Michener Centre closure about money, critics charge
EDMONTON — The controversial decision to move dozens of disabled Albertans from their home in Red Deer’s Michener Centre was a costcutting measure and not an attempt to improve the quality of care, critics charged Wednesday.
NDP MLA Rachel Notley made the allegation after Disability Services Minister Frank Oberle acknowledged for the first time the government will save $110,000 annually for each person moved out of the Michener and into a community care facility.
Currently 125 people live in the Michener Centre, at a cost of $175,000 per person per year. That cost will drop to roughly $65,000 per person per year when they move to a community facility, saving government nearly $1.4 million annually.
Oberle and supporters denied suggestions the decision was motivated by money. They reiterated that studies consistently show people with disabilities thrive in community care settings, and that Alberta is among the last provinces in Canada to shutter its institutions. Notley dismissed the argument. “In this particular case, given these particular citizens and residents, I just don’t believe those studies are applicable, and I think this is about saving money,” Notley said.
“On top of it, they’ve cut $40 million from the fund that would support people like these folks when they are living in the community; that’s a 40 per cent cut. So we’re moving them into the community and cutting the supports that would help them in the community.”
Wildrose MLA Kerry Towle said the government shouldn’t assume that high-needs Michener residents will fit into typical lower-cost continuing care facilities.
“Sometimes it’s not always about money,” Towle said. “As a Wildroser, that’s a hard thing for me to say, trust me. But we have a moral and a social obligation here as well. ... If this really was the right thing to do, why did they hide it from families?”
Oberle said the allegations are “simply not true.
“Across Canada and North America there has been a move away from institutional care, because we know we get better outcomes in community settings where there are fewer residents,” Oberle said. “Absolutely, there is a cost savings involved here, but if I’m allowed to provide better care to more people, you’re darn right I’m going to seize that opportunity.”
Oberle said any savings will be reinvested in the PDD system.