Woman, 86, on hunger strike over care

Last Updated Thu, 28 Apr 2005 06:39:50 EDT
CBC News

CAMROSE, ALTA. - An 86-year-old woman is on Day 3 of a hunger strike in Alberta, vowing not to eat until staffing shortages in the province's long-term care facilities are addressed.

"I decided this was the only way I was going to get help," said Marie Geddes, who has only had water and ginger ale since her last meal on April 24.

"We need help desperately. Two people looking after 17 is not enough."

Geddes, who has diabetes, said she could think of no other way to get her concerns across.

She said many patients at the Bethany Long-term Care Centre in Camrose, where she has lived for two years, can no longer speak for themselves.

"But I can," she said.

Geddes said the lack of staff means patients wait too long for help with everything from going to the bathroom to getting bathed to going to bed.

"I waited 45 minutes on the toilet this morning waiting for someone to come," she said. "You wait and wait and they're too busy to come put me to bed."

The feisty senior said she's not concerned about her health, as long as her blood sugar remains high.

"I'm going to die someday anyway," she said. "It depends on when the Lord wants me."

The issue of long-term care staffing was raised last week, when Lynda Jonson presented a petition with 5,000 names to the legislature.


Jonson has visited 100 of the province's 179 long-term care facilities since her mother-in-law died 18 months ago, and said the staff don't have enough time to give patients the care they need.

Yvonne Fritz, the provincial minister of seniors and community supports, said long-term care residents in the province are being properly taken care of, but that her department is reviewing the standards for the facilities.


According to Alberta Health, 3,400 professionals and 9,500 aides work with the 14,000 residents in care facilities. Ratios vary from region to region.

Alberta Health said right now each patient should receive three hours of care a day, and they want to boost that to 3.4 hours a day over the next three years.