6 www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca
opiNioN LiNe
Thursday, July 11, 2013 Creston Valley Advance
P.O. Box 1279 • 1018 Canyon St. • Creston, B.C. • V0B 1G0 Phone: 250-428-2266 • Fax: 1-250-483-1909 www.crestonvalleyadvance.ca Published Thursdays except statutory holidays Alex O. Carruthers, Founder All rights reserved. Contents copyright by the Creston Valley Advance. Any reproduction of material contained in this publication in whole or in part is forbidden without the expressed written consent of the Publisher. Copyright in letters and other materials submitted to the Publisher and accepted for publication remains with the author, but the Publisher and its licensees may freely reproduce them in print, electronic or other forms. It is agreed that The Creston Valley Advance will not be responsible for errors or omissions and is not liable for any amount exceeding the cost of the space used and then only such portion where the errors actually appeared. We reserve the right to edit or reject any submission or advertisement that is contrary to our Publishing guideline.
Published by the Creston Valley Advance, a division of Black Press Group Ltd. Publications Agreement No. 40069240
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Periodical Fund (CPF) for our publishing activities.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
By carrier: $33.50 (includes GST) Local mail: $50 (includes GST) National mail: $58 (includes GST) Seniors get free month with yearly subscription
CONTACT US Publisher Lorne Eckersley Ext. 206, publisher@crestonvalleyadvance.ca Editor Brian Lawrence Ext. 203, editor@crestonvalleyadvance.ca Sales Co-ordinator Anita Horton Ext. 204, sales@crestonvalleyadvance.ca Circulation/Office Manager Dianne Audette Ext. 200, office@crestonvalleyadvance.ca Production Department production@crestonvalleyadvance.ca
Letters to the Editor
Letters to opinion line are welcome on any topic of local or general interest. Opinions expressed in letters to the editor are those of the writers; publication does not imply endorsement by this newspaper. Letters should be either e-mailed, double-spaced and typewritten or legibly handwritten, and generally not exceed 500 words. Letters will be edited in the interests of style, clarity, legality, brevity and taste, as necessary. The Advance reserves the right to refuse publication of any submission. All letters must be signed and include place of residence and telephone number. E-mail letters to editor@crestonvalleyadvance.ca; drop them off at, or mail them to P.O. Box 1279, 1018 Canyon St., Creston, B.C., V0B 1G0.
The Creston Valley Advance is a member of the British Columbia Press Council, a self-regulatory body governing the province’s newspaper industry. The council considers complaints from the public about conduct of member newspapers. Directors oversee the mediation of complaints, with input from both the newspaper and complainant. If talking with the Editor or Publisher of this newspaper does not resolve your complaint about coverage or story treatment, you may contact the B.C. Press Council within 45 days. Your written concern, with documentation, should be sent to B.C. Press Council, 201 Selby Street, Nanaimo, B.C., V9R 2R2. For further information, go to www.bcpresscouncil.org
A matter of respect
It’s a conundrum of the sort that even King Solomon might have struggled with. When I learned about a recent letter to some local residents who use home support services my stomach churned a bit. “This letter is to notify you that the service you currently receive from Creston Home Support Service will no longer be delivered in a manner that reflects your gender specific preference,” the letter starts. It seems that until last month, clients could specify that their home care support worker would be a male or female. “Beginning June 7, 2013, a female or a male community health worker will be attending to offer you the services you currently receive including personal care and bathing. “If you determine that you are not able to accept care from either gender, we will not be able to offer you the services you currently receive. You would have the option of hiring a private worker should you determine that you require gender specific services. “We understand that this may be a difficult adjustment to make however we expect that all of our community health workers, regardless of their gender, provide care in the same professional and considerate manner whether they are caring for a client of the same gender or not.” The letter was delivered to my office by a friend of its recipient, a
woman in her 80s who is appalled at the thought of receiving such intimate services from a male. My first thought was that a hospital patient has no option about
personal, if you get my drift. I’m easily distracted, so my thoughts also went to whether this is a gender issue on the care receiver side. What percentage of males of any age would refuse personal, intimate care from a female? But I digress. If we know, at least intuitively, that quality of life is best when individuals are able to remain in their own homes, and that keeping people out of care faciliLorne Eckersley ties also saves money, wouldn’t it make sense to work to accommodate the minorithe gender of a nurse providing ty (I am guessing) who have specare, but then today I don’t supcific requests. pose many patients actually get Assuming that there are fewer baths and personal care, at least to male care providers, I can’t imagthe extent they once did. Times ine that this issue is really about have changed. anything more than one of schedBut service in one’s own home uling convenience and not a genuseems to be an entirely different ine gender imbalance between care matter. A home is often the last providers and care receivers. I place where one has control over understand the need for equality, one’s life and a genuine sense of but can’t we cut some slack to a privacy. And, considering that handful of old folks who do have a home care is one of a number of genuine repulsion at the thought services that almost certainly of being completely exposed to reldiverts or delays people from the ative strangers of a certain gender? need for hospitalization, I wonder Somewhere in the equation if more of an effort shouldn’t be made to accommodate preferences. where efficiency and cost-effectiveness reign supreme there needs I wouldn’t have much sympato be some acknowledgement that thy for a person who is middle aged or younger because they like- the people who have spent their lifetime working and building ly grew up in more, shall we say, communities and a country and liberal times. But to be honest, I raising children should be given can’t imagine my 85-year-old some consideration. They have mother being overly receptive to earned it, many times over. having a male personal care proLorne Eckersley is the publisher of vider, though I haven’t broached the Creston Valley Advance. the topic with her — it’s kind of
This is the Life