Alberta’s Minister for Seniors, Community and Social Services Jason Nixon says Contentment Social Services has a pile of unpaid bills and the province has not been able to get in touch with anyone in charge at the organization.Todd Korol/The Canadian Press
The Alberta government is promising greater oversight of aid agencies along with multiple investigations into what critics have dubbed the province’s “motel-medicine” solution.
“This situation shines a light on the need to look at what rules are in place to organizations who advertise themselves to provide services beyond just housing,” Social Services Minister Jason Nixon told reporters at the legislature Monday.
Nixon provided an update on a developing situation that made headlines more than a week ago.
CBC reported a man partially paralyzed by a stroke had been discharged from an Edmonton hospital under the care of Contentment Social Services and taken to a Travelodge just south of the city in Leduc.
His family told CBC his wheelchair couldn’t fit the motel room, he was fed fast food and no one properly cared for his hygiene.
More families have since come forward.
Nixon said that while anyone can choose where to go and what private services they may need for post-hospital care, there needs to be some quality control.
Continuing care facilities and landlords are already regulated, but Nixon said this case has highlighted an oversight gap around housing agencies that also offer laundry, personal care and other services.
“If you are an organization who then goes out with a website and says, ‘I provide housing, but I also provide blank,’ at that point we need to be able to look at what type of regulatory framework would work,” Nixon said.
Nixon said the province has been able to determine how 27 Contentment clients ended up getting cared for in commercial lodgings in Leduc.
He said they had all been medically cleared to live on their own with community support. He said the majority were recipients of Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped.
Nixon said most had been living in apartments rented by Contentment when they were taken two weeks ago to the Travelodge.
There was to be a long-term arrangement at the Travelodge, but that fell through, Nixon said, adding there were unpaid bills there.
Contentment then tried to get back into the apartments it had vacated, Nixon said, but trouble arose because some were getting rented out to other tenants and part of the building was being fumigated.
So the group was moved on to another hotel in Leduc, the Park Inn by Radisson, where there were also unpaid bills left behind.
“We were literally playing detective,” Nixon said.
Premier Danielle Smith has said Nixon’s office stepped up to pay a $25,000 tab there so people would not be evicted and sent to homeless shelters.
Initial reports had 39 people needing help, but Nixon said after further digging the number is 27.
Twenty-five are moving back to the original apartment building. One is in hospital and another has decided to stay at the Park Inn.
Nixon said the province has not been able to get into touch with anyone in charge at Contentment.
Contentment has not responded to requests for comment from The Canadian Press.
Nixon said there are to be four investigations.
The province will determine, among other questions, whether income support money was spent properly and whether elder abuse or neglect occurred.
In the house during question period, Smith rebuffed repeated calls from the Opposition NDP to apologize for those housed in hotels.
Smith said the United Conservative Party government would respond to fix any problems that arise but, “Most of the time, (the patient discharge) works out just fine.”
NDP Leader Rachel Notley said Smith needs to be clear on what is happening on the ground right now.
“How many more victims are there out there of the UCP’S motel medicine?” Notley said.