Things got heated at the Sundre Community Centre on Thursday, Sept. 27 during a meeting called by Sundre-area MLA Joe Anglin to address seniors' issues.
About 40 concerned Sundre and area residents were present to discuss several issues, but the biggest issue was the need for more seniors' accommodations in Sundre.
“We are mad. We are angry here,” said Sundre senior Patricia Campkin at the meeting. A sea of clapping hands filled the room.
“We are in desperate need here (of a facility) and I certainly hope that something happens very soon.”
Campkin has lived in Sundre for 45 years, is a member of the seniors' housing committee and worked as director of nursing at the Sundre hospital for 26 years.
“I know how hard it is for people to have to leave our community for appropriate long-term care,” she said.
Anglin asked residents at the meeting to write him letters and document specific experiences that he can take as evidence to the Alberta Legislature. He said there is a greater chance for the appropriate minister to take action if there is a name and a face to the issue.
Other issues that were brought up at the meeting include maintenance of government owned facilities in town and challenges with the government cutbacks earlier this year.
Another issue discussed was senior driver's licences. There are multiple tests seniors are ordered to take to keep their driver's licences when they reach certain ages, including a memory test.
Another contentious issue brought up was regarding Blue Cross coverage for seniors aged 65 and older. The general consensus was that there is a three-month waiting process after seniors turn 65 for the coverage to be effective.
A lady from the audience said a public transportation service should be available to rural senior residents.
Lorey Marsden, senior service provider with Family and Community Support Services (FCSS), said she has concerns with the 1-800 Alberta services phone line. She said it takes up to an hour-long wait to get through to someone every time she calls.
“Applying logic and the government in the same sentence doesn't make sense to me,” said Anglin.
However, he believes things can be changed.
“That's why I'm up here today, is because I believe that we can change things.”
The issues discussed at the meeting involve a wide range of ministries including the ministries of health, seniors, and transportation.
“I'm having a series of these meetings and it is extremely important, because if you really want to know what's happening, you've got to ask the people,” Anglin said after the meeting.
“What really helps me is hearing individual stories that I can document. Now when I go back to the legislature, I've got evidence. I don't have to go to the minister and say ‘this is what I'm hearing', it's: ‘this is what's happening, here is the evidence and what are we going to do about it'.”
There were even issues brought up at the meeting that Anglin hadn't heard about, he said.
“By doing this I find I stay informed and as a connection of communication between me and the seniors who are actually affected,” he said. “And I'll do this with students, I'll do this with the doctors and various other elements of the community.”
He was happy with the turnout and the emotion expressed by the residents.
“What I really enjoy is people do get engaged and do get involved and they express their concerns,” he said. “Even just by the emotions, you might have heard when I brought up the issue with the driver's licences, the whole room groaned.”
