Prince George, BC – Fresh off the tabling of a report by the BC Ombudsperson on seniors’ care in the Legislative Assembly, Health Minister Mike de Jong has announced the BC Government has a "blueprint for change"…

The more than 400-page report from Kim Carter’s three-year investigation details 143 findings and 176 recommendations aimed at improving the quality of life for seniors.  The Health Minister says the report chronicles many of the concerns he’s also hearing directly from seniors, that there are gaps in services, and he’s outlined an action plan to focus on six key areas:

1. establishing a Seniors’ Advocate – an office where seniors and family members can get information, support and referrals.  "It will be a place that seniors or their families can go when they encounter difficulties in their relationship with the state, or…in some circumstances, challenges that they may be confronted by in private sector relationships."  (By June 1st, there will be a single provincial phone line in place to allow seniors and family members to report concerns about care)
2. will provide $15-million dollars to expand home support services to seniors.  The money goes to the United Way, which has been running pilot projects in five communities (including Dawson Creek), to roll out a home support program in 65 communities across BC
3. advanced care planning information to help families prepare for future health care needs will be available on-line and through local health authorities by April of this year. By September 2012, enhancements to the website www.seniorsbc.ca will provide easier access to information on home and community health care programs and other services.  de Jong says, "We will ensure that we are providing consistent on-line access to detailed residential care facility inspection reports and assisted living residence investigation reports, as well."
4. want to ensure consistent province-wide standards for all seniors’ care services.  Over next 12 months, the ministry is promising to continue to improve care through increased staffing, regular medication reviews, enhanced training for care providers, and consistent medical oversight.  "By January of 2013, we intend to have standardized benefits and protections to all residential care clients, regardless of whether and where that care is received."
5. will put strategies and measures in place to prevent physical, and growing in frequency, financial abuse – $1.4-million to be spent on a provincial elder abuse protection, identification, and detailed response initiative
6. starting in April, will provide province-wide, after-hours palliative tele-nursing support to caregivers and families.  By June, the ministry will establish clinical guidelines for frail seniors in emergency and hospital to improve care outcomes and provide follow-up care once they return home.  By October, will finalize guidelines to support demential care

"The change does come with a price," says Health Minister de Jong, "We are expecting health authorities to spend about $2.5-billion dollars this year on home and community care services."

He says that money represents a 60-percent increase over the past 10-years.  "We are saying to the ministry, to health authorities, and to our network of care providers: this work needs to be prioritized and implemented within the funding increase you get in the coming year, but there will be more money spent in this area – as there has been in the past – we say that because it’s the right thing to do."

At 81.7 years, BC has one of the highest life expectancies in the world.  Almost one-sixth of BC’s population is over 65-years old – the number of seniors is expected to double from close to 700-thousand to more than 1.3-million over the next 20-years.