WHEREAS since 2002 the BC government has closed hundreds of residential care beds on Vancouver Island and thousands across BC without adequate replacement beds; AND WHEREAS many acute care beds in our hospitals are being occupied by seniors needing residential care, creating long waiting lists for other acute care services; AND WHEREAS waiting lists for residential care beds are growing: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of BC Municipalities call on the provincial government to provide adequate capital resources to re-open or build sufficient residential care beds to meet the demand on Vancouver Island and across BC.
Ministry of Health The Province has reduced wait times for residential care and developed or upgraded 4,142 care beds and units since 2001. Government will meet its commitment to develop 5,000 new care beds and units for seniors and people with disabilities by 2008. Waits for residential care now average 60 to 90 days provincewide, compared to up to a year prior to 2001. The long, chronological waitlists of the past have been replaced with a needs-based assessment tool, InterRAI, which ensures clients with the highest care needs and most urgency receive priority for residential care. Health authorities are upgrading and replacing aging residential care facilities, many over 30 years old that no longer meet building and fire code standards, to improve the quality of care for seniors and people with disabilities. These new and upgraded facilities provide larger, more private rooms, along with wheelchair access, overhead lifts to ensure safe transfers from bed to wheelchair, better dining and recreational spaces and improved security. New residential care beds are being developed where needed, as are independent housing and care options for clients who want to live in the community and dont require the 247 professional nursing care services of a traditional nursing home. Health authorities have assessed the needs of each community, based on population demographics, to determine the number of care beds that are required today and in the near future. Individual transition plans have been developed for each senior who has been relocated as a result of facility redevelopment. Wait times for acute care are influenced by a combination of factors that extend significantly beyond demand for residential care beds. Health authorities are addressing these pressures on acute care facilities through reviews of surgical services, the adoption of new technologies that speed access to care, contracts with private clinics to provide publicly-insured care services and outpatient options. Innovative options, including sub acute beds for seniors who require ongoing care but do not need the full services of an acute care hospital and transition beds for individuals who need additional support before returning to the community, are being developed to provide alternatives to acute care beds. The development of modernized residential care facilities, along with housing and care options such as assisted living and supportive housing with home support, will further contribute to ensuring British Columbians receive the right care in the right setting.