The Sask. Party’s lack of funding and mismanagement is putting seniors’ care in jeopardy at Regina Pioneer Village. Nearly 100 seniors are being forced to move from their residence as reports of mould are causing health concerns. The Sask. Party has known about the multiplying issues at the long-term care facility but has done nothing to address these serious concerns.
“There have been boil water advisories, asbestos remediation, mould, infrastructure issues – the list goes on,” said NDP Health Critic Danielle Chartier. “However, the Sask. Party’s 2017 CEO Tour reports don’t mention any infrastructure issues. It’s discouraging and disappointing that, after knowing about these issues for a long time, this government failed to acknowledge the seriousness of them and now we are seeing close to 100 people uprooted from their homes.”
The Canadian Mental Health Association said moving the residents who have a long-term psychiatric illness could increase anxiety levels and trigger serious problems, such as depression.
The 2013 Vanderwiel Facility Assessors (VFA) report shows that the Sask. Party needs over $2.2 billion in health care infrastructure funding, and that Pioneer Village was rated in poor condition. However, no funding was provided for the building in the provincial budget.
“There hasn’t been enough funds allocated by the Sask. Party to properly address the issues at Pioneer Village, and their inaction has only made things worse,” Chartier said. “Ultimately, it’s the long-term care patients that are made to suffer because of it,” Chartier said.