Burnaby, B.C. (October 9, 2025) — BC Care Providers Association (BCCPA) is raising alarm after the Government of British Columbia announced it will no longer fund overtime hours and agency staffing costs in the province’s publicly subsidized seniors’ care sector, including long-term care and assisted living. 

The province has announced it will end the funding as of October 31, 2025. The funding was introduced to address severe workforce shortages during the COVID 19 pandemic. New numbers released today show the shortages have continued and the funding is still necessary.  

“The pandemic has ended but the shortages continue,” said Mary Polak, CEO of BCCPA. “Our data shows that removing this funding before the staffing shortages are addressed will threaten access to care and quality of life for seniors, putting increased pressure on hospitals and emergency departments just as influenza season begins.” 

Waitlists, which already average 290 days for long-term care and 132 days for assisted living, are expected to grow, leaving many older adults in hospital beds and further straining acute care. At the same time, care staff are facing heavier workloads, higher risk of burnout, and increased potential for workplace injuries. Long-term care workers are injured at a rate 5x higher than other occupations in BC. Without sufficient support, staff may be forced to work extended hours under stressful conditions, exacerbating safety concerns for both employees and residents. Families will be pressured to take on greater caregiving responsibilities, particularly in rural and remote communities with limited healthcare options. 

“Seniors care already has some of the highest workplace injury rates in the province, and these funding changes risk making a difficult situation worse,” said Saleema Dhalla, CEO of SafeCare BC. “When staffing levels drop, the physical and psychological demands on remaining staff increase — and so do the risks of injury. Our priority at SafeCare BC is to support workers with the training, tools, and mental health resources they need to stay safe, and to work alongside our sector partners to protect both staff and residents during this challenging time.” 

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Survey Findings 

A BCCPA survey of senior care operators highlights the impacts of this decision:  

• $34.6 million annual funding impact across the sector. 

• 764 long-term care beds and 138 assisted living suites are at risk of closure.  

• 80% cite inability to meet staffing requirements; 44% anticipate bed closures, and 37% need to pause admissions. 

• Over half of providers rely on agency staff to fill vacancies, particularly outside of Metro Vancouver.  

Call for Action 

Rather than abruptly eliminating this funding, BCCPA urges the provincial government to work with care providers on solutions: 

1. Lead with Health Human Resource Strategy (Permanent solution)
   Phase out supplemental funding for overtime and agency hours by working with care providers and health authorities on a comprehensive strategy to address staffing shortfalls, thus reducing reliance on overtime and agency staff — including continued investment in successful programs like HCAP. 
2. Collaborate on Operational Flexibility (Immediate action)
   Work with the health authorities and care providers to adjust reporting requirements, staffing accountabilities, and admission timelines, enabling continued service delivery. 
3. Engage in Long-Term Care Funding Model Redesign (Permanent solution)
   Partner with BCCPA to co-develop a sustainable funding model grounded in the principles of fairness, equity, timeliness, and transparency — ensuring stable operations and predictable access to care. 

“The data is clear, ending this funding without a transition plan puts seniors, families, and frontline workers at risk,” said Mary Polak. “We need a long-term plan to stabilize staffing and protect seniors’ care.” 

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Media Contact:
Tiffany Trownson
Director of Public Affairs
BC Care Providers Association
Phone: 604-362-0962
Email: tiffany@bccare.ca  

About BCCPA: 

BC Care Providers Association (BCCPA) has represented nongovernment care providers for over 40 years. We work with over 500 long-term care, home health care, assisted living, independent living, and commercial members across the province. As part of our mandate, BCCPA champions B.C.’s family-funded seniors living and continuing care options as a way for older adults to live well. 

About SafeCare BC 

Founded in 2014, SafeCare BC is a non-profit association that ensures injury-free, safe working conditions for the more than 30,000 care workers in BC. We strive to empower workplaces that provide care to create a culture of safety through evidence-based education, advocacy for safer workplaces, leadership, and collaboration. 

BACKGROUND

What’s changing: The Province has announced it will stop funding overtime and agency staffing—tools providers use to fill vacant shifts and ensure safe resident care. 

What overtime and agency mean: 

• Overtime – when existing staff work beyond their scheduled hours. 

• Agency staffing – when external workers are contracted to cover shifts. 

What did the impact assessment find?  

• BCCPA surveyed its members and received responses from 109 publicly-subsidized long-term care and assisted living communities across the province, representing 40.5% of the contracted (non-government) seniors care sector.  

• From this sample, the funding impact is a reported $34.6 million per year.  

• Over eighty percent (81%) of care communities report that this funding change will be impactful for their care community, including 61% and 20% reporting significant and moderate impacts, respectively.   

• The most commonly reported operational impact among care communities is an inability to meet staffing requirements (80%). 

• A significant proportion of care communities report that they will need to make operational changes, including pausing move-ins (admissions) (37%), as well as closing beds and suites (44%).  

• Our members are reporting needing to close up to 764 long-term care beds and 138 assisted living suites, including 466 spaces in the Interior Health region.  

• Learn more here. 

Scope: This change affects all supplemental funding in seniors care, including affiliated long-term care and assisted living providers across B.C. 

Deadline: Funding will end October 31, 2025. 

What are the concerns regarding worker safety: 

• 101,714 workdays were lost to injury in long-term care in 2023, this is equivalent to 406 full-time workers 

• Long-term care workers are injured at a rate five times (5x) higher than other occupations in B.C. 

• Overexertion made up 32% of workplace injuries, these are exacerbated by staffing shortages and staff not having the proper education around safe handling techniques. 

• A higher rate of workplace injuries directly impacts the quality of care that residents receive. 

• Learn more here.