Picture a scenario where the very person who cared for and nurtured you as a child is now in need of similar support in their golden years.
For many on Vancouver Island, that care model is taking a concerning turn.
Wait times and waitlists, capacity issues and other barriers are proving to be massive impediments to giving Island seniors the dignified quality of life they deserve as they age and approach end of life.
Officials with Park Place Seniors Living see how these issues affect family members and their loved ones in care settings on a daily basis. And they’re sounding the alarm over what’s happening currently, and what could happen in the future should adequate supports not be implemented across the province and most notably on Vancouver Island.
“The big picture is that there is a lack of long-term care space in B.C.,” explains Lina Saba, Park Place’s senior director of communications. “I think most people are not even thinking about themselves or someone in their family needing long-term care one day.”
Securing reliable care for seniors
Park Place Seniors Living operates five seniors care facilities on Vancouver Island, offering long-term care, supported and assisted living and independent living options to more than 550 Island residents and their extended families.
Island Health stats show that most care units in Saanich and Sidney have anywhere between nine- to 18-month wait times. These figures are significant, especially considering that almost 15% of Sidney residents are at least 80, the highest proportion in the country.
One of the major consequences of these backlogs is overcrowding in hospitals. Saba explains that many seniors who end up in hospital are then fast-tracked into care settings, which moves others in need of care further down a waitlist.
“It is a very stressful, uncertain situation and not the ideal way you want to make that move,” Saba says.
The uncertainty brought on by these waits can have a crippling effect on multiple generations within a family. For the elderly, these scenarios can give way to financial uncertainty, a lack of continuity in care or prolonged hospital stays.
“When you’re in need of personal care – someone to help you bathe or get changed – if you have a different care aide or different nurse come in every couple weeks because they’re stretched, the relationship and trust piece is missing. It’s not a good feeling,” Saba says.
Addressing the need for action
Those same financial worries can play out for family members, along with the very real prospect of caregiver burnout or depression.
“Some caregivers face significant stress while trying to provide for others’ needs, often at the expense of their own well-being,” Saba adds.
Saba emphasizes the importance of advocacy across the Island to inspire change, encouraging individuals to contact their municipal leaders to support the development of seniors homes or the Office of the Seniors Advocate.
