Rally Aug. 10 to save Red Deer Nursing Home and Valley Park Manor
RED DEER – Alberta Union of Provincial Employees is hosting a major public rally at 4:30 p.m. Aug. 10 to stop the government from closing Red Deer Nursing Home and Valley Park Manor. The rally will take place at Red Deer City Hall Park with members from the two nursing homes arriving at 4:00 p.m. to set up the event.
“Hundreds of people in Red Deer joined our earlier rallies at each of the two nursing homes the government has put on the chopping block. We expect this event to be even bigger,” said AUPE President Guy Smith.
“Everyone in Central Alberta has an elderly relative that could soon need long-term care from Red Deer Nursing Home or Valley Park Manor. There are 230 people in Central Alberta waiting for long-term care, so it’s a mystery why they would close these 216 beds,” said Smith.
AUPE members from the nursing homes and other bargaining units, along with a large number of public volunteers working in conjunction with the “Save Our Seniors Homes” campaign, have collected thousands of signatures calling on the government to keep the two nursing homes open.
“The government’s decision to close long-term care beds has really struck a nerve in the community. People are sick and tired of their loved ones being put on a waiting list when they should be getting medical care,” said Smith.
“It’s time for Red Deer MLA and Seniors Miniser Mary-Anne Jablonski and her colleague Red Deer MLA Cal Dallas, to listen to their constituents and overturn this decision to close these valuable, public nursing homes.”
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