, and secondly developing better communications and confidence with the staff and residents of the Rainy River District.
“Today’s meeting reinforces in my mind the fact that the spokesman for the board is not clearly communicating the board’s decisions to the public and other parties.
“On Dec. 8, we will hopefully have clarified the position of Riverside and the province, and commence discussions immediately,” he concluded.
The Rainycrest board of management—consisting of Mayor Brown, Mayor Onichuk, Coun. Kabel, Larry Armstrong, Ken Mc-Kinnon, Joan McIntosh, and Ron McAlister—will hold a special in-camera meeting Dec. 8 to further discuss the issue.
The next public meeting is tentatively scheduled for Dec. 28.
Extendicare operates 266 long-term care facilities across North America, with roughly 27,700 residents and 34,900 employees in both the U.S. and Canada.