Closing the Emerson Personal Care Home is simply not an option. That from Borderland MLA, Josh Guenter, who was among the crowd of locals that gathered in Emerson Tuesday evening to express concerns over the facility's future.
In January, we ran a story with Guenter after he issued a public letter to the province's Health minister asking them to prioritize staffing and resources at the facility amid, what he said, were growing concerns over vacant suites and personnel shortages.
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He thanked local residents, Terry Kreitz and Jeff Rodewald, for organizing the community meeting.
"Members of the community are very concerned," said Guenter. "(There) are many questions around why our beloved seniors in the community of Emerson, who have been asking and waiting for many months now to move into the Emerson Care Home, (there are) no answers."
"Forty per cent of the care home is currently vacant, so what does that mean for its future?"
Guenter went on to say that he, along with members of Emerson-Franklin Council, have been advocating for over six months to have individuals placed in the eight suites that are currently empty at the care home. Instead, he says people who require personal care are being placed in hospital beds in other communities like Morris and Altona.
"Forty per cent of the care home is currently vacant, so what does that mean for its future? I've made it clear, as the MLA, and members of the community, we all stand united in saying that the closure of the Emerson Care Home is not an option. We need that care home," added Guenter.
"They just want to see results."
Essentially, he says, they are asking Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara and Southern Health-Sante Sud to come to the table and produce results.
"To be very clear, it was a positive community meeting. People are looking to move forward constructively. We don't need to get into politics. They just want to see results and, at the end of the day, that's what this is all about."
As MLA, Guenter noted he's doing all he can to bring the government's attention to this issue and will continue with a pressure campaign until the government produces results.
Taking action
As a result of the public meeting, a citizen-led committee called, Citizens for the Emerson Care Home, was struck up.
In a news release sent to PembinaValleyOnline, spokesperson, Terry Kreitz, explained the group is committed to ensuring the long-term viability of the care home.
"The committee plans to work closely with local municipal leadership to support full utilization of the facility, which has provided a caring, local home for seniors in the area for decades," outlined the release.
The statement went on to say that a commonly repeated theme of Tuesday's meeting was that the care home is vital to the community, and that more needs to be done in support of area seniors.
"[...] who deserve to be treated with more dignity than being housed in ill-suited facilities, away from their homes, when there are empty rooms right here."
In the coming weeks, the committee will be acquiring more information, and requesting meetings with the health authority, provincial and municipal representatives, as well as keeping local residents informed of their progress.
“We’re here, we are organizing, and we are determined to make sure our care home is there for our people. We want to bring our people home."