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

Seniors Waiting Years for Care: New Data Exposes Growing Long-Term Care Crisis in BC

Image Credit: Seniors Advocate BC
 

 

“Eight years. That is not a wait time. That is a system failure”


Seniors in British Columbia are now waiting years, not months, for access to long-term care, according to figures confirmed during Health Estimates this week.

Brennan Day, MLA for Courtenay-Comox and Critic for Rural Health and Seniors’ Health, says the numbers paint a clear picture of a system falling behind the needs of a rapidly aging population.

“Yesterday, after repeated questioning, the Minister finally confirmed that 7,829 seniors are currently waiting for long-term care in British Columbia,” said Day. “That’s an 11 percent increase in just one year.”

The delays are not measured in weeks, they are measured in years.

Across the province, average wait times now exceed a year in many regions. In Vancouver Coastal Health, the maximum wait time has reached 2,825 days, nearly eight years. “Eight years,” said Day. “That is not a wait time. That is a system failure.”

At the same time, long-term care capacity remains effectively maxed out. The Ministry acknowledged that facilities are operating at near full capacity, leaving no room to absorb growing demand. 

“When a system is operating at effectively 100 percent capacity, there is no flexibility. No surge capacity. No room for dignity in care,” said Day, “All this as this NDP Government cancelled six long term care projects in the most recent budget."

The crisis is being compounded by staffing shortages. The Ministry confirmed more than 15,000 vacancies across the healthcare system, with nearly half of those in nursing-related positions. “Beds don’t provide care. People do,” said Day. “When nearly half of your vacancies are in nursing, it’s no surprise that access is collapsing.”

Day also raised concerns about transparency, noting that key system metrics, such as operational bed capacity and net new long-term care spaces, were not provided during estimates. 

“These are not obscure statistics. These are the basic numbers required to understand whether the system is improving or falling behind,” said Day. “British Columbians shouldn’t have to fight to get answers the Ministry already has.”

With demand for seniors’ care expected to rise sharply in the coming years, Day is calling for immediate action and greater transparency.

“Seniors built this province,” he said. “They deserve timely access to care, clear answers, and a system that is actually keeping pace with reality.”

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Delays to the replacement of the Red Bridge? Kamloops North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer says they are, “Totally Unacceptable.”

I think it’s totally unacceptable that on one hand the Ministry of Transportation and Transit (MoTT) is saying they’re going to be responsible for putting together multiple replacement options with public engagement, and then in the same breath they're saying, ‘Oh, and by the way, we're going to start our geotechnical environmental and archaeological site assessments on both sides of the river, possibly beginning this summer.’ According to Stamer, that should already have been done. “Obviously, we're pretty sure it will be in the same location because there's really no other place to put it. So, if you're going to put in a bridge, you think that at least you'd be doing the archaeological assessments first off”, stated Stamer.   “If it's determined it has to be a free-span bridge, and it can't have anything or very minimal impact in the riverbed, they should already be determining that. It would help in the design, wouldn't it?” Stamer indicated...
Post a Comment
Read more

FORSETH -- Given the noted infractions of this agreement with OneBC leader Dallas Brodie, I request the Party immediate suspend the leadership campaign of Yuri Fulmer

I have personally emailed the following to the Board and Administration of the Conservative Party of BC:   TODAY (03/30) Yuri Fulmer, a candidate for the leadership of the Conservative Party of BC, made a pact with ONEBC leader Dallas Broldie, that if he is elected will commit the Conservative Party to the following. Specifically, the pact states : This Memorandum of Understanding outlines the definitive electoral and governing alliance that will be executed upon Yuri Fulmer’s election as Leader of the Conservative Party of British Columbia OneBC Party commits to not nominating or authorizing candidates in 88 of British Columbia’s 93 electoral districts. In exchange, the Conservative Party of BC, under the leadership of Yuri Fulmer, commits to not nominating or authorizing candidates in five (5) specific electoral districts . OneBC will be the sole standard-bearer for the right in those five districts. The specific ridings will be determined through mutual negotiation and fin...
Post a Comment
Read more

Your government has a gambling problem (Troy Media)

Provinces call it “revenue,” but it looks a lot like exploitation of the marginalized The odds of winning Lotto Max are about 1 in 33 million. You’re statistically more likely to be struck by lightning than to win it. But your government is betting that statistics won’t hold you back; they’re counting on it. Across Canada, provincial governments not only regulate gambling, they also maintain a monopoly on lottery and gaming by owning and operating the entire legal market. That means every scratch card is government-issued, gambling odds are government-set, casino ads are government-funded and lottery billboards are government-paid. And these are not incidental government activities. They generate significant revenues that governments have powerful incentives to expand, not constrain. It would be one thing for our governments to encourage us to engage in healthy activities. We can quibble about whether the government should be trying to convince us to be more active or eat more vegetabl...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more