Room for 45

And it's still not enough.

It could be due to the fact that once a facility is made available, more people will want to line up for the service.

Or it could be that the plans for the service were off the mark when it came to analyzing the demographics and future needs.

Whatever the case, the Dr. Albert O'Mahony Memorial Manor in Clarenville, officially opened a year ago this week, is filled to capacity and currently has a wait list of 58.

Kay Young has put the long-term care facility in the spotlight, thanks to her decision to go public last week and tell her mother's story.

It's a story we didn't expect to hear quite so soon after the official opening of the brand new facility, but it's a story we are all too familiar with.

For years people like Nellie Diamond were shuffled off to spend their days in facilities far away from their family and friends.

O'Mahony Manor opened with hope; the hope that there would be fewer of those stories; hope that the facility would be well able to serve the needs of this region and its seniors well into the future.

However, with a wait list of 58, it's obvious the demand for this service is much more than the planners anticipated.

They, and we, should not be surprised.

In the years since the Nycum study suggested the Clarenville region required 50 long-term care beds, the region itself has changed.

It's a busier place, thanks to Alberta oil, which has enabled young families to make this their home base for the Western commute.

Yet there are still not enough young folk to help look after their senior moms and dads as they age. In some communities in the region, living past the age of 70 or 75 means shutting up the house and seeking accommodations in a private retirement home.

Beyond that, many can only hope to not fall sick and become bedridden and in need of round-the-clock nursing care.

It's obvious, now, there's no guarantee that the facility, which was considered to be the answer for the region's seniors, is not enough to accommodate the ageing local population.

Clarenville is not unique in that regard. Other areas of the province are facing the same challenges, trying to provide services for a demographic that, more and more, consists of seniors.

Health minister Jerome Kennedy acknowledged in the House of Assembly last week that the province needs another 900 long-term care beds right now (see story Page A1).

But when and where those beds will be added is another matter.

Already, planning has begun to replace the Hoyles Escasoni Home in St. John's, and construct new facilities in Lewisporte and Carbonear.

Given that the O'Mahony Manor is just a year old, and other regions - like the Great Northern Peninsula - have been lobbying for more long-term care services, how likely is it that Clarenville will be next on the list for additional beds.

Not very, is the short answer. And certainly not ever if we all sit back and say nothing.

Nellie Diamond's story should be a wake-up call.

There are many more like her out there - in the same situation but perhaps too scared to speak up for fear of losing any chance they have to get a bed at Clarenville.

What needs to happen now is for everyone to speak up together; to start lobbying for additional beds to serve the need that is obviously there.

There's clearly a need to revisit the demographics and see how the Nycum study stacks up now. As the province starts pulling together its long-term care strategy, we will be watching closely to see where Clarenville fits in.

Meanwhile, we encourage those who are currently being impacted by the lack of beds at Clarenville to do as Kay Young did, and speak up.

Right now, it's the only way to get attention.


editor@thepacket.ca