Assisted living is an important component of the continuum of care as it helps seniors age in their community, while receiving the support they need to remain as independent as possible. The BC Care Providers Association is committed to advocating for our members who are providing this critical service across the province, especially as legislation changes such as Bill 16 affect the context in which care is delivered.
Rebecca Morris joined the BCCPA on July 24 as the Manager of Public Affairs for Assisted Living and Home Care. Last week, Morris and Mike Klassen, VP of Communications and Stakeholder Relations, spent time with Ron Pike, Executive Director of Elim Village, and Chair of the Association’s Membership Services and Engagement Committee on a site visit of the Elim campus of care.
“It was valuable to spend time with Ron, and to hear about the good work Elim Village is doing,” Klassen said. “We are looking forward to more opportunities for our new Manager of Public Affairs to spend time in the field.”
What struck Morris the most during the visit was hearing Pike talk about their campus of care approach.
“We heard about one woman who lived in assisted living,” says Morris, “while her husband of many decades lived in residential care a short walk across the campus. Ultimately, this proximity allowed the couple to stay together while receiving different types of support,” she said.
The BCCPA recently brought attention to the need to keep senior couples together as they begin to require varying levels of care.
Over the coming months, the BCCPA will be working with more providers to understand the challenges and opportunities facing the home care and assisted living sectors. The perspectives of assisted living providers will be of special interest as Bill 16 nears implementation.
