JIM PIFFER: You don’t want to live In a hospital on a per- manent basis. _ The following story is-the last in a series by staff reporter Tod Strachan capturing a part of the history” of Skeenaview Lodge and the people who worked there. Information was provided - - by Jim Piffer, one of the origi- nal employees at what was then called the Home for the Aged, ‘and Fraser McKinnon, author of a Northwest Community Col- lege Geography 101 project en- . titled “‘A Case Study of Skeena- view Lodge, which is dated Dec. 4, 1978. The first Patients arrived. at’ RS the Home for the Aged 39 yeats ago this October. They were mental patients from Essondale, a Vancouver institution. The - population of Tertace at the time was between 300 and 400,: but by 1951 the staff and patient population at the Home for the Aged would nearly double that figure. It was a boon for the community of Terrace — over. the next four decades this insti- tution would spend many. mil- . lions of dollars i in the communi- ty and provide full and part-time employment for an estimated 3,000 residents over that period. But there were some problems too. Low wages and meager funding resulted in a high rate of staff turnover and shortages. In 1951, there were only about 60. employees - bureaucratic. Terrace,’ B.C.” to care for 300. Social . workers ‘spent weeks. sorting these’ problems out, writes McKinnon. | Another problem arose, ac- - cording to McKinnon, when the _ Home for the Aged established the first ‘‘open-door policy’? in the province. With it’s changing . role and an open-door policy, the patient population began to grow, and because the elderly needed more care than the pre- dominantly young patient popu-.. lation that lived there before, . “there was an even greater short- . failed to address the problem of age of staff. Because of these . problems and others, like the cost of transporting patients and heat- ing buildings. with little or no insulation, the home was almost shut down on a number -of occasions but somehow survived indecision.- One such crisis came in 1967. The patients were scheduled to be transferred to Coqualeetza, an Indian School in Chilliwack, Fess amass ba ceca aR ad : w: a history | of attitude and the hoine was slated to be closed. At the last moment Na- tives protested the sale of their school and. the government changed its mind. They did, however, change the name — from the Home for the Aged to Skeenaview Hospi- tal. The government wanted to improve the institution’s com- munity image and ‘provide a More positive atmosphere for its ‘‘residents”” — they were no Jonger_ referred to as patients. But these changes not only staff shortages, they made it ‘worse. ‘‘The staff demand was greater because of the change from physically healthy mental patients to older, physically un- healthy. ones,” explains McKin- non. The severity of the problem made headlines in the Oct. 2, 1970, Terrace Herald. The pre- vious Friday, B.C. New Demo- cratic Party leader Dave Barrett visited Skeenaview Hospital and its nearly 300 residents. That evening, according to the Her- ald, Barrett, leader of the Oppo- - sition at the time, told about 60 people at a public meeting that his tour had been a ‘‘shattering experience’. He added. to this though, ‘‘Theineglect is through no fault of the 60 personnel who staff the instituion, The institu- tion is simply understaffed to such an extent that there is.little else for the present: personnel to do other than offer the mini- mum care and time to the 250- some-odd patients.”’ The article goes on to say how | Barrett criticized the Social Credit government for not even recognizing the union there and described Skeenaview employees _ as ‘second - rate citizens’’.. He pointed out that the Minister of Health: had never visited Skeena- view ‘‘yet when ‘the: vocational - school - was: :opened : here this summer the. entire cabinet was August 2, 1989 on hand for the event’’, :.. The Herald says Barrett then went on to point out the need) ~~ : for improved bridge:and: road. ‘services in the Northwest, the fact Terrace had not had ‘a medical health officer for three years, and described the area’s 550 welfare families as Terrace’s ' “half-million dollar industry’’. Finally, the closing paragraph states: ‘‘He was very:critical of - Skeena Social Credit MLA Did- = ley Little in failing to:take strong. action in getting. the:neccessary - services into this.and ‘other com munities in the constituency.””. Two years later, the NDP was voted into power and ‘changes began to take place, ‘says McKinnon. Skeenaview Hospi- | tal became: Skeenaview Lodge. . Nurses uniforms were replaced with street clothing. — in many cases blue jeans. Residents were. no longer required to wear white hospital clothing — they could ' continued on page 14 - health care systems, _ A Message from : the Minister of Health AS a member of British Columbia’: - Medical Services Plan, you enjoy the benefits of one of the world’s finest _ As good as our system is, we are Another Step Forward For patients. Consequently, the pa- : |’: British Columbia's Quality tients, most of whom were always working to mae it etter Health Care System young, in good health and |. ~ Is ihe reason lor Drills The CareCard is a new, personalized mislabled ‘‘mentally ill” did ,.J°.. Columbia's new CareCard.. identity card for members of B.C's muuch ofthe work in maintaining , ‘The CareCard will playan important Medical Services Plan. It replaces: , two dining rooms * recalls Pif-. - role in health care into the 1990's ‘the current MSP card and Seniors’ | Aspecial Gold CareCard fer as an example, “and there, anid beyond. It will help to stream- Pharmacare card with a durable plastic for Seniors . _was no staff to work. in them. -. lin. the running of our healthcare —_card...one which bears your signature B.C. residents 65 years and over ona | You had to pick out the better. | — _ system, resulting in more efficient. and Personal Health Number Ifyou now — will receive a special Gold CareCard, 4 belong to MSP youll receive a CareGard within the'‘next few months. It's all part of our ongoing effort to improve the which replaces both the MSP and the Seniors’ Pharmacare cards, As a Senior, this will be the only card you need workers and train them to ido the; foe work,”’ Things began changing in . ; _ Tecord- -keeping and better service ’ to the public. 1960, however. The government ry Me tone 2 operation of our health care system. when visiting a physician, pharmacist began changing the institution’s ca, hy estyle or other health care provider. The role in the community by con- and using our . ACareCard for each individual Gold CareCard is a more convenient -verting it from a mental institu- mm health care Every MSP subscriber under 65 years —_way to enjoy our comprehensive health tion to a home for the chronical-_ ee system wisely, of age will be mailed an individual -—_care system and the various discounts . | ly ill, Mental patients from Es- | we canallhelp “CareCard, as well as a separate card for _ available to Seniors throughout — ee somiale were Ho longer admitted manage health each dependent. Except for young” British Columbia. Perea elderly in northern B.C., says. care costs. : children, everyone should sign his or McKinnon. Each was expected Honourable Peter A. Dueck her own card... : and carry it when ZL) Province of _ to contribute $1.47 per day from . Minister of Healthand visiting a physician or other health care British Columbia their pensions, but here again Minster er Responsible for Seniors provider Ministry of Health -the home had a problem — the admission age was 65: and pa- tients weren’t eligible for their pensions until they were 70. Also, many were European im- migrants and had lost their pass- ports and had no proof of age.