Diana Takasaki/Cranbrook
Re: Pat Wheeler's letter about Meals on Wheels (Sept. 26/13)
I wish to thank Ms. Wheeler for bringing this matter to the attention of the public and I wholeheartedly support her statement that to fire the bureaucrats would result in a substantial saving. A society will be judged on how it treats its least fortunate members and the people who receive Meals on Wheels are not as fortunate as those of us who are able to make a hot meal for ourselves every evening.
The government did indeed state that they wished to keep seniors in their homes longer. How is taking away these meals and the human contact that is so important to every person a step in that direction? How will these people be able to pick up their meals, store them and heat them? The ones who can't drive or who don't have storage space for frozen dinners or will be unable to remember to reheat the meals will suffer.
Does Interior Health not realize that by cutting these meals they may be dooming the clients to a future in an institution? And that the cost of having these seniors living in a government facility will be far greater?
If Interior Health cannot look at this issue in a humanitarian fashion, then they should at least look at it from a financial (i.e. cost-saving) point of view. This is an extremely short-sighted decision and Meals on Wheels should be reinstated immediately.