Medical support staff cutbacks — does anyone care?

More health care dollars slashed — cuts affect us all.

Recently, the British Columbia government announced to staff at hospitals and extended care facilities across the province, that there were going to be job cuts, pay cuts and shorter hours in dietary and housekeeping departments in an effort to cut more from the health budget. In a system that has already cut costs to the bone and deeper, another cut is hard to imagine. So CVNews has done some digging and what we have discovered has raised a great many questions that don’t seem to be receiving any reasonably believable answers. [Read more]

More broken promises, neglect of elders deepens

Seniors in residential care facilities are now paying more for less.

With the increase in residential care rates for seniors and the announcement of layoffs of staff at Interior Health’s Columbia House in Invermere, residents are going to be paying more while services are going to be cut.

“When the government initially announced the increases to residential care fees they promised that the extra $54 million that would be raised would go towards improving care, but that is not what is happening in Interior Health facilities in this area,” said Columbia River – Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald. [Read more]

Seniors to Campbell — devastating rate hike not 'fair and equitable'

by Helga Boker. An open letter to Premier Gordon Campbell by the Columbia House Family Council in Invermere about the devastating impact of residential care rate increases.

Dear Mr. Campbell,

We are APPALLED with the new rate structure for Long-Term Care Residents. How can this Government stand with any kind of dignity when you proudly announce “Resident Rate Increases are expected to generate around $53.7 million in additional revenue”? This news release also stated that “Residents receive full coverage for most prescription medication and equipment as well as some over-the-counter drugs”. This statement is completely misleading and has ABSOLUTELY NO TRUTH. [Read more]

Columbia Valley seniors complain to premier about residential care rate increases

In a press release dated October 8, 2009, BC Health Minister Kevin Falcon laid out new room rates for residents in long-term care facilities across the province, increases of up to 29%, equating in fees as high as just under $3000 per resident, starting in January, 2010.

In a response the following day, MLA Norm Macdonald laid out the dire situation in which the residents in all long-term care facilities in British Columbia are about be put. “For the Minister, these are just numbers, they don’t mean anything,” said Mr. Macdonald. “But for seniors, these increases will have a devastating impact.” He went on to say, “Seniors in care are among the most vulnerable in our society, and they often have no choice in where they live. This government is taking advantage of that vulnerability with a rate increase that is simply outrageous.” [Read more]

Columbia House funding society passes torch

by Lake Windermere District Benevolent Society

After serving the Columbia Valley successfully for some 25 years and raising more than $862,000 for long term care services, the Lake Windermere District Benevolent Society has decided to cease operations.

In June 1977 the Board of Directors of Windermere District Hospital passed the following resolution: “The Windermere District Hospital (now the Invermere & District Hospital) requested the Provincial Government to assist in establishing an Intermediate and Personal Care Home in invermere. The hospital board will make land available for this institution, placing it near to the hospital so that existing services such as dietary and laundry need not to be duplicated. The board is willing to subdivide the hospital property and lease or deed the land to a new society.” [Read more]

Government practices force neglect of elders

A few years ago the Liberal government cut back the number of long-term care beds. That now means that if an elderly person falls and breaks a hip they end up in the hospital. If the break means that they can no longer live on their own, then they go on a waiting list to get into Columbia House. In the meantime, they are staying in hospital — taking up a bed that someone else might need. Some of these patients are ending up ‘living’ in hospital for months, maybe even a year or so. Our hospital used to have 13 beds. Now it has 8. That was also part of the Liberal cutbacks. [Read more]