Alberta Health Services promises that senior citizens who were clients of the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) will not lose services after VON's sudden closure of all its Alberta offices. While the closure will significantly impact over 100 years of service in Alberta, AHS says there will be no disruption in care and existing providers will take over VON clients. The closure affected over 100 staff members in Alberta and ends VON's operations in several Canadian provinces as it restructures to focus on other regions.

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12 January 2016 EDMONTON SENIOR
Alberta Health Services is promising senior citizens, some whom are cli-
ents of the Victorian Order of Nurses, that they will not “fall through the
cracks” following the sudden closure of VON chapters in Alberta. “There
will be no service disruption,” says AHS spokesman David O’Brien. “It’s
going to be a big impact on the clients but we’re working to minimize any
disruption.”
AHS understands clients’ stress and anxiety over the sudden departure
of a 100 plus year nursing service, he says. The Victorian Order of Nurses,
a private national nursing care facility, have provided home care for
seniors and others since 1897. The iconic service provider first began its
operations in Calgary in 1909. It expanded to Edmonton and other areas
of the province soon after. It offered private nursing service that was
considered the “gold standard” of nursing care, known for choosing its
The End of An Era
Alberta Health Services must fill the gap left
by the Victorian Order of Nurses closures
Photo courtesy VON Archives
nurses very carefully. VON President Jo-Anne Poirier, in a prepared state-
ment, said the organization “regret (s) the impact” the changes had on
affected clients and staff and would support them during this transition.
“We have had to make some hard choices about where we are able to
make a difference in the lives of the greatest number of people,” she said,
as VON cut 23 per cent of its workforce. “This has been a very difficult
decision.”
The sudden closure of all offices in Alberta and ceasing of operations in
December has affected clients throughout Alberta, mostly in Edmonton
and Calgary. Altogether 10 full-time staff and 95 part-time or casual staff
have received layoff notices. “We have existing care providers in each of
the cities who are currently providing smaller services and able to take
over these clients and provide the client with the same service they are
receiving.” says O’Brien, who was confident the nurses could be re-inte-
grated into Alberta’s Health care system.
In the past, VON provided a national nurse’s service and was well-
known in the private health care field. They provided home care ser-
vices to many senior citizens and even operated an infant care facility in
Calgary, starting in the 1920s. The also ran foot care clinics, Adult Day
Programs, a shelter nursing program, Elder Abuse Intervention team and
Detox Centre Home Support. VON also closed its offices in Saskatch-
ewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland
and Labrador. Beth Green, VON’s vice-president of marketing and com-
munications in Ontario, says that the organization had no option but
to restructure. “It’s going to take us awhile to stop thinking of ourselves
as a national organization and maybe we never will again,” said Green.
“We are looking to focus on Nova Scotia and Ontario where we really are
integral to the public health system and I would not say that is true of
the other provinces.” Green says she understands the popularity of VON
in Alberta and how the bad news will affect people, particularly seniors.
Asked if VON will someday return to serve Albertans, Green said: “Never
say never, but it’s not part of our plans right now.”
The Victorian Order of Nurses began service in Calgary more than 100 years ago. (Left) The nurses of the Victorian Order of Nurses, Calgary
chapter. (Centre) In the 1920s, VON’s Calgary chapter opened a baby care service. (Right)
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