Private care-home owner warns against federal NDP plan on public-run homes

With the federal election coming up during the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a lot of discussion around long-term care homes (LTC).

Some of the country’s worst COVID outbreaks were in LTCs. It was no different in Saskatchewan, where 39 people died at Parkside Extendicare in Regina.

The federal NDP promises that, if elected, it would have the government take over all privately owned LTCs, just as its Saskatchewan counterpart did earlier this year.

That platform point doesn’t sit well with Shirley Ann Friesen, the owner of Willow Creek Manor in Swift Current.

She said many residents don’t like the idea of government-run homes.

“Here, the people are happy. We do everything for them. We put so much into our business, into our people. A lot of the time, they prefer to be in a private home,” she said.

But what about COVID-19 safety? She doesn’t believe the government necessarily does a better job than private owners.

“That wouldn’t be something that they need to do. We didn’t get COVID in here the whole time. We are licensed by the Ministry of Health, and we kept it out of here. They really don’t need to take over,” she continued.

Cost is another point she brought up.

“It’s frustrating, because the government (homes) actually cost more for our taxpayers to run. Ours is privately run with nothing, no help from the government. We just charge what we charge,” Friesen said.

On top of that, she’s also not sure about what would happen to her and her career if the NDP was elected and put its plan in place.

“It is scary. It is,” Friesen said. “This has been my life. I’ve looked after the elderly since I was 19-years-old and these elderly people deserve places like this.”