Ferry fallout Gabriola residents react to announcement of route cuts. Page 20 Under siege Clippers’ goalie Jayson Argue leads league in wins, saves. Page B1 Following dreams Singer shares experiences, goals with youth. Page 3
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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2013
Family angry home support fails mother
erin Burden, news Bulletin advertising representative, and the rest of staff are collecting coins of all denominations to help bring joy to children this Christmas. the newspaper launches its inaugural Coins for Kids campaign today (nov. 21) to help purchase presents for children from nanaimo’s economically disadvantaged families.
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THE NEwS BULLETiN
Fundraising drive changes it up for charity THE NEwS BULLETiN
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t’s time for a change. After more than 16 years of the News Bulletin’s annual Pennies for Presents campaign, we’re changing it up and renaming the fundraiser Coins for Kids. The campaign was simple – collect spare pennies and drop them off at the News Bulletin and participating locations; we will get them rolled, deposited and donated to charities in Nanaimo. With the federal government phasing out the penny, we needed to come up with a new name, hence Coins for Kids, said publisher Maurice Donn. “The campaign is a tradition among Black Press newspapers, especially at the News Bulletin,” Donn said. “We wanted to continue raising money for charity in Nanaimo, and now we’ve rebranded the campaign with the
island health apologizes over treatment.
By TaMara CUnninghaM
CHRIS BUSH THe NewS BUlleTIN
By Melissa Fryer
250.390.1871
VOL. 25, NO. 68
name Coins for Kids.” The campaign raises money for three charities in Nanaimo – the Great Nanaimo Toy Drive, the Salvation Army and the Nanaimo Boys and Girls Club, which support children and their families at Christmas with gifts and food.
Since its inception, Coins for Kids has raised more than $160,000 in Nanaimo alone. Last year the community donated more than $8,000. It’s easy to participate; simply gather up your spare change from sock drawers, couch cushions
and vehicle floor mats and bring it in to the News Bulletin or one of our community drop-off locations. “It doesn’t even have to be rolled,” Donn said. Donations are accepted now until Dec. 19. Throughout the campaign, the News Bulletin will publish stories about people who are fundraising, the charities that benefit and the volunteers who help pull the campaign together. To donate, please drop off coins to InPrint, John’s Bedroom Barn, Northridge Fitness, Sink or Swim Scuba, La-Z-Boy, Royal LePage (Brooks Landing), Coast Realty (Downtown), ICBC Driver Licensing Centre on Metral Drive, Cline Medical Centre, or Quality Foods (University Village). Donations can also be dropped off at the News Bulletin, 777 Poplar St., on weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, please call 250-753-3707. editor@nanaimobulletin.com
An 80-year-old woman with Parkinson’s disease was discharged from Nanaimo Regional General Hospital without adequate home support, says her family. Hilda Cruttenden fell and was rushed back to Nanaimo hospital by ambulance five hours after being discharged Nov. 8. According to her son Peter Cruttenden, Island Health didn’t deliver on assurances of adequate home support, making the fall inevitable. His mother has a history of weakness and frailty and the family had been told she would receive ample support if she was released from the hospital, including a community care worker at her residence when she returned home. But Cruttenden said an Island Health employee didn’t arrive until three hours after his mother was wheeled back into her apartment and the professional didn’t
stay long – a move he calls ‘negligent’ and not enough. The health authority apologized to the family. In an e-mail, an Island Health spokesman told the Nanaimo Bulletin it had advised its client a care worker would be at her residence when she arrived home, but “unfortunately, the client had a fall prior to the arrival of the staff member.” “It was never safe for her to be there [without support] given her status and that she fell on the very first visit to the toilet tells [you] that,” Cruttenden said. “I’m angry that my mother was discharged in such a poor condition into a home care system that clearly is not functioning well ... [but] I’m also very concerned that other patients will be put in the same situation unless there are changes made.” The B.C. Nurses’ Union agrees change is needed to improve an underfunded and understaffed health care programs like home support, but says it needs to come from the provincial government. u See ‘PROVINCIAL’ /4
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