January 28, 2021

Brandon
-21° C, Light snow

Full Forecast

Contact Us Subscribe Manage Subscription Chat with us
Log in Create Free Account Help Chat with us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertising Contact
    • Submit a News Tip
    • Subscribe to Newsletters

    • Finding your
      information

    • My Account
    • Manage my Subscription
    • Change Password

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate

    • Log Out
    • Log in
    • Create Free Account
    • Help

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate
  • Coronavirus Coverage
  • Home
  • E-Edition
    • Brandon Sun
    • Westman This Week
    • Newspapers In Education (NIE)
  • Special Sections
  • Beyond the Wall
  • Sun Bursts
  • Sections
  • News
    • Local News
    • Westman this Week
    • Calendars
    • National News
    • World News
    • Flood
  • Sports
    • Sports home
    • Local Sports
    • Wheat Kings
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Brier
    • Curling
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Football
    • Golf
    • Tamarack
    • Post-Secondary
    • Other Sports
  • Opinion
    • Opinion home
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Sound Off
    • Send a letter to the Editor
    • Submit a Sound Off
    • Submit a News Tip
  • Entertainment
    • Entertainment home
    • Local Movies
  • Events
  • Lifestyles
  • Business
  • Agriculture
  • Science & Technology
  • Puzzles
  • Multimedia
    • Multimedia home
    • Point of View
  • Tools
    • Menupage
    • Manitoba Highway Conditions
    • Photo Order Form
    • RSS Feeds
  • Classifieds
  • Obituaries
  • Photo Store
  • Subscribe
  • Surveys
  • Trending Magazine
  • About Us
    • About Us
    • Recent Awards
    • Advertising
    • Fund Raising
    • Help/FAQ
    • Job Opportunities
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Access To Information
    • FP Newspapers Inc.
  • Brandon Sun Digital Advertising

©2021 FP Newspaper Inc.

Close
  • Quick Links

    • Coronavirus Coverage
    • Above the Fold
    • Home
    • Local
    • Canada
    • World
    • Classifieds
    • Special Coverage
    • Flyers
    • Newsletters
    • Obituaries
    • Photostore
    • Archives
    • Contests
    • Publications
    • Sponsored Content
    • Privacy Policy

    Ways to support us

    • Pay it Forward program
    • Subscribe
    • Day Pass
    • Read Now Pay later
  • Replica E-Edition

    • About the E-Edition
    • Winnipeg Free Press
    • The Herald
    • The Headliner
    • The Lance
    • The Metro
    • The Sou'Wester
    • The Times

    Business

    • All Business
    • Agriculture
    • Personal Finance
  • Arts & Life

    • All Arts & Life
    • The Arts
    • Autos
    • Books
    • Cannabis
    • Celebrities
    • Diversions
    • Puzzles
    • Environment
    • Events
    • Faith
    • Food & Drink
    • Your Health
    • Life & Style
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Science & Technology
    • TV
    • Travel
  • Sports

    • All Sports
    • Amateur
    • Auto Racing
    • Blue Bombers
    • Curling
    • Football
    • Goldeyes
    • Golf
    • High School
    • Hockey
    • Horse Racing
    • Winnipeg Jets
    • Manitoba Moose
    • WHL
    • MLB
    • NBA
    • Olympics
    • Soccer
  • Opinion

    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Columnists
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send a Letter to the Editor

    Media

    • All Media
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos

    Homes

    • Property Listings
    • Featured News
    • Renovation and design
    • New homes
    • Resale homes
  • Canstar Community News

    • All Canstar Community News
    • The Headliner
    • The Herald
    • The Lance
    • The Metro
    • The Sou'wester
    • The Times
    • Sports
    • Events
    • Contact Us
    • E-Editions
  • Coupons

    • All Coupons
    • Staples Copy & Print Coupons
    • Ripley's Aquariums Coupons
    • The Bay Coupons
    • Staples Canada Coupons
    • Altitude Sports Coupons
    • Nike Coupons
    • Tuango Coupons
    • Ebay Canada Coupons
    • Sport Chek Coupons
    • Roots Coupons
  • About Us

