AHS spending misguided

Re: “Health authority cuts nursing home budget,” the Journal, April 9. Why would Alberta Health Services increase funding for supported living spaces with a lower level of care when across Alberta there is a 12.5-per-cent vacancy rate for such beds?

Last month, residents at Reid Manor in Ponoka had a $125-a-month rent increase. The major reason given was vacancies at the facility. According to the Bethany Group, owners of Reid Manor, such housing across central Alberta is experiencing continued vacancies.

Is AHS propping up an ailing system while large numbers of seniors languish in active treatment beds because of its failure to provide long-term care? Ruth Maria Adria, Elder Advocates of Alberta Society