CUPE Media Advisory: "Public is best for Cassellholme"

NORTH BAY, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - June 6, 2016) - It's not just overwhelming community sentiment that supports keeping Cassellholme for the Aged a public, municipal home. There's plenty of evidence to support that "public is best," says Fred Hahn president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Ontario.

Dr. Susan Braedley, assistant professor at Carleton University and a researcher on two international studies focused on long-term care will, along with Hahn, present some of that evidence at a community forum Tuesday (June 7, 2016) at 7 p.m. at Discovery North Bay. Hahn and Braedley will also be available for media interviews prior to the forum.

Research strongly supports maintaining public, municipal control of Cassellholme, according to Braedley. What's more, she says "municipal delivery is not only better for nursing home residents, it's also better for Ontario's health system overall."

A recent poll of over 800 North Bay and Nipissing area residents found that 87 per cent want their mayor or councillor to vote to keep Cassellholme public, 82 per cent (or over eight in ten) support having some of their taxes go to resident care at Cassellholme.

"Generally resident care levels at public, municipally-run nursing homes is higher than at private homes, even if they are non-profit. There's a reason for that. Municipalities do provide funding above what the province gives for resident care. Polling shows that Nipissing area councils and mayors have support from residents to use some portion of local taxes for resident care at Cassellholme," says Hahn.

Natalie Mehra, Executive Director with the Ontario Health Coalition will also be speaking at the forum Tuesday night.