    • About Us
    • Advertising
    • Contact Us
    • Carrier Positions & Retailer Requests
    • FP Newspapers Inc.
    • History
    • Internships
    • Job Opportunities
    • News CafĂ©
    • Privacy Policy
    • Retail Locations
    • Staff Biographies
    • Terms and Conditions
Brandon Sun
Articles Read
Your Balance +tax
Day Pass Till
Day Pass
    • Contact Us
    • Submit a News Tip
    • Send a Letter to the Editor
    • Submit a Sound Off
    • Advertising Contact
    • Report an Error

    • Finding your
      information

    • Log in
    • Create Account
    • Help

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate
    • My Account
    • Manage My Subscription
    • Change Password

    • Grid View
    • List View
    • Compact View
    • Text Size
    • Translate

    • Log Out
Log in Create Account Subscribe Contact Us
Contact Us Subscribe Manage Subscription
  • All Sections
  • Local
  • Sports
  • Opinion
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyles
  • Business
  • Multimedia
  • Classifieds
  • Obituaries
  • Special Sections
Local

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

Non-profit care homes call for funding increase

By: Colin Slark
Posted: 3:00 AM CDT Friday, Jul. 17, 2020

  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Print
  • Email
Brandon Sun 08052020</p></p><p>Workers wave from Dinsdale Personal Care Home as family members visit with residents ahead of Mothers Day on Friday. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)</p>

Brandon Sun 08052020

Workers wave from Dinsdale Personal Care Home as family members visit with residents ahead of Mothers Day on Friday. (Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun)

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 17/7/2020 (195 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

An association of Manitoba non-profit nursing homes is asking for the province to alleviate what they call "chronic underfunding."

The Manitoba Association of Residential and Continuing Care Homes for the Elderly said in a press release sent out earlier this week that it represents the owners of 29 care homes that believe low funding levels have negatively affected resident care levels.

While only one COVID-19 death has been linked to a personal care home in Manitoba compared to higher numbers in provinces like Ontario and Quebec, the association believes having to provide care without adequate funding during the pandemic leaves employees and residents vulnerable.

"Many personal care homes — including all of those in Winnipeg — have not seen any funding increase for basic operations in more than 10 years," executive director Julie Turenne-Maynard said in the release. "During that same time, dietary expenses at MARCHE homes increased by 36 per cent and the cost of incontinent supplies increased 50 per cent. Funding of these items had to come at the expense of other departments."

MARCHE also said that the average care home needs $6 million in upgrades and that funding has barely increased in 25 years while inflation over the same time was 57 per cent.

The Dinsdale Personal Care Home, operated by The Salvation Army, is the only member of the association in Brandon. The Sun spoke with Maj. John McFarlane, the executive director of the home, about the difficulties the facility has faced in recent years and during the pandemic.

"We’ve had to buy a lot of personal protective equipment," McFarlane said. "All of our staff, you’ll see them wearing masks. If they’re working with a resident, you’ll see them wearing a face shield as well. If someone is in isolation, we have to gown up all of our staff any time we access that person."

To facilitate outdoor visits between residents and loved ones, the home has also had to hire an additional staff person for the summer. They have applied for funding for that position through the Manitoba Summer Student Recovery Jobs Program, but they are still waiting to be approved.

McFarlane didn’t have a specific number for how much these extra measures have cost as the home is still figuring out its financials for the fiscal quarter that ended on June 30.

Other than pandemic expenses, there are several capital and infrastructure projects the home would like to do but hasn’t been able to afford. McFarlane said that their administrative funding was also cut a couple of years ago. Food prices and an increase in maintenance costs have also been a drain on resources.

"Our building is now 35 years old and so we’re starting to repair more things," he said. "Ventilation, freezers, different things."

Dinsdale Personal Care Home receives approximately 75 per cent of its funding from the provincial government, with the rest coming from residents.

While the home is funded to provide 3.6 hours of care per resident per day, some of the older residents require more care.

MARCHE believes funding for at least 4.1 hours of care per resident per day should be provided.

» cslark@brandonsun.com

» Twitter: @ColinSlark

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!

As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.

Now, more than ever, we need your support.

Starting at $4.99/month you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.

Subscribe Now

or call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.

Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!

  • Report Error
  • Submit a Tip
  • Refund

Advertisement

Advertise With Us

Top