Cascade workers laid off

Cascade workers laid off
By Dan Hilborn, Burnaby NOW assistant editor
Published Oct. 13, 2002

Forty-five care aides and other workers get pink slips as home prepares to close
Layoff notices were handed to 45 care aides, therapeutic and food service staff inside the aging Cascade Residence long term care facility at Burnaby Hospital this week.
And while the Hospital Employees Union is decrying to layoffs as the unveiling of a "reckless scheme" for seniors care, Helen Carkner, spokesperson for the Fraser Health Authority, said there is nothing surprising in the recent move.
"This is not new," Carkner said this week. "There have been many meetings about this over the years and everyone knew what was happening."
Under plans announced last year, Cascade, which once operated as a 205-bed extended care facility, was intended to be replaced by a multilevel facility to be built under some form of private-public partnership.
But the replacement project fell through last spring when the New Vista Society backed out of the proposal because of the costs.
A press release from the HEU described the change in plans as "reneging" on an the plan.
While Carkner referred all questions about the future of long- term care in the region to the office of Katherine Whittred, minister of state for intermediate, long-term and home care, she said the public has been kept informed about the decision making process on Cascades.
"In the future, the care facilities will be targeted to the frailest of our seniors - that's the truth," Carkner said. "Yes, there are people for whom it's not an option to stay at home or be in supportive housing. Do we need more beds for them? Sure we do. But we also need to make sure the folks who can live independently can do so."
Margi Blamey, communications officer with the HEU, said the focus on independent or assisted living will not serve the people with the greatest need.
"From what we understand from the government and the Fraser Health Authority themselves, they are shifting their focus from long- term care to something they call assisted living. And they call those 'spaces' instead of 'beds.'
"Our understanding is that there is a significant difference between the two. In Alberta, assisted living hasn't filled the needs of people who need care. It's a great option for people who need a little bit of support for laundry and stuff like that, but that's not a health care model
"This is just a housing model, and that's not what's needed."
A press release from HEU secretary business manager Chris Allnutt decried the layoffs as "cruel and cold-hearted policies for seniors care" which could result in the loss of skilled workers.
"It makes the closure of Cascades all the more tragic," Allnutt said. "Not only are Burnaby seniors losing a good, public care facility, they are also losing very experienced, caring staff."
And Carkner said that the recent expansion of the health authority into the Fraser Valley, gives the laid off Cascade workers more options for moving to new jobs.
"Prior to the formation of the FHA, these people were limited to working at Burnaby Hospital. Now they can look to bump into other facilities around the region," she said.
About 65 seniors were still living inside Cascade this week. The facility is slated to be closed completely by March 31, 2003.