Keep Seniors Out of Nursing Homes

From VOCM News today:

The Association of Registered Nurses is out with a report on ways to get seniors recovering from hospital procedures back into their own beds. They recommend a shift in spending away from long-term care facilities and into rehabilitation and community-based programs and services. Their research has shown that, in many cases, if services were broadened to community-based, many seniors would be able to get back into their own homes instead of occupying a bed in a long-term care facility. To do that, nurses recommend that home care workers be paid more and that family members also be compensated through respite care.

Jim Feltham, President of the Association.
“With news that there are plans to move patients to personal care homes to free up beds, we saw an opportunity to draw attention to a gap that exists in the level of services provided to seniors as they transition from hospital to home,”

“Currently, our system is very institutionally based and once seniors enter the
hospital system they tend to experience a decrease in functional independence which leaves them with limited options on discharge (i.e. they have recovered from their illness but have not been rehabilitated to a point they can return home without supports and must therefore be moved to either a Long Term Care facility or Personal Care Home).“However, our research has shown that, in many cases, if services were broadened to include strong rehabilitation and community based support services, we would see many of these seniors back in their homes enjoying a higher quality of life instead of occupying a bed in a long term care facility.”

Here's research done that would make much needed improvements in the Health Care system of NL and free those needed beds. I wonder why our Health Care Minister ignores any outside suggestions?

The guy in charge must be working on Commission!

Eastern Health shifts patients from hospital beds to care homes

Last Updated: Monday, August 25, 2008 | 4:19 PM NT C

CBC News

Newfoundland and Labrador's largest health authority is considering a six-month pilot program to move hospital patients to personal-care homes to alleviate the high demand for hospital beds.

In a tender call released in mid-August, Eastern Health invited personal-care homes to submit proposals for accepting patients from hospitals.

Looks like Canada will have its first adult video pay-television pornography channel. It will be called Northern Peaks (catchy!) Here's the part that intrigues me today.

During each broadcast year, the licensee shall devote not less than 50% of the broadcast day and not less than 50% of the evening broadcast period to Canadian programming.

So here's my question. How do we tell Canadian Beaver from imported Beaver?

Today the Premier of NL announced an Amnesty Day for all the Liberal Bloggers of Newfoundland & Labradore.

Fruit sparks outrage in Labrador

OK,let me make it perfectly clear. The fruit in question is a melon that was priced at $55 .41 at the Labrador investments store in Nain.More on the Melons here.

Now, i'm not sure of the accuracy on this one but here's my Math. If i'm wrong please step in and tell me.
Yesterday on CBC's Here & Now we saw yet another story on Home Care in NL and like the rest it was about injustice. Angie Clarke, a single mom with two daughters,age 3 and 8 has cerebral palsy and needs home care to bring a decent life to her children. Ms. Clarke had been receiving 56 hours per week. Recently home care workers received a raise of .50 per hour bringing their total to $9.29 per hour. This would of cost $28 more per week on the system. Those in charge decided not only to cut back but do so and actually make it look like a profit. Ms. Clarke's hours have been cut from 56 to 44. So if i'm wrong on my Math,please correct me. I will appreciate it.

At 56 hours per week it would of cost $520.24 with the raise.
cutting back to 44 hours the cost is now $408.76
that's a savings of $111.48 but minus the $28.00 increase with the raise it would be $83.48 ????

Did Ross make a profit on the suffering of this poor lady and her home support worker or not?

Toilet Festival Starts Today
August 11, 2008

The St. John's Toilet festival gets underway today. It's a week of events organized by Oxfam and dedicated to raising awareness about water and sanitation issues in developing countries.Organizers say dealing with such issues in the third world could help alleviate wide spread poverty and improve health and educational opportunities for young girls and women. They say such issues are constantly overlooked. Events planned this week include workshops, an open forum, benefit concert and a toilet photo scavenger hunt in downtown St. John's.

A Toilet festival by the Townies to raise awareness about water & sanitation issues in third world countries! Yet on the other end of the island where they live, 300 residents of a tiny community called Cape Ray have the same problems. So townies, especially those in the Confederation building,LOOK THIS WAY!

Will there be a Hebron Miracle tomorrow?
Will the rain cease on Qudi Vidi and the skies open,will the sun shine tomorrow?
(with apologies to songwriter Michael Lachiusa)

There will be a miracle
Stick around and see
You need patience for a miracle
Timing is the key

Could not have happened yesterday
And tomorrow is not too late
The moment has to be exact
And until then, we have to wait

You can never rush a miracle
You can't force a thing to be
I am desperate for a miracle
But it won't come just for me

We will all share the miracle
As everybody should
Little ones
Bay Men
Townies
Labrador Settlers
Innu
Inuit
Metis
Seniors
the ordinary little Newfie
Hungry souls and home care workers such as me

I always knew there would be a miracle
I wondered when and how
And I will see a miracle
There will be a miracle
If not soon, now

There will be a miracle
We will see a miracle
Wake me for the miracle
Wake me for the...

I apologize to anyone i may of left out. As we are use to hearing in NL it'll trickle down,like the miracle,just you wait and see.

The old Trout,old Boot & old Coot.

For the 15 years Joe Gale has been taking time to set up his mannequin type dummies at his cabin near Cape Ray. Joe spends time there during the summer and enjoys the fact that a lot of people drop by to view his creations. Guests also get to sign a guest book inside and believe me Joe has quite a collection of things there also. I once took a wedding party there for a photo shoot and since then more have done the same. Originally Joe had just one mannequin whom he fondly called "The old Bastard" but changed the name after a newspaper interview. Apparently the kids use to ask their parents to take them out to see "The old Bastard" so Joe decided,Old Trout would be better. The old Coot and Boot came later. Today there the Southeast winds are blowing and maybe Joe will have to remove them for a while. The Transport trucks are still passing there at the moment and as they do they give the old Trout,old Boot & Coot a blast from their horns. Here's a photo of the group today.