Decision to close Portage institution for people with intellectual disabilities praised

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This article was published 29/01/2021 (1729 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Pallister government has announced a plan to close the Manitoba Developmental Centre in Portage la Prairie over the next three years.

Families Minister Rochelle Squires said 133 residents at the institution, which is for persons with intellectual disabilities, will be transitioned into community care.

The province will discuss individualized plans for each resident with their loved ones, caregivers or designated decision-maker, she said.

“This is a very big decision that will impact many people, and we are certainly aware of that,” Squires said in a telephone news conference from Portage on Friday.

The Manitoba government has been considering the closure of the facility for at least 15 years, as there has been a trend away from institutionalized care in Canada and around the world. It is one of the last of its size in the country, Squires said.

The Portage centre housed 220 residents in 2013 and more than 1,200 in the late 1960s.

Squires said the coronavirus pandemic provided the final impetus for the planned closure.

“COVID has certainly confirmed that this institutional way of living poses additional risks, and that community living is not only more dignified but it is safer for our residents,” she said.

The institution employs 370 people, including 280 full-time staff. They include nurses, psychiatric nursing assistants, activity instructors, housekeeping and laundry staff and dietary aides.

“All staff who want to stay in government will be accommodated,” Squires said.

Inclusion Winnipeg Inc., which assists people with intellectual disabilities to be fully included in the community, congratulated the province “for having the courage to do the right thing” by beginning the process of abolishing institutional care.

“This long-awaited announcement means people can move from isolation and segregation to being welcomed for the contributions they can make to communities throughout Manitoba,” the organization said in a release. “Together with provinces across the country, we have created well-designed plans, and successfully implemented strategies to ensure people enjoy their new homes and fulfilling lives in the community.”

Squires said there is a variety of community-based options for residents, including licensed group homes that can provide 24-hour supports.

Another option is a home-share situation in which an adult with a disability shares a home with a licensed support provider.

There are also purpose-built homes for individuals who have complex medical conditions or challenging behaviours that require additional supports to live in the community, Squires said.

“These customized homes are typically built to a higher standard than normal construction to help ensure the safety of the residents and the staff,” she said. “They include more personal space for residents than a typical home.”

The union that represents workers at the centre said the planned closure is a “huge blow to the residents, their families, the staff, and the entire community” of Portage la Prairie.

“We know the future of MDC has been up in the air for many years – and for that reason we were an active voice on a working group that has been meeting regularly about the future of MDC,” said Michelle Gawronsky, president of the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union.

“As part of this working group, we have proposed numerous constructive ideas for the future of this facility and its valuable infrastructure. Unfortunately, we have no clear picture on what the government has in store for the future of MDC and where the over 130 residents will be going and how many Manitobans will lose their jobs.”

In a statement distributed by the province, Portage Mayor Irvine Ferris said the city has been “working collaboratively with the province for many years” on the future of the MDC and “understand(s) the need for change.”

“We look forward to continuing this working relationship as we find valuable alternative uses for the property that will create a meaningful economic impact and ensure Portage la Prairie voices are heard,” Ferris said.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca