Recently, I read Jim Wolstenholme’s well articulated message speaking to the value of repurposing rural hospitals currently closed to fully functional use. They could and should be re-branded as providers of primary health care which could effectively fill gaps that exist within our current structure. Initial expenditures to bring these facilities up to current standards and needs would be recouped in very short order, while at the same time taking the pressure off the current systems of care that are essentially being taxed to the max. It’s a win-win that requires thinking outside the box and allowing for the very strong likelihood that it will work and work well. Those in positions to make such decisions just need to get out of their own way and really start listening to and hearing the men and women, and even children who would benefit from expanded services through revitalizing shuttered, retired medical facilities.
Primary health care teams at these site should include family practitioners, nurses, social workers, psychologists, and mental health counsellors, working collaboratively to improve the quality of life for all — from the very young to the very old.
Taken further, having a well orchestrated team in place can reduce ER congestion, and provide earlier diagnosis of serious condition/disease thereby expediting timely treatment protocols. All of these things could have been put in place years ago at the hospital of my youth — the long shuttered Northern Carleton Hospital in Bath if it had been developed into a fully functioning clinic.
A few years ago, I wrote an article in response to the intended plan to repurpose that building into senior housing. As it turned out, major headaches ensued and the plan to provide a much needed housing alternative for seniors never came to fruition. What happened? Why? Was such a carrot waved in other communities only to fall flat? Will plans with such a positive vision be revisited or is it now a case of once bitten, twice shy?
I was sorely disappointed that the plans in my hometown never materialized as the proposed senior housing would have provided a much needed service to the community and with it would have come ancillary services specific to the needs of the older folks. Secondly, it could have been expanded to include a day care center, or even function as an afterschool program venue. All plusses that would have concurrently enhanced the lives of older citizens of the community by broadening their social connectedness with the younger set. As well, it would have been a mechanism by which students, from elementary school through high school could get involved and explore the value of volunteering. Volunteerism contributes to the shaping of a community that may be struggling. But that’s for another commentary.
It’s not lost on me and many others who have interest in health and health care that rebranding outdated facilities that functioned as full-service hospitals makes a lot of sense. It’s time to stop mindlessly moving chess pieces around the board and make a full committment to walking the walk and doing something with abandoned hospitals, giving back to rural dwellers some semblance of security. Good health is not a given. It’s a gift. Some of us by virtue of how we think about life and living and how we conduct the daily business of living are better equipped to make the right choices and often have greater resources to ensure that we can live well. That being so, I believe that we should revisit user fees. Make no mistake, it’s not just those on the lower rungs of the socio-economic ladder who over-use/misuse hospital services, notably the ER; they do so out of fear, clearly. Lots of ‘well-heeled’ citizens are frequent fliers in the ER system of care. User fees should be structured in such a way that they won’t discourage the truly needy from attending at the hospital for a real health situation/emergency. Common sense must be restored and a slap on the pocketbook is often an effective method of waking people up to their out of control behaviour and their duty to monitor the excesses that compromise their health.
As well, it’s important for us to be more aware of our community and the people in it. Being aware and alert to the needs of others impacts us in very important ways because what we do for our neighbour helps all of us. Your reassuring assistance to an ‘at risk’ neighbour breaks the cycle of ER over-use It really does. Isolated elders may need nothing more than a conversation and a cuppa. You’ve lifted their spirits, eased their minds and they no longer need to go to the ER for that people connection fix. You’ve done your part. Now keep doing it.
Carla MacInnis Rockwell is a freelance writer and disability rights advocate living outside Fredericton, NB with her aging Australian silky terrier and a rambunctious Maltese. She can be reached via email at carmacrockwell@xplornet.ca
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