I support the "expand and survive" initiative for the Joan Whiting Rest Home no matter what its effect on the integrated health project might be.

13 Comments

  1. Jean says "Phil and Judy O'Connor's letter says it all. ( GB Weekly 9th October)"

    October 19th, 2009 at 10:41 AM

  2. Bridget says "My answer to poll. NO I DO NOT THINK THE VAGUE IDEAS OF THE FREINDS OF JOAN WHITING SHOULD BE GIVEN ANY MORE TIME OR CONSIDERATION.. At present their input is just causing confusion and hope and not helping the J.W Trust Board Members who are trying to please everyone. .Without a clear directive of support from the J.W.Board Members the IHG may go ahead without any or very little provision for rest home beds in its future plans. So right now we are very likely to end up with a much worse situation than we have now. The Friends of Joan Whiting have come up with nothing that gives any confidence only pipe dreams. The Friends need to be able to answer all the questions below with YES If they can;t then they should be putting all their energues into getting the best deal possible for the elderly form the IHP. Here are the questions: First I would like to make an observation. At the moment it is difficult to know who exactly is running the rest home The Board or the friends of the rest home?? I would like to pose some questions to the Friends of Joan Whiting and to those Board members who want to try and retain J,W. R. H. I ask members to really think honestly about their answers. 1. Have you secured guaranteed finances to cover the $131 thousand shortfall for next year? 2, have you secured finances for the next 20 to 30 yrs to cover the continued shortfall in running costs that at present are covered by the generosity of the DHB in the form of a gift? 3. Have you secured continued and ongoing financial support not just support from the Golden Bay community sufficient to cover long-term costs, continual improvements and upkeep and the costs of Government audits? 4. Have you secured a gift of money to cover the costs of the proposed additional four rooms or does the cost of these rooms put the Home into further debt? 5. Do you have guarantees that these four rooms will attract full occupancy or is this just a hopeful assumption? If any of your answers are NO’s to the above questions then it is imperative that the Board and Friends of Joan Whiting put all their energy and concern into working for the best possible outcome for the elderly of GB within the Integrated Health Plan rather than continuing to promote unrealistic hopes for the residents, their families and the staff. I believe my opinion is one that is widely held in the community. "

    October 19th, 2009 at 07:46 PM

  3. "Bibi" says " NO, I do NOT support the continual propping-up the JWRH, especially "no matter what its effect on the IHP". There is an urgent need for objective and less emotive,clear and far-sighted thinking, to address the long term requirements of our ageing population, as well as achieving the best result for Golden Bay as a whole. What we DON'T need is a divided and polarised community. Specific questions,(as asked by 'Brigid' in this survey),need to be publicly answered by the JWRH Trust. Thank you for this opportunity to comment."

    October 20th, 2009 at 09:34 AM

  4. Graeme Wilson says "Of course we would all like to see the Joan Whiting Rest Home continue. I am sure I am correct in that assumption. In practical terms however, it cannot continue without some substantial financial assistance. I agree with the two previous writers and the O'Connor's letter published last week and I urge the Friends of JW to clearly answer the very serious questions assembled by the writer Bridget above. I would also like to see the Trust Board come out and clearly tell us whether they support the Integrated Health Project or not. That decision is integral to the DHB continued support and we need to know that answer as soon as possible. "

    October 20th, 2009 at 11:05 AM

  5. Sophia says "I wholeheartedly support the "expand and survive" initiative for the Joan Whiting Rest Home. I for one am grateful to the Friends of Joan Whiting who have the belief, commitment and courage of their convictions to actually put their money where their mouths are and engage a forensic accountant to inform us objectively as to the way forward. If it is a REST HOME we want in G.B. we will not get this with the IMG. What we will get is "intitutionalised filing" in the form of an aged care wing. What we have now in Golden Bay is a REST HOME where our elderly are loved and cared for in an environment which to them is their home. Do you really believe they would exchange what they have now for their slot in this envisaged "human filing cabinet"? I implore those who choose to dismiss the efforts of the Friends of Joan Whiting as "pie in the sky" and afford them the decency and respect for caring enough to go that extra mile and provide us with an informed vision for the future of Joan Whiting. "

    October 26th, 2009 at 11:06 AM

  6. Tonie Watts says "Friends of JWRH are no doubt well meaning, but not realistic. The home has run at a loss for years and each year gets further into debt. The only hope for continued rest home care in the Bay is to go with the Integrated Plan. The alternative is, our elderly will have to go over the hill for this care. It is most unfortunate that this red herring has been allowed to disrupt plans for the IHP. "

    October 26th, 2009 at 01:15 PM

  7. Tonie Watts says "Friends of JWRH are no doubt well meaning, but not realistic. The home has run at a loss for years and each year gets further into debt. The only hope for continued rest home care in the Bay is to go with the Integrated Plan. The alternative is, our elderly will have to go over the hill for this care. It is most unfortunate that this red herring has been allowed to disrupt plans for the IHP. "

    October 26th, 2009 at 01:16 PM

  8. Catherine says "Joan Whiting must be left to sink or swim, to stick to its knitting and not be mixed into an amorphous expensive loss making venture, with resthome rooms mixed up with hospital rooms. The financial insolvency of Joan Whiting will not be fixed by integration and will drag down the other services. Integrating different services under one roof is outdated dogma. All the individual services will be hamstrung because the new building will be designed for minimal staff at any one time. There will be big staff cuts, and lower wages. "

