Today’s letters: Mulroney treated guests at 24 Sussex wonderfully

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The Mulroneys were generous hosts

Together with my musical colleges, I was proud to have performed flute for many official and unofficial events at 24 Sussex Drive for the Mulroneys. Canadians should be proud to know that Brian Mulroney, Mila Mulroney and the whole family, in fact, treated everyone who crossed that threshold  — from the Aga Khan to vice-president George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush — incredibly treated well. They were genuine, gracious and generous hosts.

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Thomas Brawn, flutist, background chamber musician, Orléans

Home-care pleas make total sense

Re: The Fall: My once-vibrant dad emerged broken from the hospital. Then he was gone, Feb. 16.

Elizabeth Payne’s article about her father’s experience, and Diane Éthier’s letter about her mother’s admission to acute care, are alarming and perhaps all too common in these times of crisis in hospitals.

The hospitals are just not able to deliver the kind of individual attention that would meet the needs of individual elders and minimize the impact on them of change when they enter a hospital. It is traumatic to face changes in functioning for elders, regardless of their cognitive status, and this is perhaps intensified when dementia is present.

Further deterioration can be expected in persons admitted for assessment and treatment of even routine events. The slippery slope of  physical deterioration is compounded by the age factor and the prognosis complicated because of it.

There is wisdom in the cry to “Get me out of here” so often heard when seniors are subject to the mysteries of the emergency department and the abrupt alterations in lifestyle following hospital admission. Similar stress reactions are activated by admission to long-term care homes. Coping with this stress is difficult when physical and mental resources are diminished by injuries.

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The plea for enhanced home care makes sense, as it optimizes well-being and independence — two highly valued commodities for people who are of advancing age.

Celia M. Carter, Brockville

Private care is part of the system

Private health-care clinics seem to be the way governments want to go to alleviate pressures on the ailing health-care system; however, there is pushback against it. There is a basic misunderstanding out there: the belief that our health-care system is a pure, not-for-profit government-run service for all Canadians. That may have been true a generation or so ago but nowadays it is a patchwork of government-run services augmented by private clinics.

For example, blood work is mostly done by private clinics that charge the government for each patient test. This mode of operation turns out to be more efficient when done in specially designed and operated clinics than in public institutions such as a hospital. Private entities, in a competitive setting, beat the government hands-down, not just financially but qualitatively. These productivity gains are well proven in many instances and in many countries.

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The cost factor has now become dominant as health-care costs are deemed unsustainable given the aging boomer population. It seems to me a no-brainer that privatization of some parts of the health system is unavoidable if we want to save it from drifting inexorably from mediocrity to poor.

Rafal Pomian, Ottawa

A good story on hospital care

With all the negatives about hospital care, I wanted to relay positive news.

A medical emergency sent me to the emergency department at the Queensway Carleton Hospital and from the time I arrived, I was treated with empathy, concern, respect and often humour. The doctor explained my ailment clearly and calmly, and each nurse I saw was caring and compassionate. In spite of the packed waiting room, staff never seemed rushed.

When I left, a speedy three hours later, I had appointments for after-care clinics already lined up and instructions to follow for home care.

A huge thanks to all those working in hospitals; we appreciate you.

Judy Warren, Ottawa

Public washrooms still hard to find

Re: Ottawa must build a better urban experience as its population grows, Feb. 26.

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Thanks to Toon Dreessen for the article on building a better urban experience in Ottawa. Not finding a public washroom when you need one is certain to sour one’s experience. At present, downtown has only two stand-alone washrooms: on Parliament Hill and in Major’s Hill Park.

We understand that new public washrooms are expensive and time-consuming to design and construct. In the meantime, the public should be able to make better use of the existing washrooms in city-managed buildings.

Locations such as libraries and community centres should post signs indicating that public toilets are available there.

In downtown Ottawa, there are at least six such buildings: Ottawa City Hall, Ottawa Public Library, Ottawa Art Gallery, Arts Court, Tourist Information Kiosk and the ByWard Market. Without external signs and way-finding guides, these public toilets are essentially hidden.

Alan Etherington, GottaGo! Campaign, Ottawa

Lansdowne audit will reveal much

Re: Let’s hope this audit shines fresh light on Lansdowne, Feb 29.

City Auditor General Nathalie Gougeon is right on the money. The financial underpinning of the Lansdowne 2.0 plan needs to go under the microscope. Her investigation will make sure this controversial project provides value-for-money.

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Even at the initial cost estimate of $419 million, the City-OSEG conclusion that the cost to citizens will be only $5 million a year is questionable. There will be, as evidenced in other recent city projects, huge cost overruns. Under the current agreement, we understand overruns will be the responsibility of the city. Consequently, it is encouraging that the door is open to look into the non-financial aspects in a future audit “sprint,” such as the revised agreement between the city and the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, and the procurement process.

Citizens of Ottawa are the legal owners of Lansdowne. It is our right to know whether its redevelopment might detonate Potter’s projected tax timebomb.

Richard Moon, ReImagine Ottawa, Ottawa

Can DND find any records at all?

Re: DND said to be ignore requests for records, Feb. 29.

One sentence in David Pugliese’s article — DND ” is claiming that records don’t exist”— got my attention. It’s very lose to what I recently received from DND: “following a thorough and complete search … it is determined that no records could be located with DND.”

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I had requested a copy of simple documents (three tables, one map of the country with a few comments on it and one graph). I provided the subject of these documents (not related to national security); the name of the person who completed, scanned and filed them (me!); the date of these documents (July 2013); the name of the group in which I was working; and the specific directorate in that group where the electronic copies were filed.

I can think of only one valid response: “Your documents were destroyed in xx year in accordance with our policy stating that originals can be destroyed after xx years.” If that was the case, say so. If not, one can be forgiven for wondering if DND can locate and read other important documents — such as contracts, invoices and its own list of employees.

André Corriveau, Stittsville

At least people are still trying

One recent evening, I was picking up pizza and came across a woman outside who was in what appeared to be significant mental distress. I was unsure how best to help her.

She walked into the SportClips barber shop next door. It was 7:59 p.m. and the stylist was trying to close up for the night. I’m not sure exactly how the conversation unfolded but when I left with my pizza, the women were sitting on the planter together, the lights were off in the shop and the stylist was rubbing the back of the woman in distress.

Things are hard and they feel like they are getting harder, but it’s nice to see people trying.

Jeremy McConnell, Orléans

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