VVCmatters.ca

NOTE TIME CHANGE!

Chris Campbell Gardiner wrote: Both the Alberta and the N.W.T. governments agreed that the Stanton extended care unit would meet her medical and health needs and both wanted her guardianship transferred back to the N.W.T.
"A full assessment is done of that client's needs so we can put together a transition plan," says Sue Cullen, the N.W.T.'s assistant deputy minister of health.
But Lafferty had no family members active in her care and little connection to the North.

Who was Freida Lafferty? 1st of 5 to die after move from Michener Centre After spending her life at the Michener Centre in Red Deer, Alta., Freida Lafferty died three months after being moved to the Stanton extended care facility in Yellowknife where she had no family or friends.

Please listen to the announcement from Premier Prentice when he assures the residents and their families that Michener Centre will not close and they will be allowed to live out their autumn years in their loving caring community of Michener.

Premier Prentice assures residents Michener Centre will not close - Sept 19, 2014 “All Michener residents will be permitted to live out their remaining years in the place that has long been their home among people whose embrace they have enjoyed for many years.” Read the release

Hats off to the very dedicated Friends of Michener Centre on convincing Premier Prentice to halt the closure of Michener Centre. Any of the Michener residents who have already transitioned out will have the ability to return to live their lives out at the Centre. This is a very happy story and shows what can happen when people and communities come together to support a cause!

Simons: Whiplash Jim rewrites policy so fast, the civil service can’t keep pace. Call it the harvest of low-hanging fruit. Or, if you prefer, a wholesale, high-speed reversal of many of the Hancock and Redford governments’ most unpopular policies.

Please watch and share! Very heart breaking!

Families affected by the Michener Centre move | Watch News Videos Online Watch Families affected by the Michener Centre move Video Online, on GlobalNews.ca

Five residents, who were forced to move from their Home at Michener Centre in Red Deer, have died since their transition from the facility. According to page 3 of the Valley View Centre Transition Steering Committee Recommendation report: "There is reasonable fear that a move of this nature will have a detrimental effect on them. Life changes on this scale, such as moving homes, are proven to have an impact on health and wellbeing." Very sad!

Deaths of former Michener Centre residents prompt calls for investigation There are calls for an investigation into how residents of the Michener Centre in Red Deer have been transitioned out of the facility. The Friends of the Michener Centre claim five of the 41 people forced from their homes have died.

Anna Chunga shared a link via Moose Jaw Times Herald.
23 hours ago · Edited
Interesting commentary - I believe that we all share the reporter's concern that the government does owe a huge responsibility to to the vulnerable people who currently call VVC their Home and their families. After all, they are forcing them to move from the only Home that many have known for an average of 41.5 years (page 9 of the TSC Recommendation Report). The person who has resided there the least amount of time according to the report is 11 years. The average age of the residents is 58.9 years. No doubt that is a long time to be calling somewhere Home so transitioning them into community services could prove to be quite challenging. Page 3 of the TSC report states: "There is reasonable fear that a move of this nature will have a detrimental effect on them. Life changes on this scale, such as moving homes, are proven to have an impact on health and wellbeing."

According to the Recommendation report (page 5): "several commitments have been made to the families. They have been promised that, where possible, quality of care will be maintained or improved. Families have been told that the individual residents will drive the transition process and resources will be put in place based on individual need. Families have been assured that the Government of Saskatchewan will still run some of the replacement services. And the families have been told that when possible residents will have access to the same staff. The goal of everyone involved is to honour those commitments." Perhaps the reporter missed this info when reviewing the Transition Recommendation report when he commented that the gov't does not owe any responsibility to the workers...yes you are correct....it is owed to the family to live up to the commitments that they were assured by the gov't.

I am not sure that this reporter also realizes there is going to be a huge hit to the economy of Moose Jaw when $1.8 million/month in payroll, which is recirculated approx 25x within the economy, is gone. Perhaps he is missing the point that VVC is one of the largest employers in MJ and as a result many of the workers may be forced to move out of MJ to find enough decent paying jobs. As a tax payer in MJ this is hugely concerning to me as it should be to all elected officials in MJ.

http://www.socialservices.gov.sk.ca/VVC-tsc...

Liewicki Leaks: Government only responsible for VVC residents In the spring of 2013, Social Services Minister June Draude received the final report from the Valley View Centre (VVC) Transition Steering Committee.

One can only hope that the employees and residents wont be forgotten, and that the government really does have an action plan in place to help the staff find new work, and help residents find new homes. As a community, our responsibility is to ensure we don’t lose these people. These are our friends, our neighbours, our colleagues. They make a positive impact on Moose Jaw, and it would be a disservice to our city to lose them. Moose Jaw is our home, and we need to take control. We decide if we will allow the closing of Valley View Centre to impact our community negatively. We have an obligation to not sit back, but take control and demand to see these promised plans made by the Saskatchewan government come to be. I am anxious to see the action the government is willing to take to help our people, and so should you. We all have accountability and the closing of Valley View Centre is all of our problems. Because, from my perspective, it seems like these people are already forgotten, and that is unacceptable in my eyes.

Our community, our control It is very rare to find a family today that has not been touched by mental illness in one way or another. From personal experience, I know how difficult it is to have close family members suffer not only through the stigma...

Luterbach says it's an emotional and stressfrul time for employees. The staff have been waiting for a human resources plan that was promised to them by the Minister of Social Services.

"We've heard the minister say in media releases that the human resources plan is coming and it's going to be announced next week, but we're not sure when next week is," said Luterbach. "For two-and-a-half years we've been sitting on pins and needles, thinking when is the axe going to fall?"

VVC job cuts expected to hit economy A home at Valley View Centre is slated to close by March 31, 2015, which will affect more staff and residents who currently live at the centre.

Some interesting comments

Services in place for VVC residents Three residents have transitioned out of the Valley View Centre in the past two years and have moved into new homes within the province.

Some interesting comments on the Moose Jaw Times Herald page. Please share this link!

First wave of job cuts hits Valley View Centre Seven employees at Valley View Centre, got a written notice on Friday, stating their positions would be terminated by September 30.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQMXJb10L7U We all want to be able to buy a car, purchase a home, have our children in sports, volunteer in our communities. Sadly, for the 500+ people facing job loss at Valley View Centre, that may no longer be possible. See CUPE 600-3 member Rhonda Derby's speech at a recent school about the impacts of job loss on our community.

Impacts of Laundry Privatization in SK - Speech by Rhonda Derby This video is about rhonda derby