Sheila Caron says she is frustrated trying to find the right care for her 65-year-old father, who has advanced dementia, in Saskatoon.
“There seems to be a big gap for dementia care patients,” Caron said Wednesday. “Where are these facilities that seniors and elderly dementia patients are going to need? I’m sure there are many others who are dealing with this same issue and there is just nowhere for them to go.”
Caron’s father, Ron, was admitted to the Dube Centre for Mental Health at Royal University Hospital last fall. She then tried to move him into a private care home, but it didn’t meet his needs and he returned to the hospital, although he doesn’t have other health concerns, she said.
Caron said the hospital isn’t the right place for her father to be, but she feels she has been left on her own to find him a more appropriate home – and the options she has explored haven’t been sufficient for his specific situation.
It’s a very frustrating process to try and manoeuvre through.
“There’s kind of no clear path through this.” Opposition health critic Danielle Chartier raised the situation in question period. “You need help and you also need hope,” she said of those facing such situations. “Sheila needs that today and so does her dad Ron.”
Health Minister Dustin Duncan said he couldn’t comment on the specific case during question period, but promised to follow up on it.
“We have very dedicated staff that work with families each and every day to try to find the right place at the right time for every single resident within the province, knowing that it is sometimes a challenge to match up the right facility for that individual based on their individual needs,” Duncan said.