The new Estevan Regional Nursing Home committee is turning to a letter writing campaign to lobby the provincial government to build a new nursing home in the Energy City.
The letter writing campaign will kick off at the Estevan Fair from June 19 to 21. Committee members will be present in the early evening, along with Wally, the committee’s mascot who has been present at many of their promotional efforts over the past few years.
“The new nursing home committee is still committed to this,” said Andrist. “We are still trying to lobby the provincial government to show them how important this is to the community.”
They selected the fair because it is a community event that attracts a lot of people. They hope to be at other events in the summer months, and to have the petition available at other sites in Estevan.
The campaign will culminate with a send-off for the letters in the fall.
The letter details some of the issues that exist with the present nursing home, such as privacy, bathrooms, long hallways and the age of the building. The current employees at the nursing home do the best they can with the surroundings.
“The rooms do not meet the provincial standards, the design is obsolete, and the safety of staff and the dignity of residents is a concern,” the letter states.
Considerable savings can be found in the construction and operation of a new nursing home that would be attached to St. Joseph’s Hospital.
“Initial capital costs will be reduced while much efficiency can be found in day-to-day operations: meals, laundry, staffing, and utilities,” the letter states.
They don’t have a goal for the number of signatures they want to generate. Rather, they want to show Health Minister Jim Reiter that Estevan is committed to the building, and they want to show the community that the committee hasn’t given up on the project amid the tough economic times.
“Estevan is a community of people who have often gone outside the mainstream to get their problems solved,” said Andrist. “They’re doers.”
The committee launched a fundraising initiative, the Hearthstone Community Campaign, in 2011, and by January 2015, it reached its fundraising goal of $8 million, which is 20 per cent of the new nursing home’s projected $40 million cost. Since that time, the new nursing home committee has been waiting for the provincial government to give the project the green light.
“We know that the community of Estevan and the region has been so supportive financially, and now we’re looking for members of the community to show their support by just signing a letter,” said Andrist.
With the uncertainty associated with amalgamating the province’s health regions into the new Saskatchewan Health Authority, Andrist believes it’s important for the committee to continue to lobby the provincial government.
