B.C.’s 2020 provincial election is well underway, and BC Care Providers Association and EngAge BC are closely monitoring campaign promises that are of importance to seniors and care providers by the major political parties.
As part of our advocacy on behalf of the sector, our association has launched a BC Election 2020 webpage which evaluates promises made by the BC Greens, BC Liberals and BC NDP against a set of top priorities identified through its ongoing engagement with the seniors’ living and wellness sector.
CLICK HERE FOR OUR ELECTION CAMPAIGN PAGE
The Association has also listed its “Top 5” campaign recommendations for the parties, which include:
- A Standalone Ministry of Seniors’ Services
- A Human Resources Plan for the Seniors’ Care Sector
- Increased (But Safe) Expansion of Family Caregiver Access
- Modernize Care Home Infrastructure and Commit to Building More LTC Beds
- A Tax Credit for Home Health and Independent Living
“Our Association is urging B.C.’s political parties to make seniors a priority during this election,” says CEO Terry Lake.
“To meet the demands of our aging population, we need a forward-thinking and robust plan for the future. Through the election campaign tracker and accompanying recommendations, we want to bring to the forefront vital issues that concern seniors and their care providers and evaluate where the parties stand on these issues,” Lake adds.
We encourage all of our members in the sector to become engaged in this critically important election — be sure to vote at your local voting place on October 24th, or by mail-in ballot or at one of the many advanced voting days.
If you have an opportunity to engage with your local candidates, we have a few questions you may want to ask them:
- Does your party support the idea of a standalone Ministry of Seniors’ Services? How would this Ministry be resourced?
- There are already too few workers in seniors’ care. How will your party ensure that B.C. has enough qualified workers to prepare for an aging population?
- What’s your party’s plan for ensuring that family members can safely visit their loved ones in long-term care? What resources will you allocate to supporting this?
- Will your party modernize and build more long-term care homes? How are you planning to prepare for today’s needs, as well as the needs of baby boomers, many of whom will need care over the coming decade?
- How will you support seniors to age in place? Will you establish a tax credit to make it easier for seniors to access family-retained home care and home support and independent living options?
If you get any responses from these interactions, be sure to share them with BCCPA.
Be sure to check back to our BC Election 2020 page — it will be regularly updated throughout the campaign as each party makes new commitments.
