Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

"End the Lock-Down of Seniors in Long-Term Care and Assisted Living", say BCs Conservatives

According to numbers released less than 6 weeks ago, nearly 60% of the deaths (151) directly attributable to COVID-19 were seniors living in long term care and assisted living facilities.  While no official numbers are currently in place, of the 543 official deaths attributed to the pandemic as of yesterday, it’s likely that there are now over 300 seniors, from care facilities, who have passed from the virus.

"These people are more than just statistics. They are loved ones who have spent their final months, weeks, and days in relative isolation. And their family members have been deprived of the opportunity to comfort and support them in their final hours,” observed Conservative BC leader Trevor Bolin.

A recent report* from the Office of the Seniors Advocate stated that, "... the goal was to ensure residents in long-term care and assisted living were kept safe ... eight months later, we need to ask the question: What are we keeping them safe for if it is not to enjoy the time they have left with the ones they love?”

“We understand,” Bolin continued, “that the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine will begin rolling out next week, however, it will be many months before all of our elderly family members can be vaccinated.”

“Many seniors are losing the will to live because of the isolation that has been imposed upon them. In addition, with no opportunity to say goodbye to family members passing in long-term care and assisted living, this will undoubtedly have an extremely negative impact on the mental and emotional health of those left behind.”

A regular test is available that provides accurate results within 24 hours, and just in the past few days the travel industry has announced a plan to have vacationers tested with results also back in 24 hours.

“If it’s been successfully used to get BC’s film industry restarted, and get the airline industry off life support, should we not prioritize it’s use so that we can spend quality time with our family members who have spent far too many months in isolation, especially those nearing end of life?”

"Even with the just announced roll-out of a vaccine, this pandemic will continue to impact our seniors for many more months,” Bolin stated.

“That is why this morning we call on the provincial government to make it a priority to allow for British Columbians to once again be able to spend time with their loved ones, and to visit them in long -term care and assisted living facilities.”

“This needs to be done starting today,” Bolin concluded.


* Staying Apart to Stay Safe: The Impact of Visit Restrictions on Long-Term Care and Assisted Living Survey

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nurses Take Job Action After Years of NDP Neglect

Image Credit:  BC Nurses Union BC nurses have reached a breaking point after years of unsafe conditions, rising violence in the workplace and a government that wouldn’t listen. Now they are on the picket line fighting to be heard. Last week, nurses began job action with a 72-hour strike notice, refusing non-essential overtime and stepping back from non-nursing duties. As of Tuesday, they have escalated to picket lines for the first time in decades. This moment was avoidable. It is the result of years of unanswered concerns from the frontline workers who keep our hospitals running. Nurses have been raising the same concerns for years: unsafe staffing levels, rising violence on the job, and a workload no single person should have to carry. None of it is new, and none of it should have taken a strike vote to get the government's attention. "Nurses are exercising their legal right to job action, but it shouldn’t have had to come to this," said Kiel Giddens, MLA for...
Post a Comment
Read more

British Columbians Still Don’t Know Who’s Paying for NDP’s BC Hydro Deal

The NDP is making billion-dollar promises with BC Hydro, but British Columbians still don’t know who will pay the bill. Last week’s memorandum of understanding isn’t what the federal government and the NDP are making it out to be. It’s an admission that the NDP failed to make the long-term investments needed to keep B.C. powered. Now British Columbians have serious questions about the cost and whether BC Hydro ratepayers will end up paying the price. David L. Williams, MLA for Salmon Arm-Shuswap and Shadow Minister for BC Hydro and Electrical Energy Development , said British Columbians deserve clear answers about the full implications of the Canada–British Columbia Cooperative Prosperity Agreement. “British Columbians deserve the full truth,” said Mr. Williams. “This multi-billion-dollar announcement does not answer who pays for cost overruns, who pays for new generation, who carries the risk if industrial customers do not materialize, or whether ratepayers will be forced ...
Post a Comment
Read more

NDP Government Blames Everyone but Themselves

The federal government has announced new measures to support British Columbia's forestry sector, including $65 million in funding for projects across the province. While any support is welcome, it falls far short of the level of assistance other provinces have secured for key industries. Conservative Forests Critic Ward Stamer says the NDP government needs to take responsibility for its mismanagement of B.C.’s forest industry instead of trying to pass on the blame. Despite promising to create more jobs in the forest sector, the NDP government has overseen the loss of thousands of forestry jobs and 21 mill closures which have devastated communities. “If Premier Eby spent more time addressing the regulatory issues impacting the forestry sector than he did complaining about the federal government, we would not be in the position we are now,” said Stamer. “And instead of trying to place the blame for mill closures on Donald Trump, Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar should t...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more