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In recent years, the province hasn‘t made any capital commitâ€" ment to institutional beds, while focusing on building community support services that could give people alternatives to institutions, explained Ewart. Although letters have been written on the issue, including ones from regional chair Peter Pomeroy and Burlington South MPP Cam Jackson, Scholtens said,‘ We need to go down in the flesh and tell them we have a very serious problem in Halton. I‘ll go right to the top to deliver the mesâ€" sage." "Halton has been totally neglected, not by the presentâ€"day government, but it‘s been this way for the last 18 years. We have to go out there and tell the province, once again, we are in dire need," Scholtens said. Last week, councillors rushed through approval for a Halton delâ€" egation and called for provincial funding to correct the situation in Halton. The region hopes to become a delegation to a Sept. 13th public hearing in Toronto on Bill 173, which is new provincial legislaâ€" tion geared to alternatives to instiâ€" tutionalization. Using 1991 provincial figures, which calculate beds per 1,000 people over 75â€"yearsâ€"old in the region, Scholtens said Halton had 111.9 longâ€"term care beds in 1991, putting the region last provincialâ€" ly. The provincial average was 149.8 beds, while Durham had 160 beds, Niagara had 157, and Sudbury had 484. Halton is 500 to 600 beds short relative to the provincial average. "The bureaucratic side of the govâ€" ernment that I deal with is very well aware we‘re at the end of the scale," said Halton‘s social serâ€" vices commissioner, Bonnie Ewart. "Halton has a shortage of longâ€" term care beds," said Scholtens. In fact, the District Health Council pegged the problem 18 years ago, in 1976, he said. "Since that time, virtually nothing has been â€"done to alleviate the situation in Halton." Longâ€"term care beds include chronic care, extended care, and licensed residential care beds. "I‘m sick and tired of letter writing, .and I‘m becoming increasingly more social services committee chair, and Burlington councillor, Ralph Scholtens, at last week‘s regional council meetâ€" ing. Tired of last place in Ontario when it comes to its longâ€"term care bed inventory. Halton Region is taking its case to the top â€" a provincial hearing. Y Special to the Beaver THE OA The province has aimed to * Tide Sample + Kâ€"mart * Ash Brooks * Sears Catalogue Sale 467 SPEERS.RD., OAKVILLE . * . <845â€"0742 ‘or $45â€"3824. Doorâ€"toâ€"Door Fyer Distribution Call Saliya Perera artel Delivery reduce the 8% of seniors aged 75 and over in longâ€"term care to 5% of those 65 and over. Another 10% would be in supportive housâ€" ing, while 85% would live indeâ€" pendently, occasionally using supâ€" port services. The province has said it will look at the longâ€"term care bed side of the equation again in 1995, so Halton is positioning itself front Municipally, Milton _ is "overbedded" while Oakville, Burlington, and Halton Hills are "underbedded". One hundred beds at Martin House in Milton were to have been reallocated throughout Halton, but haven‘t been because the province hasn‘t yet come up with its half of the associated cost, explained Scholtens. and centre. Halton‘s population is now 330,000. Projections for the year 2000 put population at 418,000 with 20,000 over age 75. Scholtens said Halton‘s populaâ€" tion is growing and that the elderâ€" ly are living longer, which gives rise to the need for longâ€"term care beds. Halton Region, as a whole, however â€" is still short. Telephone Jack Installations Residential or Business ABC Communications