Alberta to rehome 39 people after covering $25K unpaid hotel bill for non-profit housing patients
Premier Danielle Smith says a non-profit that placed Albertans in hotel rooms after they were dis‐ charged from hospital put them in danger of eviction with a $25,000 unpaid hotel bill, and the government had to step in to pay.
Government staff are working to find appropriate facilities for 39 people - some who were living in apartmen‐ ts and seeking social sup‐ ports - under the care of Con‐ tentment Social Services, the premier said Friday.
Smith said the organiza‐ tion is "not up to the task" of caring for vulnerable patien‐ ts.
Jason Nixon, minister of seniors, community and soci‐ al services, as well as min‐ istry staff, were at one of the Leduc hotels where the nonprofit has housed people, Smith said, and the outstand‐ ing bill was put on a credit card.
"If the minister hadn't been on site yesterday, and hadn't intervened that way, I shudder to think what would have happened to those poor folks," Smith said at an unrelated news conference in Calgary Friday.
WATCH | Alberta health officials questioned about hotel transfers:
CBC News reported last week that a man who spent about six months in hospital after a stroke was discharged and moved to a Travelodge in Leduc, just south of Edmon‐ ton. The program was run by Contentment Social Services.
Blair Canniff, 62, said he was told that he would be moving to a long-term care facility and was not given any other options. He has high care needs because he is par‐ alyzed on his left side, and he said the hotel room wasn't properly equipped for his ac‐ cessibility needs.
A second Edmonton family has subsequently told CBC News about their con‐ cerns in a similar case. Je‐ nalee Green said her father Glen Green was discharged from hospital and moved to the same Leduc Travelodge, and then the Park Inn, after being referred to Content‐ ment Social Services.
In an interview Thursday, Norton Smith, the organiza‐ tion's president, defended the care being provided, and said putting clients in hotel rooms is a temporary mea‐ sure.
He didn't respond to re‐ quests for comment on Friday.
'It shouldn't have hap‐ pened'
Health Minister Adriana LaGrange said this week that Contentment Social Services will be removed from the list of housing providers that health workers can present to hospital patients when they're being discharged. It's unclear how agencies end up on the list.
Both LaGrange and Nixon said this week they had no record of any contracts with the non-profit.
The premier said the province is planning more changes, and looking into how Contentment Social Ser‐ vices was an option in the first place. She said her un‐ derstanding is that the agency used to operate rental housing, but issues led the non-profit to move clien‐ ts to hotel rooms.
"We have social workers at Alberta Health Services that will now co-ordinate more with seniors, commu‐ nity and social services ... so when discharge happens, they can be discharged to a provider that we know we've had a look at," she said.
Speaking to CBC News on Friday, Canniff said that's a step forward.
"It shouldn't have hap‐ pened in the first place, but it did, so we can't do anything about that in the past."
During the week Canniff was in the hotel, his family worried about his mobility is‐ sues and his ability to care for himself, and said he had been given fast food to eat.
Canniff's partner, Myna Manniapik, said the family dealt with trauma trying to get the right care.
"I hope the government will come up with a better sit‐ uation for everybody, espe‐ cially the vulnerable, disabled and elderly."
Questions about over‐ sight
Jenalee Green said she's happy to see action, and that her father will be moved.
"I hope now that this has been brought to light, that perhaps other agencies are monitored, and we're making sure that we're discharging patients from hospital to places that are able to care for them fully."
Mount Royal University political scientist Lori Williams said the case raises serious questions about ac‐ cess to care, especially as the Alberta government moves forward with a sweeping overhaul of the provincial health authority.
"This isn't an agency's fault - this is the responsibil‐ ity of the government," Williams said.
"This should never have been attempted without clear and adequate oversight and supervision, and provi‐ sion of care on an ongoing basis."
Lori Sigurdson, the NDP Opposition critic for seniors issues, continuing care and home care, released a letter this week asking the Health Quality Council of Alberta to investigate.
She said a review is needed of "all related policies and procedures that have al‐ lowed such a clearly unac‐ ceptable situation ... to occur in our public health-care sys‐ tem."