Hope Homes residents moved ? about time too says Jackson
A YEAR-long battle to have Government move mentally-challenged residents living in deplorable conditions at Dockyard's Lefroy House has ended with their transfer to newly-refurbished homes.
Health Minister Patrice Minors yesterday announced the former clients of local charity Hope Homes had been relocated, the housing provided and managed by St. Brendan's Hospital and the Ministry of Health & Family Services.
"I am very pleased to see that they have finally, after 19 months of living in substandard conditions, been put into a safe and healthy environment," said Opposition MP Louise Jackson.
She, along with this newspaper, drew public attention to the residents' appalling living conditions in July of 2004.
"I guess I'm just disappointed that Government will only move on these things at such a slow rate. To me it was a crisis that should have been dealt with immediately.
"Why did we have to go through all we went through to get to this point? It's heartbreaking to many people to know that it takes that long to get this Government moving to solve such crises."
The 14 Hope Homes clients were temporarily moved to Lefroy House in 2001 so that the charity's Brunswick Street headquarters might be renovated. After Hurricane Fabian severely damaged the roof to the main house, the group was forced to an adjacent dwelling ? by all accounts, tiny, cramped and unsanitary.
In making the announcement, Mrs. Minors said it signalled the "resolution of a sensitive issue". She added the Ministry's main concern had always been that the residents received "appropriate care" at an acceptable standard.
"The move is the result of much collaboration and co-operation between the Ministry of Health & Family Services, Works & Engineering & Housing, Wedco, Financial Assistance, St. Brendan's and Hope Homes," she said.
"Although we may have approached this challenge from different perspectives, all of us have remained committed to the best interests and well-being of the residents."
Yesterday Hope Homes founder Ellen Douglas painted an entirely different version of the "collaboration and co-operation" involved in the move. In a media battle last summer, Mrs. Douglas accused Government of breaking its promises to her charity. Mrs. Minors responded that Hope Homes, "in spite of receiving funds" had not sufficiently complied to Governmental requests regarding accountability and overall improvement in service to its clients. Eventually, Government withdrew its financial grant to the charity.
"I knew nothing about the move," Mrs. Douglas said. "Mrs. Minors has had no discussion with me. I was not invited to see the new premises. I wasn't involved in the move at all. I didn't know anything about it until I was informed by (the media).
"Maybe they've had a lot of collaboration but not much with us. I know if I were attempting such a move, there would have been much more communication with the homestead or person who had been dealing with them for the last 40-odd years. I don't even know where the house is."
Mrs. Douglas admitted there had been some talk with the Ministry but said it had been limited and taken place several months ago ? sometime last year.
"The last time I spoke to anyone was two weeks ago. (Director of St. Brendan's Hospital Patrice) Dill said they had received a mandate from Government to move the clients. We attempted to ask questions but she said she had nothing to do with it ? that she is a Government employee and does as she is told.
"I think the same element that initiated the move from (our headquarters) to Dockyard is probably still at work, but if (Government's) motives are pure, who am I to comment? I'm just happy they will be living comfortably until they return here."
The two new residential units are located at the western end of the island. Each boasts three bedrooms, a kitchen and a sitting area.
"I am just sorry that it took all of the rhetoric that it did for the move to take place," Mrs. Jackson said. "The people from the community became involved in trying to make life bearable for these mentally-challenged Bermudians who were living in substandard conditions for so long. So many people contributed food and clothing and all kinds of help to the clients there. I think a lot of praise should go to them for making life a little more bearable for them.
"What's truly heart-breaking, is that Government's Fire Service report and the Environmental Health office report both said the premises were unsafe. In my naivete I thought that this would have been something that would have been cleared up ? that they would have been put in a safe environment almost immediately."
The Opposition MP also questioned whether the roof at Lefroy House had ever been repaired, saying she had seen newspaper advertisements for potential contractors only recently.
"It is a shame," she added. "Our mentally-challenged Bermudians, in this instance, have really been treated as third-class citizens and I am hoping that this will bring to the attention of Bermuda that they're Bermudians too and need all the help they can get."
The Minister also addressed the residents' need for a strong support structure, saying that they would now have access to St. Brendan's extensive range of programmes, facilities and vocational activities.
"As with the other residences, there will be a group supervisor," Mrs. Minors said. "The residents will fall under a systematic schedule for medical and dental care, covered by HIP. Many of the residents have been able to work at various jobs in the community and they will continue to do so. In addition, they will be able to participate in vocational programmes.
"I am as excited about this move as the residents. I am told that they were full of smiles as they travelled to their new home this morning. This in itself convinces me that our decision was the correct one. The best thing about this move is that the residents will remain together and keep their identity as the family into which they have developed over the years."