A local seniors’ advocacy group says it has concerns with what it’s calling the “deterioration of health care” in Alberta after independent MLA Raj Sherman raised allegations of cover-ups and intimidation in the legislature earlier this month.
Sherman alleges that hundreds of patients died while waiting for cancer care or emergency department care and that the government paid millions of dollars in hush money to doctors who spoke out about the issue.
Dick Tansey, president of Seniors United Now (SUN) in St. Albert, said the allegations are a concern for seniors across the province.
“I don’t think we can make it specific to St. Albert because it’s health care so it deals with seniors all over,” Tansey said.
He said St. Albert, like many communities across the province, is facing a number of issues relevant to seniors’ health, including access to homecare and the absence of long-term care facilities.
“They were going to build so many long-term facilities and now they’ve backed off of that,” Tansey said.
“They’re reassessing long-term care patients and shuffling them into the designated assisted living facilities. Are those facilities properly equipped to handle them? That’s one of the major concerns. And that’s been a major issue with SUN for a long time,” he said.
In its 5-Year Health Action Plan, Alberta Health Services has committed to strengthening Alberta’s homecare program over the next five years.
“There’s nothing in place. They’re just talking about it. Let’s get on and do it,” Tansey noted.
“Families are having to take some very drastic measures to have to look after their aging parents. In some cases, people have to give up their jobs to do that.”
Other issues, he said, include the lack of family doctors in St. Albert and the high cost of living for many seniors.
“If you’re paying $3,000 a month for rent and that includes one meal a day … that’s a lot of money.”
John MacDonald, SUN’s executive director in Edmonton, said the issues Sherman raised are nothing new.
“I think Dr. Sherman has pointed to some issues that have been bubbling around in healthcare for awhile and it’s eroding the confidence of a lot of people in the system,” MacDonald said.
“We need to hear what’s going on. There needs to be confidence restored in the medical system,” he said.
The group is hosting a talk by Sherman in St. Albert on March 28.
“Dr. Sherman alludes to the fact that there is a very serious morale problem in the hospitals and in the health care system today based on this culture of intimidation and fear. The allegations he makes are quite serious,” MacDonald said.
He wouldn’t say whether he believes a full public inquiry should look into Sherman’s allegations, something opposition parties have repeatedly called for.
“I’m hoping that enough of the people who line up behind him to make this a serious exploration of the health care system and that it will be much better in the long run, administratively speaking. I think we’ve got a great medical system,” he said.
“I would like to see an inquiry that would focus on returning a culture of healing and safety and care concerning compassion for people who come into the health care system.”
Tansey said he hopes Sherman will touch on these and other health care issues when he visits St. Albert next week. He said the talk is open to seniors and non-seniors in the community.
“We want to get seniors and those approaching that age and demographic, young people who are 55 and up,” he said.
“They’re going to be facing those same problems very quickly.”
