Newcomers to Powell River who live with mental illness, particularly those coming from outside British Columbia, are facing additional challenges as they try to apply for disability assistance.
“We never did get any help, with the exception of Carol Smith, the nurse practitioner at the hospital,” said Sherri Marino, a Powell River resident and autism advocate who recently moved back after a number of years living on Vancouver Island and the Lower Sunshine Coast. Out of frustration she and boyfriend Ron Brunt filled out his application for Persons With Disabilities (PWD) status and sent it with a letter to the ministry of social development and social innovation explaining why they could not complete all the forms.
Marino is one of the many residents of Powell River who is not attached to a family doctor because of the current physician shortage in the province, and a large part of the form to apply for PWD status requires completion by a family physician.
“For people who are disabled this is like putting a wall up, it’s far too hard,” said Marino.
Brunt, 55, moved to Powell River from Calgary June 2013 after being reunited with Marino, whom he had not seen for more than 35 years. Brunt, who currently lives with bi-polar affective disorder and a herniated disc in his back, grew up on the West Coast but moved to Alberta in 1996 for work in the oil fields. After a four-year fight he was accepted into the Alberta disability assistance program Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH). Marino said that his disability has also been recognized by the federal government as well.
Brunt knew it would not be easy to make the move back to BC and deal with the application process, but thought it would probably be straight forward because of his experience navigating the Alberta system. When he decided to move back to BC to live with Marino, he collected his Alberta medical records and prepared for another uphill battle.
“I know it’s different from province to province, but I’m back in a province I love with a person I love,” said Brunt. “It’s just so invaliding to have to go through this process again. Kick a guy when he’s down.”
Brunt and Marino went to see Smith at Powell River General Hospital for help. Marino explained that nurse practitioners are able to help complete the first part of the 28-page form, but the second part requires a doctor to sign.
They sought out a doctor to complete the second part, but they could not find a doctor who was willing.
“We couldn’t find a family doctor and we didn’t know what else to do,” said Marino. “We thought we’d just take a chance and send the form in and put it in the ministry’s hands and hope and pray for help.”
Though it may to be too late for Brunt to find a doctor to help him complete his application, a grassroots doctors’ group may be able to help address the problem of unattached patients in Powell River.
Guy Chartier is coordinator of Powell River Division of Family Practice, established almost three years ago. One of the group’s goals is to address the physician shortage in Powell River.
Chartier said that the division is currently in talks with a few visiting physicians who are considering Powell River, but nothing is yet confirmed. However, an International Medical Graduate doctor has agreed to come to Powell River in 2015 to open a practice, he said.
Before Christmas, Chartier and the members of the division board travelled to Vancouver to participate in a conference about how divisions can participate in the BC government’s GP4ME initiative, a plan to attach anyone who needs a family doctor in the province by next year.
“We are taking on this project,” he said. “We haven’t started yet, we are just initiating the steps.”
Chartier said that a big part of attracting doctors to Powell River involves presenting the town’s livability and strong community.
