A recent grant will allow Kamloops’ Ridgeview Lodge, a local seniors’ home, to purchase new safety equipment.
The lodge was one of 88 care homes across B.C. to receive funding as part of the Seniors Safety and Quality Improvement Program (SSQIP). As a result, they will be receiving $30,100 of the total $2.6 million in provincial funding announced by Minister of Health Adrian Dix earlier this year.
“All seniors, including seniors in residential care, deserve safe, comfortable environments,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “And people who work with seniors need the tools to make that happen. Updating equipment in residential care homes throughout our province is one of the actions government is taking to support the health, safety and well-being of seniors and their care teams throughout B.C.”
The B.C. Care Providers Association (BCCPA) manages SSQIP. Applications go through the agency for residential care homes that get public money for new equipment. According to a press release, the top requests include bed lifts and slings, mattresses and beds.
“Safe and reliable beds, lifts and slings – each of these things can go a long way in improving the day to day life for seniors with mobility issues,” Anne Kang, Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors, says in the release. “We look forward to continuing this important work with our partners.”
“The new purchases made by care homes will contribute greatly towards improving quality of life for seniors and worker safety,” says BCCPA CEO Daniel Fontaine. “BCCPA welcomes this investment and will continue working with its partners to strengthen the delivery of seniors care in B.C.”
Care homes are also investing in new shower chairs, tubs, mobility equipment (such as floor and ceiling lifts), lighting and visual aids, sensory rooms, music therapy and ergonomic furniture. Preventative and urgent response systems are also funded to promote both resident and employee safety.
Applications for a second round of funding have opened with up to $2 million in funding available.
This article was originally published in Kamloops Matters.
