The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

To The Eagle:

My name is Carol Wegdahl and I have worked the last 33 years at Columbia View Care Center and I sometimes feel that I am an expert on aging.

During the past month I have been helping the residents deal with another loss in the aging process as they are being forced, due to the closure of Columbia View, to find a new place to live within 60 days.

When these people first moved to Columbia View, they were already experiencing several losses starting with a change in their health which would require caregivers to assist with things such as bathing, dressing, walking, etc. Many admissions to Columbia View happen when a spouse dies and the remaining spouse in unable to live alone without care from the deceased spouse. There is the loss of their home, which in some cases, our residents have lived in their entire life. Many of our residents miss the independence of being able to go for a ride in their car. There is the loss of their beloved pets. In many cases, the pets must be euthanized. There are many other losses, such as a loss of the total privacy we all experience in our own homes, and money saved for years being used to pay for care.

The closure of Columbia View will affect this community in many ways but none will be as difficult as the elderly people who will move away from the town they love. We should be asking ourselves, how did this happen? And maybe also asking ourselves, how do we stop the decreasing health services offered in our town? Why did Dr. Richard Avalon and Margie Godfrey leave? Why is Cindy Faubion no longer a member of the Cathlamet ambulance service?

The apathy in our community in recent years is sad. As citizens of Wahkiakum County, we can do better.

Carol Wegdahl

Cathlamet