The HJ McFarland Memorial Home Family Council has a few concerns and they brought those concerns forward to council in Prince Edward County.
Joy Vervoort spoke on behalf of the Family Council at the committee of the whole meeting at Shire Hall on Thursday afternoon.
She said the events of the past couple of months are troubling to the Family Council, who are the voice of the 84 residents at the home.
The Family Council is a group of residents’ family members whose role is outlined in the Ontario Long Term Care Act. They are able to provide assistance, information and advice to residents and family members of residents, while also planning activities for residents and advising of licensee of any concerns or recommendations regarding the operation of the Home.
Vervoort says there are communication issues present and the fact four of the five senior management positions are being filled by interim staff is troubling to the Family Council.
She said the Council is concerned about the negative impact the changes over the past several months is having on levels of service and care being provided to residents.
When it comes to communication, notification of staff changes have been slow, participation at Family Council meetings has been a struggle and the response to verbal and written concerns have been slow with little follow up.
Vervoort also said new programs for residents have been stalled for months, including the Advanced Care Planning with the new PE New Health Team, E-Consult and Think Research.
The loss of accreditation would also mean less funding from the province to the County, which they saw a couple of years ago with the loss of $192,800 annually. She noted the County would be on the hook to fund any shortfalls in operating costs.
Councillor Janice Maynard didn’t want to see this report “die at the podium” and asked staff what they can do going forward to make sure these concerns are addressed.
Interim CAO Robert McAuley told those around the horseshoe the home is in a state of transition and efforts are underway to address the issues brought forward.
Maynard said she wanted the report to also address an update on the relationship between the Family Council and staff at HJ McFarland.
McAuley said when the quarterly report from the home comes to council they can make sure that report also addresses some of the concerns brought forward to their attention.
