Word that provincial officials accepted the City of Guelph’s proposal to withdraw its funding from the Wellington Terrace isn’t a bad News story.
There is a silver lining.
The financial impact of Guelph’s withdrawal is marginal. Over the past few years the county has taken into account a scenario that included Guelph pulling its funding. So, as is often the case, the county has planned well ahead to offset any great financial drama associated with this change.
Residents from Guelph, who reside at the Wellington Terrace, will not have to move. In fact, residents from Guelph are still welcome, as is anyone who happens to get on the “list” with the Community Care Access Centre.
Under current legislation, county taxpayers subsidize the Terrace to meet the needs of Ontario residents requiring advanced care in their later years.
For at least 10 years, the City of Guelph (in a corporate sense) has railed against decades-old arrangements dealing with seniors and the less advantaged.
As trite as it sounds, the city seemed to have something against paying its bills.
To be generous to those involved, the old agreements left little room for city input, but that used to be fine, prior to the latest political season of distrust that has made the last 10 years a very difficult relationship for county officials to manage.
The city can now deal with a facility within its own borders to prop it up as required and engage in political oversight as it sees fit. Hopefully both parties achieve what they wanted with this change in direction.
Wellington County is now able to manage its own facility without being second-guessed by Guelph officials. While the county has its fair share of political theatrics, the nature of the organization is such that day-to-day operations aren’t micro-managed to the extent of interfering with service delivery.
Perhaps the greatest opportunity available to county council now is the open book it has before it.
In the coming years the baby-boomers will require more care. The Terrace currently houses 176 beds, and common sense suggests that number is a pittance of what will ultimately be required.
We continue to hear of more people needing care, or seeking a spot for failing parents. These needs will only escalate in the next 15 years.
There are numerous homes and private centres that do a great job of offering a retirement lifestyle. Eventually though, we see the need for more facilities that can provide acute care for a broad range of needs.
A call for action should be embraced now to deal with the needs of tomorrow.
