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Gloomy predictions continue for Community Care Access Centre he projections continâ€" ued to be gloomy for the local Community Care Access Centre during its annual general meeting last week. Talk about waiting lists and job losses dominated discussion, as the home care provider continues to try to manage a 10â€"perâ€"cent increase in deinand for serâ€" vice with its budget frozen at last year‘s levels. The Community Care Access Centre was created in 1996 by the Ministry of Health to provide a single access point for home care and longâ€"term care services for people with chronic and lifeâ€"ending illnesses. The shift to community care from more institutional setâ€" tings, such as hospitals and nursing homes, was also intended to help a burgeonâ€" ing frail elderly population stay in their homes. But while expansion of those services grew until last year, as a costâ€"effective alterâ€" native to the traditional medical model, the provinâ€" cial government decided to reign in spending in the communityâ€"care sector this year, holding the CCAC of Waterloo Region to last year‘s budget of $39.5 milâ€" lion. That required the local centre to implement reducâ€" tions in services, starting in June, and to establish waiting lists in order to balance its budget by the end of its fiscal year in March. That waiting list has grown to 290 people waiting for homemaking services. And those attending last Thursday‘s annual general meeting heard that despite meetings _ with _ Health Minister Tony Clement and local MPPs, new funding isn‘t on the horizon. That could mean more layoffs in the communityâ€" care sector, already hit hard in its ability to retain good workers because of compeâ€" tition from other sectors, like hospitals, that can pay more for nursing services. Judith Wahl, executive director of the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly, acknowledged that seniors were particularly hard hit by the cutbacks and that they should use some of their www.bâ€"kmotors.com 527 King St. N. WATERLOO ‘51 9) 885â€"5090 click here By Bos VrBanac _Chronicle Staff Come to Canada‘s Benchmark BMW Showroom growing "grey" power to get the government to listen to their concerns. "There are rights of appeal in this province if you don‘t agree with the service provided by the Community Care Access Centre," said executive director Kevin Mercer. "She (Wahl) in fact encouraged _ people to appeal their service deciâ€" sions." The appeal process rests with the Ministry of Health, which might spur it to action to redress some of the imbalances seen in commuâ€" nity care over the last six months. "There comes a point where people have to appeal their decisions to the Health Services Appeal Board of Ontario," _ said _ Mercer, endorsing the move because of the limited advocacy mechanism â€" that â€" clients would have with their local CCAC. "We have an internal review process, but the realiâ€" ty is that an appeal commitâ€" tee cannot mandate the board to spend dollars they don‘t have. "The reductions that are happening are being based on a limitation of resources." The root of that funding crunch lies at the Ministry, which has the purse strings to address an appeal for serâ€" In addition to the special keynote speaker, representaâ€" tives from the community also spoke about their frusâ€" trations with cutbacks in services. "There was no doubt that there was frustration being expressed by people; there‘s "These people will leave for other jobs and won‘t want to come back. The problem is that _it‘s a painful process for staff working on the front lines." â€" Kevin Mercer Community Care Access Centre executive director no question about that," said Mercer. That â€" frustration _ has moved to workers in the community field who are also being hit;hard by the reduction of hours, and the ability to provide proper Even if funding does come in time for the end of the fiscal year, it won‘t be enough to retain qualified workers who are already leaving the field. "These people will leave for other jobs and won‘t want to come back," said Mercer. "The problem is that it‘s a painful process for staff working on the front lines. "But when so many hours get cut, from 40 to 24 hours a week, and the need to put food on the table, it‘s pretty tough to do that." Those _ home _ care providers, including nurses, are also becoming demoralâ€" Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart _ _ _ Mark Epstein‘s lessons from Buddist meditahon and psychotherapy. _ What‘s For Dinner? mm Lelbovitz, by Anme , essay Susan Sontag, oversize hardcover.. Reodcykm 30 minutes with Ken totks he:::c $22:96 4.99 Kevin Major‘s novel of Portraits of Earth Freeman Paterson‘s photographic meditations on nature, oversize 100 Xing Street S. Waterloo oppos. Waterloo Square 9 to 9 Weekdays 9 to 6 Sat.. 12 to 5 Sin Timely Reading coming Oct. 18: Rudy Wiebe at WPL 884â€"2665 HC $31â€"96â€" 19.99 12.99 9.99 2.99 ized at the lack of resources and support for their medâ€" ically fragile patients, as 78,000 hours of homemakâ€" ing a month gets scaled back to 41,000 in order to balance the local CCAC‘s budget. Referrals from hospitals are also being cut back 25 per cent. "That‘s really decimating that component of the sysâ€" tem," said Mercer. "We‘re clearly managing to the resources _ available _ as opposed to clients‘ needs. "It‘s a rationing process, and in my opinion we‘re rationing at the wrong end because these folks will be looking towards other parts of the system, like doctors and clinics, for their supâ€" port. In most of the cases, those are the higherâ€"cost parts of the season." SEPTEMBER 27, 2001 SEPTEMBER 27,; 2001 7:00 pm â€" 9:00 pm 7:00 pm â€" 9:00 pm Regional Headquarters Cambridge City Council Chambers Main Lobby 46 Dickson St. (3rd floor) â€"~_ 150 Frederick Street Cambridge Kitchener _ " _T m T j A summary of the concerns and suggestions from the focus group meetings on September 11th and 13th will be on display at the Open Houses in Kitchener and Cambridge on September 27th. Everyone is invited to attend and comment on what was said. You will also have the opportunity to add further ideas and suggestions. Hear what people said about... Public transit affordability and accessibility. 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