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June 6, 2003

Elders’ home closes temporarily in Kuujjuaq

Officials say they need time to reorganize

ODILE NELSON

Kuujjuaq officials have temporarily closed the community’s elders’ home and relocated its handful of full-time residents to the hospital, citing staffing problems and a need to restructure the facility’s services.

The director of nursing and hospital services for the Ungava Tulattavik Health Centre and the elders’ home coordinator began preparing for the closure on the May long weekend, after staff did not show up for their shifts, sources said.

The elders were moved to the hospital the following Friday, Madge Pomerleau, executive director of the Ungava hospital, told Nunatsiaq News this week.

Pomerleau confirmed the director began planning the move on the weekend and five or six elders were relocated on May 23. But Pomerleau said the decision was not made because of staffing problems alone.

“There’s a number of factors at work here. There’s a shortage of personnel, people not showing up for shifts, but that’s always a factor in all organizations [in the North],” Pomerleau said. “But it’s basically to reorganize so that we can give the best services we can.”

The elders centre opened 10 years ago to provide a home for relatively independent elders.

But according to Kuujjuaq Mayor Michael Gordon, it soon became apparent that self-sufficient elders did not want to move there.

Three years ago, the municipality and the hospital entered into an agreement that opened the home to semi-autonomous elders and provided 24-hour care.

Gordon said the municipality employs two workers to maintain the six-apartment building, and a cook who makes daily country food lunches for the elders at the home and in the community.

The hospital administers the facility’s health care services and hires its nursing staff and attendants.

After a while, Gordon said, it became difficult to maintain staff, and that is why the hospital withdrew its employees and the elders they cared for.

He also made it clear the closure is not only temporary, but also partial.

“It’s not really closing. It’s just returning to the way it used to be set up before the hospital decided to send employees to the elders’ house,” Gordon said.

The home’s municipal services, like the daily lunch, are continuing.

Pomerleau stressed that, despite rumours that might be circulating in the community, the move was not over concerns about AWOL staff leading to neglect at the home.

“It’s not that they were neglected. But personnel didn’t show up sometimes and that meant people had to work longer hours than normal and more overtime,” she said.

Pomerleau also said the decision weighed the affect the closure would have on the hospital’s limited beds and staff.

“We’re very careful about that,” she said. “[Looking after the elders], it has nothing to do with nurses. The girls [attendants] that took care of them before are taking care of them.”

When pressed as to why there was a need to move the elders if staffing was not a significant problem, and hospital staff were not contributing to the elders’ care, Pomerleau said it was to allow for reorganizing.

“Like I said, we had problems with a shortage of staff but there’s some renovations that need to be done too,” she said.

Both Gordon and Pomerleau said the facility would reopen after some reorganizing. They project this should take about a month.

The coordinator of the elders home, staff and the director are hoping to create a more engaging day program for the elders, but will also continue to offer 24-hour care for the elders, Pomerleau said.

But Gordon said before the elders return to the home, the municipality will also explore other options.

“There’s a big need for houses in town. If we do find people in town who are alone, who require a one bedroom apartment, we may look at letting them stay at the elders home before we come to terms with the hospital,” he said.

In the meantime, the elders are adjusting to the hospital and visit their old home every day for lunches.

“I visited them. They are pretty well themselves. Of course they don’t have nice scenery and big living room to look out at water but their routine hasn’t changed,” she said.

One elder remains at the home. He was not a part of the hospital program.

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