The lack of personal care home (PCH) bed resources for northern Manitoba has caught the attention of one northern and she plans to do something about it. The provincial government announced funding for new PCH beds for four of the regional health authorities (RHA), however the Northern Regional Health Authority was not one of them.
“I saw a media release concerning the July 7, 2023, announcement by Scott Johnston, Minister of Seniors and Long-term Care,” said Katy Anderson. “The presentation was made in Niverville, but I think that the media release came from Steinbach. I saw both a video and a press release.
“The issue is not only the number of future PCH beds but, also, future beds in Supportive Living pilot projects, which will help seniors live independently longer with supports, as needed. The announcement touted that all these new beds would be built in care homes similar to those built in recent years in Steinbach, Carmen and Niverville, which are recognized for their design and innovation. Some of the homes in northern Manitoba are far from innovative.”
According to data that Anderson has compiled from the announcement and on RHA websites, she has broken down the population that each RHA services and what has been promised by the provincial government as part of the announcement.