Poverty Awareness in York Region

I just got back from a stop in at Dan's - you might remember Dan Philion who is confined to a wheelchair by muscular dystrophy and whose simple request over Christmas to have someone put him to bed at night, as he cannot do it unassisted, has been ignored by the government appointed "caregivers" who claim they "don't have anyone available" to do this at night time. That confused me since most people go to bed at night, and if they are the community care access centre in charge of putting our disabled to bed, then you'd think they'd do that. Apparently not?

After personally assisting Mr Philion myself for the past month to bed, because his service providers apparently cannot and he has no immediate family able to,  I got fed up with the various excuses they've been feeding him. For one, if they don't have someone for that time I suggest they get someone, as obviously there is a need, and if it's happening to Dan - where people's dignity is being controlled by some company claiming they don't have the staff and "get what we give" you types of attitudes - then you can bet it's being done to others - and especially the most vulnerable who may not have anyone speaking up for them like Dan does.

YR's $4 transit rates highest in Canada

But I can tell you right now I will not let up on this issue - this I promise you! As I watch the way our seniors and vulnerable disabled are treated and expected to have a certain level of suspended rights and dignity because of their conditions is just wrong. PACC hosted both the Square Table on Poverty which included MPP Frank Klees and MP Belinda Stronach (although she usually sent a pair of stand ins) and Newmarket York Regional Councilor John Taylor among some including the now Mayor of East Gwillumbury, and as well hosted and prepared a social audit report outlining these issues which the region endorsed, but has since ignored. Questions of dignity and treatment of clients was a number one reported issue but little has changed to address it still. All I hear is fluff about how wonderful the same charities and care givers are doing, whilst people like Dan cry out to no one listening or face waiting lists too long to wait for. People need to go to bed every night.

He's spoken up before, as a participant in both the social audit, while in proces of having his child taken at birth based on his disability, and as well as part of that "Square Table on Poverty" so many years ago now it seems. His issue then was that he couldn't work because he deejayed and they had no transit service to get him there and back. That was 7 or 8 years ago - in 2014 they just finally began offering service to disabled after 10 pm after more PACC noise.

One idea that sprang from the Square Table was that they were also going to help start up a non-profit business that Dan was instrumental in seeing a need for, which was the trend toward people throwing out returnable bottles and a service that would pick them up. At the time, during the Square Table on Poverty which included someone from every level of government, MPP Frank Klees had a restauranteur that was interested to have the service he'd said and Stronach's person insisted they wanted to help make it so and would arrange a meeting there. Well it never happened that's all we know. I don't care who walked across what floor politically; all I know is nothing got done from ther on in so we folded the group. For years Dan asked me about that business that never was and the meeting that never happened. I guess a guy can dream. Meantime we complained about transit so he could DJ at least on occasion.

Virtually the same crew still runs the ships he's complained to, and PACC's efforts have been ignored or stifled, so he's been feeling helpless, even depressed. Imagine losing all control of things around you, and none would be so if not for your disability. You'd even have privacy for the most basic of needs like going to the bathroom.

HE STILL GET'S NO ASSISTANCE TO BED TODAY.  DEC - Jan 19 2014

THAT'S OKAY I'M KEEPING A TAB AND WILL BE BILLING THE COMPANY LATER FOR MY 'TEMP' SERVICES AND THEN DONATING THE MONEY TO DAN SO HE CAN MAYBE BUY SOME GROCERIES.

Dan relies on charity organizations just to get out his door. Well, guess what? They've shown up once all this desperate winter and he's now, in addition to that dilemma, had to deal with getting to bed, but today was a last straw for me - for this service provider company to now tell him they can't have anyone come and get him out of bed until 12:30 pm Sunday, when offering a to bed service time at 7pm, is outrageous and cruel. They don't give him a choice either, he is simply informed they don't have anyone today and that the end of it. Not today!

I referred Dan's dilemma once again to MPP Klees' office and as yet have heard nothing back. MP Lois Brown told Dan exactly what I told him she would whixch was that "it wasn't her department but she'd make some calls". Regional Councilotr John Taylor - the one with the most influence on the issue at hand and it's state - has thus far informed Dan about the new later service available for transit now and will get back to him regarding the CCAC / Caregivers issue and getting to bed. I hope he figures it out soon because I'm sure Dan is not the only one being forced into these vulnerable and inhumane conditions. This is Canada for Gosh sakes have we forgotten everything we stand for in our rush towards the " Canadian Dream?" And what pray tell is that dream anyway? To make excuses for everything wrong we do? Or to make results? I don't know anymore.

I plan to take action to raise a petition to have this company removed as care givers of our disabled. It is disgraceful, and when clients or patients tell these companies they are not being treated with respect - by repeat offenders - we also expect action not reward with new contracts because they are the cheapest. Shop around. You want to be in the human care BUSINESS you better be into it for the right reasons or get out!

Too much charity...not enough care.

Stay tuned!