The budget presented by Finance Minister Kevin Falcon in the legislature Tuesday afternoon suggests the Liberals have no immediate plans to act on - as opposed to study - recommendations made by the B.C. Ombudsperson to address deficiencies in the care of our frailer seniors.
The Seniors Care Action Plan released by the government last week is long on good intentions. Some of them, those not requiring a lot of money to implement, will likely happen and create improvements in the areas of training and information access.
But there is a clear and growing need to address the issue of residential care beds. The number of B.C. seniors has grown by 20 per cent in the last 10 years and will continue to grow. Over the next 15 years, the number of British Columbians with dementia is expected to increase by 47 per cent.
Meanwhile, wait lists for residential beds have already lengthened, in some cases further compromising the health of those waiting. On Vancouver Island the average wait for a residential bed is now three months.
The problems created by this situation ripple outwards across the healthcare system. Frail seniors put a strain on the B.C. Ambulance Service, emergency wards and hospital care options - where acute-care beds are often filled by seniors who should be in care homes.
Helping seniors to live at home longer is part of a solution, but the $1,000 tax credit for home renovations announced Tuesday can only be considered a start. Appointing the seniors' advocate recommended by the Ombudsperson could be the impetus for creative solutions to a growing problem.