    October 26th, 2009 at 06:56 PM

  9. Sarah says "Bridget above needs to ask the I.M.G. to answer the same questions. The new complex is going to cost eight million dollars or so the rumours say. If so much money can be raised surely it would be possible to raise one million for Joan Whiting and one million to revamp the hospital and add on a medical centre or alternatively build the medical centre at Rototai and add an Emergency Department to the hospital. This way we utilize existing buildings,add desperately needed extra beds to the Rest Home,provide after hours support for the doctors,ensure nurses remain in the bay because their wages and conditions will be acceptable and remove the burden of an enormous debt that could ruin all health services. "

    October 26th, 2009 at 07:41 PM

  10. Libby says "Yes, to expand and survive. Joan Whiting Rest Home is such a special place. We need to let the "friends" of Joan Whiting explore the options to allow our elderly the care they deserve."

    October 26th, 2009 at 10:14 PM

  11. Kathy says "Kathy says "Yes to expand and survive". A medical/hospital complex is not the place for our frail elderly. What they need is somewhere to call their home where the staff can take time to really care for them, emotionally and physically. I agree with Sarah's proposition which sounds like a far better use of finances."

    October 27th, 2009 at 12:26 PM

  12. LIZA says "The questions posed above by "Bridget" were handed to the Joan Whiting Trust board at their last 'Open Forum' before their Board meeting. I also hope that similar questions have been put to the Interim Management Group(I.M.G.)of the Integrated Health Project (I.H.P.)as they have not yet explained how their well meaning but unrealistic ideas are in fact going to find the funds to build or the money to maintain all the services that they are promising. Sadly the presenter apparently did not have the time to stay and listen to the ensuing discussion, which might have enlightened her and helped her to understand some of the problems and choices that the JWMT board is faced with, and why some people are looking at alternative sustainable ways to help the board to maintain a stand alone 'Rest Home' in the Bay. What is being offered by the I.M.G. will not look much like a quiet home away from home, being an integral part of the second busiest 24 hour a day business in town, unlike the current peaceful, friendly, open, family oriented facility at Collingwood. I would like to assure everyone monitoring this discussion that the "Friends of Joan Whiting" are in no way trying to usurp the position or responsibilities of the Trust the two groups are well aware of their particular roles, nor could they possibly upset the plans of the I.H.P. if those plans are built on solid business foundations. Those who support the I.H.P. should be happy that the one business that has a $140,000 projected operational shortfall in funding this year has people looking for ways to help it to survive with out placing that financial burden on the new complex, that in it self will be remarkably costly to maintain. More nursing home beds are imminently needed in Golden Bay, they are more generously funded by the Government and should continue to be part of the I.H.P.plans. Rest assured that the JWMT board is committed to maintaining Elder Care in Golden Bay, but they are also committed to maintaining the quality and personalisation of that care for the level of client that they cater for, and the "Friends" are looking for ways to help them. To comment on the Question Building extra rooms onto Joan Whiting is only one of several possibilities that will be looked into as a way to help to maintain the facility as an alternative place to be cared for in Golden Bay. Should the Integrated plan be given the go ahead after consultation, in no way should the I.H.P. allow its plans to be jeopardized by the withdrawal of the rest home if that is the final decision that the Trust makes."

    October 27th, 2009 at 02:55 PM

  13. LIZA says "The questions posed above by "Bridget" were handed to the Joan Whiting Trust board at their last 'Open Forum' before their Board meeting. I also hope that similar questions have been put to the Interim Management Group(I.M.G.)of the Integrated Health Project (I.H.P.)as they have not yet explained how their well meaning but unrealistic ideas are in fact going to find the funds to build or the money to maintain all the services that they are promising. Sadly the presenter apparently did not have the time to stay and listen to the ensuing discussion, which might have enlightened her and helped her to understand some of the problems and choices that the JWMT board is faced with, and why some people are looking at alternative sustainable ways to help the board to maintain a stand alone 'Rest Home' in the Bay. What is being offered by the I.M.G. will not look much like a quiet home away from home, being an integral part of the second busiest 24 hour a day business in town, unlike the current peaceful, friendly, open, family oriented facility at Collingwood. I would like to assure everyone monitoring this discussion that the "Friends of Joan Whiting" are in no way trying to usurp the position or responsibilities of the Trust the two groups are well aware of their particular roles, nor could they possibly upset the plans of the I.H.P. if those plans are built on solid business foundations. Those who support the I.H.P. should be happy that the one business that has a $140,000 projected operational shortfall in funding this year has people looking for ways to help it to survive with out placing that financial burden on the new complex, that in it self will be remarkably costly to maintain. More nursing home beds are imminently needed in Golden Bay, they are more generously funded by the Government and should continue to be part of the I.H.P.plans. Rest assured that the JWMT board is committed to maintaining Elder Care in Golden Bay, but they are also committed to maintaining the quality and personalisation of that care for the level of client that they cater for, and the "Friends" are looking for ways to help them. To comment on the Question Building extra rooms onto Joan Whiting is only one of several possibilities that will be looked into as a way to help to maintain the facility as an alternative place to be cared for in Golden Bay. Should the Integrated plan be given the go ahead after consultation, in no way should the I.H.P. allow its plans to be jeopardized by the withdrawal of the rest home if that is the final decision that the Trust makes."

    October 27th, 2009 at 02:55 PM

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