Joan Whiting residents say “Thank You!”
Joan Whiting Rest Home residents begin the Thank You March down Commercial Street last Saturday. Photo: Neil Wilson.
The protest march planned for last Saturday became a community celebration and thanksgiving event.
Last Wednesday, the Ministry of Health announced that funding had been found to continue the provision of rest-home beds for the frail elderly until the completion of the integrated family health centre – and beyond. The protest march was intended to be a prelude to a public meeting (set for last Monday) at which further public pressure was to be applied to the Ministry. The meeting was cancelled.
The Thank You March was led from the Takaka i-Site to the Village Green by the Takaka Citizens’ Band. About 200 people gathered on the green to hear addresses from key figures in the campaign to save the Joan Whiting Rest Home.
Liza Eastman graciously branded the successful campaign “a community effort,” though Victoria Davis put the record straight by pointing out the huge amount of personal energy Liza had dedicated to spearheading the campaign.
Trust chair Chris Mitson paid tribute to the staff of the home, the media and the tremendous community support. “Give yourselves a round of applause,” he told the happy crowd.
“The residents, staff and trustees should never have been put in the position where their future was so uncertain,” he added.
Joan Whiting’s nurse manager Jan Dahl also thanked her staff and the community, and once more paid tribute to the fighting qualities of the residents themselves. She said that the efforts of the DHB had led to a real change of mood in the home. “We were all jubilant when we got the news on Wednesday.”
Labour List MP Damien O’Connor congratulated all those who had applied pressure to the Minister, saying that it had undoubtedly assisted to change the Government’s mind.
Neil Wilson
