Tag: healthcare

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Pearson meals in the news

Pearson was in the news again, this time about the food served to residents. Those of us who have been here awhile remember well when things changed – under Gordon Campbell’s BC Liberal government, starting around 2003 – a LOT of privatization went on.  During Campbell’s term as premier of British Columbia from 2001 until 2011, housekeeping, food, laundry, and security services in health care facilities were outsourced to transnational corporations, under the guise of saving money.

This is not meant to blame the workers – they are often poorly paid and expected to do more in less time.  And GPC didn’t have a choice in the matter. As with so many things, the actual people responsible have likely long since moved on.

Some residents think the food here is great. Some do not. The desire for a home cooked meal was the driving force behind CARMA’s Community Kitchen, a monthly program of making and sharing excellent food featuring fresh produce. GPC Community Kitchen meal

Sadly, Community Kitchen is on hold during this COVID-19 Pandemic, and sorely missed by residents.

The link to the news article on GPC’s meals is below.

https://www.citynews1130.com/2020/07/08/concerns-meals-vancouver-care-centre/

 

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Pearson Perseveres

Posters of encouragement at GPC during the pandemic

It has been about two and a half months since Pearson went on ‘lockdown’ due to the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. While the ‘new normal’ has become routine, it can still be challenging to adapt to all the restrictions. We know we are keeping each other safe with the precautions in place. Residents miss direct contact with family members. With so few outside visitors, friendships among residents are especially important.

Posters at the entrance of GPC

Of course, staff are masked, and this affects communication. For those who are hearing impaired, reading lips can be especially important.

But, we persevere. At least with the warming weather, we can enjoy some sunshine. The Rec staff have been essential in keeping residents connected to the outside world via digital means. We even had our very first virtual Resident Council meeting – and about the same number of participants were able to attend, compared to the days of in-person meetings. Resident Council acknowledged the efforts of everyone who has done what they can to keep the virus out of Pearson, which thankfully it has, so far.