Knowledge gaps leave providers and governments guessing on whether 3.36 hprd goes far enough
March 29, 2019 (Burnaby, BC) – The BC Care Providers Association (BCCPA) have released a comprehensive report outlining how knowledge gaps in the publicly-funded long-term care sector are hampering efforts to determine the appropriate hours of care for residents.
The report, titled Filling the Gap: Determining Appropriate Staffing & Care Levels for Quality in Long Term Care, makes three key recommendations that will drive improved health and quality of life outcomes for seniors living in care homes, while providing clarity for decision-makers who determine staffing levels in B.C.’s care homes.
“The Ministry of Health have set a target of 3.36 hours per-resident day (hprd), and have backed that up with the required funding. We have long called for these investments, and they are making a vital difference for care home operators and the seniors they care for,” says BCCPA CEO Daniel Fontaine. “However, as the literature cited in the Filling the Gap report indicates, 3.36 hprd may represent the minimum number for which providers should be funded, not just the average by health authority. Several studies show that overall staffing levels should be higher to ensure quality care.”
Through an investment of $240 million over three years, announced last year, the provincial government has set a target of an average of 3.36 hours per-resident day, in each health authority, by 2021. In Filling the Gap, BCCPA makes the case for making 3.36 hprd a minimum requirement in each care home.
“As the Filling the Gap report explains in detail, identifying the rationale for numbers like 3.36 hprd is difficult to say the least,” says Fontaine. “Governments strive to make evidence-based policy, which is why we are asking the province to address the knowledge gaps and work with our federal government partners to gain access to better information.”
Through the Filling the Gap report, BCCPA makes the following three recommendations to the provincial government:
- To undertake a study to be completed by 2021 that would determine what staffing mix and hours are appropriate for residents in long-term care homes in B.C. given current resident acuity levels and mix.
- To call upon the Canadian government to support the establishment of a consistent methodology by 2022 to measure and track staffing mix and hours in long-term care homes across all provinces and territories, and that this information be reported regularly.
- Fund all providers (both contracted and government-owned and operated) equitably and implement a minimum of 3.36 hours of care per-resident day in each care home by 2021 so as to ensure that all seniors have access to high-quality long-term care services, regardless of their place of residence.
“What is increasingly clear is that care homes are experiencing higher acuity levels among resident populations,” adds Fontaine. “If we expect to provide the best care and quality of life available for our seniors, then we must have a plan to address knowledge gaps in our healthcare system.”
Facts outlined in the report include:
- The BC Government has provided no evidence to support the 3.36 guideline, originally set in 2009. Given the increasing complexity of residents living in care, this guideline may already be insufficient.
- Government care homes in B.C. are funded for more care hours than their non-government counterparts (3.40 hrpd versus 3.01 hprd). This works out to 142 fewer hours of care per year, per resident.
- British Columbia provides fewer hours of care than the average long-term care home in the U.S.A.—3.16 hprd versus 4.1 hprd.
A full copy of the Filling the Gap report is available here.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Rumana D’Souza
(778) 681-4859
rumana@bccare.ca
About BC Care Providers Association
Established in 1977, the BC Care Providers Association (BCCPA) is the leading voice for B.C.’s continuing care sector. Our growing membership base includes over 340 long-term care, assisted living, home care, home support, and commercial members from across British Columbia.
