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On Wednesday (Sept 30), leader of the British Columbia New Democratic Party (BC NDP) Mr. John Horgan has announced a 10-year capital plan of $1.4 billion to build new long term care facilities, eliminate multi-bedrooms and to strengthen supervision of private operators of seniors home. He also promised to increase the wages of long term care workers in the British Columbia and the staff will work only at one site.
John Horgan said that he will permanently recommend the provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry that long term care assistants should work in only one facility to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic among the vulnerable elderly population. Prior to the pandemic, full-time and part-time workers were able to choose the shifts at multiple care homes while earning differing salaries.
John Horgan said that if he re-elected then he will continue to spend between $10 million to $15 million a month to raise the benefits and wages of long term care workers so that they will receive standard income no matter where they work.
He added, “The outbreaks at senior care facilities at the beginning of the pandemic were a direct result of B.C. Liberal choices, a direct result of their decision to reduce the number of dollars that you could make when you’ve worked in the sector.”
However, Mr. Terry Lake, CEO of the B.C. Care Providers Association and a former B.C. Liberal health minister, said that increase in the private provision of long term care is not simple as it seems amidst the COVID-19 pandemic as there is no data to support this.
Office of the Seniors Advocate in B.C. has stated that most nursing homes in the province do not meet the minimum requirements for many years when B.C. Liberals were ruling.
John Horgan pointed out that the Liberal Party’s year 2002 and 2003 legislation allowed factories to outsource union work, which led to thousands of layoffs, lower wages and lower worker benefits and constant changes in the workforce to elderly customers.
The hospital employees’ union said that permanent top-up wages will provide certainty and stability to the seniors and workers. The wages and benefits of the department vary widely from one care home to another.
John Horgan also said that the details of the plan for the seniors will be carried out on the platform to be released by the New Democratic Party.
