Two Winnipeggers are speaking out over what they’re calling unaffordable personal care home charges.
Gerald Trapp and Susan Howse are the caregivers of their friend, Alan Howard or “Howie” Metzler, who was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia and is currently living in a personal care home.
“He needs care every day and he’s getting worse,” said Trapp, who is Metzler’s power of attorney.
But the pair say the cost of living in a personal care home is also getting worse. Metzler was originally assessed for a daily rate of just over $57 a day, but he was recently reassessed for a rate of $73.10/day.
“He was reassessed for $45 to $50 more than what he earns on his three pensions that he gets,” Howse said.
“What he makes a month (and) what they’re asking for his rent, they want more than he’s making,” Trapp said.
“And I don’t get it — how can that be? How can he not have a little bit of money any month to buy toothpaste or whatever?”
They appealed their case to Manitoba Health, but the appeal was denied. Trapp and Howse say they weren’t given a reason or explanation.
“The cost of living has increased and his rent has increased, but he gets the same amount of money every month,” Howse said.
“We’re stuck in a position of not knowing what else to do.”
On the province’s website, it says daily fees for personal care services are calculated for each individual client based on their net income reported on their 2022 notice of assessment from the Canada Revenue Agency.
In an emailed statement to Global News, a ministerial spokesperson for Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara pointed to the previous PC government.
“Seniors deserve to have an affordable life and be able to age with dignity. The former government raised personal care home fees for residents while failing to come through on their commitment to build more PCH beds,” the statement read.
“Daily charges are reviewed carefully to ensure they match the cost of living and income levels of residents, and reduced charges are available for low-income residents.”
But Trapp and Howse think those charges should be reviewed a bit closer to ensure seniors can afford the cost of care. They also have concerns scenarios like this may push seniors into poverty.
“They should reassess these rates and be a little bit more fair so they can have some disposable income every month,” Trapp said.
Cost of living impacts on seniors visible in homeless shelters: Siloam CEO
The impact the cost of living and the lack of affordable housing is having on seniors is being witnessed first-hand in Siloam Mission, according to CEO Tessa Blaikie Whitecloud.
Blaikie Whitecloud says 50 per cent of the people accessing their overnight shelter are over the age of 55. That age category also sees the longest stays in the shelter.
She also says affordable housing for seniors, has been one of the shelter’s focal points.
“Normally there was opportunity with CPP and old age pension to have folks stabilize once they become seniors, because they could afford things because there was more financial support than maybe EIA or social assistance,” Blaikie Whitecloud said.
“Now, we see kind of the reverse of that, in that we’re seeing seniors lose their housing because they can’t afford it, we’re seeing seniors not be able to find housing that has enough wrap-around supports with food or other health care needs to take care for them in a cost that is affordable.”
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