Tignish woman circulates petition asking for more long-term care beds

A Tignish, P.E.I., woman has started a petition asking the province to review its long-term care facilities to consider adding beds, staff andbuilding expansions.

Mary Ann Nelligan, 78,has collected more than 1,600 signatures since she began collecting them Dec. 3.

Nelligan's husband, Richard, is in Western Hospital in Alberton, P.E.I. He's been waiting 10 months for a long-term care bed.

Her petition is focused especially on beds at the Maplewood Manor in Alberton, and the Margaret Stewart Ellis Home in O'Leary. Maplewood was replacedin 2011. Margaret Stewart Ellis was expanded in 2012.

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"It's very sad because he should be in a home where he can be lookedafterand have more things going on," said Nelligan.

Nelliganis collecting signatures in Tignish, Alberton and O'Leary.

She and Richard had been living in a seniors' home in Tignish, but Nelligan says her husband's dementia requires care not available there.

Wait times vary

That has added to the challenge of finding an appropriate place in along-term care facility, according to Nelligan.

"What I would really like to do is to add on to the manorin Alberton," said Nelligan. "Alot of people have said they should have built it twice as big."

Wait times for beds in long-term carefacilities can vary, according to Health PEI.

It's hard work and I've been working hard- Mary Ann Nelligan

"The average wait time to access long-term care from hospital varies from one patient to another depending on the type of long-term care bed a patient needs (a standard bed vs. a dementia care bed) and the bed availability at the desired long-term care home," according to a written statement fromAndrewMacDougall, HealthPEI's director of long-term care.

"The need for other health care support may also influence a person's wait," said MacDougall.

Health PEI says it has added beds and staff to long-term care facilities province-wide.

The number of Islanders waiting for long-term care placement has decreased by 25 per cent over the past four years, according to Health PEI.

Aiming for 2,000 signatures

Mary Ann Nelliganand her grown children take turns visiting Richard Nelligan in Western Hospital. He enjoys cards and watching TV. When not at the hospital, Mary Anncollects signatures.

She said she will present thepetition to her local MLA when she has 2,000 signatures.

"I'll have a talk with him, see what he'll do with it. But I hope he'll do something because it's hard work, and I've been working hard," said Nelligan.

Nelligan's MLA, Liberal member Hal Perry, contacted CBC by email Friday afternoon.

"I actually asked the Minister during this past session in the legislature about the number of beds and the number waiting for beds in West Prince," he wrote. "Also, I asked if the gov't would be willing to meet with the board of directors of the Tignish Coop Seniors Home with respect to adding a wingto the facility to accommodate long term care. This is something that I would love to see happen!"

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