It pays to fight for what you believe in!

[TaraF]

Many of you know I stayed at Lakeview Lodge during my cancer treatment and that Hamilton Health Sciences wants to close it due to costs. You also may know I've been fighting that. I kinda started a crusade to make sure they don't. Well we're half way through that fight right now. They initially planned to close the lodge and shove all out-of-town patients into hotel rooms. Ummm I don't think so!

Back in November I was initially contacted by the media after going to several people and saying how disastrous it would be. Well I was contacted again today and Hamilton Health Sciences has come up with a compromise! The media release I received said HHS revealed their compromise to Lakeview Lodge closing. They plan to house all out-of-town cancer patients at Durand Residence - a retirement facility, located 5km from Juravinski Cancer Centre. There patients will have a separate wing from residents but will have access to an affordable meal plan, commons area, sun room, cafe and library. Transportation to and from the JCC will be provided by volunteer drivers, which was a concern because cab fare is about $23 round trip via cab.

This is a HUGE improvement over HHS wanting to just shove off cancer patients to hotels but I still have concerns which I addressed today. I still am pushing for Lakeview Lodge to remain open and the nurses to remain employed (that's my end goal) but it just goes to show that if you want something....go for it! Oh, and having a big mouth totally helps. lol

[Skippy]

Rejoicing with you! Sometimes you never know what a difference you can make.
Thanks for setting the example while battling your own health issues.

[Natalka]

good news!

[Shwa Girl]

This is wonderful outcome TaraF. It should be in the brag section. Glad that you were on the media.
About the closing of the facility and laying off the nurses, it's happening across the province unfortunately. The Ministry of Health is cutting hospital budgets and hospitals have to show cuts or they won't get their full funding next year.

Hmmm, didn't Tim Hudac say, up front, that he would eliminate 100,000 jobs? Looks like Kathleen Wynne is doing just that -- only the sneaky way.
*end rant*

[dededi]

That's amazing Tara, I applaud what you are doing. All the best to you.

[MortgageQueen]

What an amazing thing you contributed to Tara!! That is a SERIOUS accomplishment. Can you imagine how many lives this will effect in a wonderful way?! I'm so PROUD of you!!

[Nina1]

Great job there girl! I repeat smartcanuckers are the best!

[Lynn49]

Tara, you are an amazing woman, my Dear! While countless numbers bemoaned the impending closing, you just wouldn't have it! I applaud your tenacity, your care for others, even in the midst of your own struggles with cancer. This country needs more like you!

I do have one concern, Tara....one issue (among others) that you had about patients being placed in hotels was the absence of a nurse or medical staff near-by when needed by patients....is this issue resolved by being in the separate wing of a retirement facility?

Bless you, Tara.....

[TaraF]

Well the article is up today, you can read it here. Unfortunately Lynn it appears that there will be no nurses available to patients, having said that, I would hope that if patients were sharing the sun room or dining facilities with the residents and something happened or didn't look right to one of the nurses that they would step in. I hope. Trust me, you'd be getting cancer patients approaching them and asking them for help assuming they could because they are there. When I stayed at the lodge the rooms were set up like hospital rooms with call buttons in them next to the beds and in the bathrooms so that you could connect with a nurse at all times. The Lodge was set up for patient care. How the retirement residence will be set up is a mystery. IF there are call buttons they can expect they will be used.

It's definitely a step up from hotels that's for certain, but I am still advocating for them to keep the lodge open. In the article another patient that I met there and keep in contact with, Tim, he nails it in what he said. She seemed to get most of my questions answered and the answers didn't surprise me.

One other concern I have is that it says drivers from the cancer society will drive people to their appointments from the facility to the cancer centre. A few things about that. The first being you need to be registered with them and that is $100 if you are not already. Then you can't gaurantee they can take you for all of your trips, every day for the course of your treatment. The conveniance of the Lodge was walking next door for the sometimes 6 appointments I had in a day. Bloodwork, radiation, Oncology, etc. And that was not being on IV chemo either. The fancy "how much will your trip" calculater on the hamilton cab sites estimate a round trip to be $23.00 to the cancer centre. If you can get a driver to take you 2 times daily return for 4 appointments Mon-Thursday for a 5 weeks stint, it will cost you approximately $920.

[ticul]

Wow Tare, you are a wonderful women to do this and like it was said God bless you Tare. Change comes from peoples like you, that believe in somethings and make it hapen. Thank you so much for sharing a beautiful brag...............................

[Mrsaver]

that great to hear, it sure is great to fight for what you believe in

[toban]

tara that is wonderful news.

[TaraF]

Thank you guys. I didn't mean this as a brag but more as encouragement to say "hey, even when you are sick and feel useless you can make a difference". You just need to believe you can. And I totally believe that having a big mouth really helps. lol Like I said I will still fight in hopes they reverse their decision and open the Lodge again, but for now I'm just glad patients aren't going to be stuck in hotels.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

[Lynn49]

You are fierce, Tara!! And amazing!!!!

[Britanica]

That is great, keep on fighting! We have to take a stand for the things we believe in.