County councillors were reluctant to drop a popular seniors’ program, even though it is no longer operated from Wellington Terrace.
Seniors’ committee chairman Brad Whitcombe ask council on Feb. 28 to vote separately on a recommendation that 2008 would be the final year the county would pay for the Seniors Day Out program, and that the Chief Administrative Officer advise St. Joseph’s Health Care Centre in Guelph of that decision+.
Councillor Barb McKay explained that St. Joseph’s has run the program since 2005 when there was no room for it at the new Wellington Terrace. The county has been contributing $24,000 towards what McKay called “an excellent program. I don’t want to see it cut.”
She said there are 15 to 20 participants in the program every day, and it affect at least 75 families over a year, and, she added, “It prevents hospitalization and long term care.”
She thanked the committee for keeping the funds for this year, but added, “Don’t say no in the future.”
McKay added she would not like to see a letter sent to St. Joseph’s about the funding stopping. McKay is the county representative to St. Joseph’s, and sits on its board of trustees.
Whitcombe told council he agrees with everything McKay had said, and noted there had been a delegation from St. Joseph’s to his committee.
He explained that county council had asked each of its committees in January to see if it could find cuts to its budget. “Because it was outside the box, staff recommended we not fund it,” he said of Seniors Day Out. He added that trustees could come every year to the committee and seek funding, and added they have that right “even if we send them a letter.”
Councillor Bob Wilson said, “It doesn’t make sense to me to leave folks at home in a wheelchair.”
Councillor Rod Finnie warned that there is a similar program operating in Erin, and said it is “just as valuable. You may be opening the door.”
He supported McKay, and pointed out that there is lots of cash in the budget for libraries.
Whitcombe lamented, “It always comes back to libraries.”
Council then defeated the recommendation that the funding be automatically stopped after this year, and also will not send a letter to the trustees to that effect.
