WHEREAS residential care homes are providing a valuable service to our communities; AND WHEREAS there is a disparity in funding increases between Vancouver Island Health Authority VIHA residential care homes and VIHA-affiliated residential care homes; AND WHEREAS there are no guidelines for defining standards of care and the compensation to be received providing such care; AND WHEREAS the government has downloaded costs of increased wages and benefits onto affiliated care homes by providing inadequate funding without any rationalization for the level of funding provided: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that: -the provincial government ensure that Health Authorities are required to provide equal financial treatment to all residential care homes in their jurisdiction, whether run by the Health Authority or by an affiliated organization; and -the provincial government is called upon to provide guidelines for the standards for levels of care for residential care homes and detail the compensation which will be paid for providing such care; and -the provincial government is called upon to explain its current funding regime and allocation of funding to affiliated residential care homes.
MINISTRY OF HEALTH SERVICES The Ministry of Health Services provides health authorities with global budgets for health care services, which health authorities allocate according to the needs of their communities and health regions. Before the five health authorities were created, contracts were individually negotiated on the basis of care levels, occupancy and building size. This, along with differences in the assessed level of patients care at each facility, accounts for funding fluctuations. Health authorities recognize this and are trying to standardize funding formulas wherever possible. The Vancouver Island Health Authority is reviewing and assessing its funding to ensure future funding is determined using a standardized, consistently applied formula. As residential care facilities assume more clients with complex care needs - the outcome of more housing and care options such as assisted living becoming available for seniors and people with disabilities - funding levels between facilities are also expected to even out. The province provides health authorities with policy guidelines for residential care facilities. Licensed care facilities are also regulated by the Community Care and Assisted Living Act and its adult care regulations. A renewal of the regulations, now underway, will take into account the fact that many clients now entering residential care have complex care needs. In addition, many residential care facilities, including contracted facilities, have voluntarily opted to seek formal accreditation through international, third party experts such as the Canadian Council of Health Services Accreditation.