Amalgamating Markdale's Grey Gables and Durham's Rockwood Terrace long term care homes is the most effective way to ensure the best care for Grey County seniors in the future. That was the message at an information session in Durham put on by Grey County staff.
In a report to Grey County council earlier this month, Director of Long Term Care Lynne Johnson recommended Grey Gables and Rockwood Terrace amalgamate into a new facility in Durham. Grey Gables would be put up for sale as an assisted living facility.
Johnson says the province has the ultimate say and could move some of the long term care beds elsewhere in Ontario. She says Grey County must show it's moving forward with the most viable long term care plan possible to ensure the county keeps the beds.
West Grey Mayor Kevin Eccles agrees amalgamating the the two facilities is best way forward. "To be able to keep them here in Grey County and I think the report is very specific if we spread them out all over the place we won't be able to deliver the service in the legislative manner and the restrictive manner that it needs to be," says Eccles.
Among the reasons Grey County staff say Durham is the better place for a new facility is because of it's central location in South Grey.
There's a second information meeting in Markdale Friday evening. That could be controversial because people in Markdale don't want to lose their long term care home.
That meeting is at 7pm at the Centre Grey Recreation Complex.