New Recommended Policy on Care Aide Registry

The BC Care Providers Association (BCCPA) has issued a new policy backgrounder with proposed recommendations dealing with the Care Aide and Community Health Worker Registry on the subject of Employer Notification. BCCPA members can review the new policy backgrounder, using the link at the bottom of this page or by clicking here.

The template policy provides care homes with suggested procedures on how to ensure care aides remain actively on the register. This is particularly important for care aides working for multiple employers where a violation has taken place at another site.

Since the establishment of the Care Aide Registry in 2010, the BCCPA has been very vocal in advocating improvements to the Registry including most recently in its July 2014 report entitled Seniors Care for a Change, which outlines the need to streamline the Registry’s investigation process to reduce costs and reiterates BCCPA support for a “zero tolerance” approach to elder abuse.

cover-seniors-care-230x300 — Cover of the Seniors Care for a Change report released last July.

In August 2013, the BCCPA outlined its concerns with the complexity of the proposed Care Aide Registry Health Care Assistant (HCA) program recognition process. In April 2013, the BCCPA also outlined further concerns with the Registry by responding to an independent review released in February of that year. In particular, in a letter sent to former BC Minister of Health, Margaret MacDiarmid, it reiterated a number of the Association’s concerns about the Registry, including its “scale of abuse” approach, the significant new costs and additional layers of bureaucracy it imposes on BCCPA members, as well as its inconsistent investigation process and failure to recognize that employment status should be a separate issue from Registry status. As part of this submission, the BCCPA asked the government to consider a number of recommendations.

BCCPA Recommendations to Former Health Minister in 2013:

Clarify that the Registry’s key and only mandate is to review the facts and determine whether someone should be on the Registry or not. There should be no involvement in the employment relationship between the employer and the care aide.
The government should determine whether it is prepared to accept a “scale of abuse” policy framework – or whether it supports a zero tolerance approach.
Impose a small $20 annual fee payable by care aides to maintain their status in the Registry to ensure the database is kept up to date and is recovering its costs.
Commit to an open and transparent auditing process to ensure the Registry is revenue neutral and does not duplicate work currently undertaken by other processes.
Where possible, develop a new system whereby the Registry is permitted to defer to the licensing branch to undertake an investigation on its behalf.

The BCCPA is continuing to review deficiencies with respect to the Registry in order to recommend ways to improve its effectiveness and reduce costs while also better protecting vulnerable seniors from abuse. The BCCPA welcomes further opportunities to work with government, HEABC and other stakeholders in addressing these and other concerns with the Registry.