See the website handsoffmyhomecare.ca and take action on preventing the costly disruption of home care services in B.C.
The stories people tell these days about how they struggle to support an elderly loved one are heartbreaking. We often hear about family members sacrificing vacation time or taking sick days to look after an aging parent.
In instances like these, relief can come in the form of a publicly funded support worker who seniors trust to enter their home, often when they are at their most vulnerable.
However, changes recently announced by the NDP government could bring service disruptions and put home-care services at risk in B.C.’s most populated health regions.
The government’s plan requires laying off more than 4,000 unionized home-support workers currently working for six contracted non-government agencies and then offering them positions in government-run health authorities with matching salaries and benefits.
Sadly, the future is less certain for hundreds of non-unionized employees who were not factored into the government’s plan.
During this transition, Health Minister Adrian Dix says his goal is that existing clients won’t see any change. The Seniors’ Advocate echoed the minister, saying the plan will be “a success if (clients) don’t notice any difference.”
If more of the same is the goal, then the public should ask why the government is making this massive expansion of the public service.
What we know is that the government’s plan was cooked up behind closed doors, with seniors and other key stakeholders kept in the dark.
Had seniors been consulted, they would tell government that they want expanded home-support services and longer visit times.
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In February 2017, the federal government did respond to growing demand by committing $785 million in new funding over 10 years toward home and community care in B.C. Yet, in spite of the federal funding coming over two years ago, seniors have not seen any significant changes in service.
With so much uncertainty around the government’s home-care plan, seniors as well as their family caregivers have reason to be anxious.
Right out of the gate the cost differential for these changes is estimated to be as much as 25 per cent higher for the exact same level of service, during a time when health-care costs are already skyrocketing. This alone should be a red flag for all British Columbians.
In addition to increased taxpayer burden, there are significant concerns about the loss of capacity resulting from scheduling changes. The government’s proposed plan will require more staff than is currently available.
Shortage of staff is understood to be the biggest crisis facing the continuing care sector. The changes to home support not only fail to address the staff shortages, they could actually make the problem much worse.
Health care is not like the National Hockey League, where you just bring additional players up from a farm team. There are simply not enough workers.
Then there are additional concerns about whether the government has thought through the impact of union seniority. By merging more than 4,000 staff represented by multiple unions into the health authorities all at once, the chain reaction around workers’ “bumping rights” could take months or even years to sort out.
This means seniors risk losing a connection to a care provider they have got to know and trust.
By choosing to shut out non-profit societies and organizations that have provided services here for decades, the B.C. government is putting politics ahead of good public policy.
It is not too late for the NDP to rethink its plan and conduct a meaningful consultation around home care.
For seniors and overstretched family members feeling the brunt, that conversation cannot come soon enough.
Daniel Fontaine is CEO of the B.C. Care Providers Association. This op-ed was originally published in Vancouver Sun.
