BC Care Providers Association (BCCPA) members will have the opportunity to vote on three special resolutions at the upcoming Annual General Meeting which coincides with the final day of the BCCPA Annual Conference on May 31 at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler Resort. The resolutions, which were approved by the BCCPA Board of Directors in January, focus on the following issues:
- Direct Care Hours
- Provincial Dementia Action Plan
- New Federal-Provincial Health Accord
“Ensuring that we are providing high-quality, person-centred care for all our seniors, especially those living with Dementia, is of the utmost importance,” says Lara Croll, Policy Analyst for the BCCPA. “Establishing a coordinated Dementia Action Plan, as well as a renewed Health Accord which recognizes the importance of caring for an ageing population, would both be welcome developments, and would make significant progress towards this goal.”
At last year’s AGM, members unanimously passed a motion focused on limited funding lifts being provided by Health Authorities that are not covering basic costs of inflation. What follows are excerpts/links to the special resolutions that will be debated and voted upon by the BCCPA membership.
Direct Care Hours
Significant disparities exist in B.C. with respect to Direct Care Hours (DCH) among care homes within and between Health Authorities, and such disparities make it difficult to provide equal and consistent levels of care leaving some residents at a disadvantage over others. The funding of direct care hours for seniors with similar medical conditions varies widely between Health Authorities, within a health authority or a campus of care.
The BCCPA recommends:
- Health Authorities provide greater transparency on how DCH for residential care are determined, including outlining how changes are derived as part of any funding model and involving operators in the process, so they are prepared well in advance of any changes.
- That the required DCH provided per resident be reviewed at a minimum on an annual basis across all health authorities to ensure greater consistency among care homes and fairness in the provision of care to clients across the sector.
- Where feasible, the province move towards a standard of 3.36 hours of care per resident per day and that any necessary staffing increases to meet this requirement be fully funded by Health Authorities and/or Ministry of Health.
Click here to read more.
Provincial Dementia Action Plan
The level of dementia is expected to increase significantly and represents one of the biggest health challenges for British Columbia. The levels and severity of dementia are also increasing rapidly in residential care, with over 60 per cent of seniors having some form of dementia in such care settings. The provincial government released a two-year Dementia Action Plan in 2012, but a new coordinated strategy and provincial dementia action plan are required for British Columbians.
The BCCPA recommends:
- That the provincial government, as originally intended commit to develop and implement a separate three-year Provincial Dementia Action Plan, which focuses on various priorities such as increasing public awareness and early recognition of dementia as well as improving quality of care for people with dementia in residential care homes.
- Along with increasing public awareness and focusing on various dementia priorities, any new provincial dementia plan should include tangible initiatives and measurable outcomes as well as align, where possible, with any national dementia strategy.
Click here to read more.
New Health Accord
The original 2004 federal Health Accord (2004 Ten Year Plan to Strengthen Health Care) expired at the end of March 2014. The new federal Health Minister has indicated plans to work with provincial and territorial counterparts on establishing a new health accord. B.C. has one of the highest elderly populations in Canada and that the portion of seniors is expected to increase to 25% of population by 2036.
The BCCPA recommends:
- That the provincial government as part of any new Health Accord advocate that the following elements be included:
-The establishment of an age-adjusted Canada Health Transfer that reallocates funding to provinces such as British Columbia with higher and growing portions of seniors;
-New and/or reallocated funding to improve capacity and build infrastructure, reduce wait times and support new continuing care models for residential care and home support.
Click here to read more.
Click here to read the full version of the three motions.
NOTICE of Annual General Meeting:
Attn: BCCPA Service Provider Members
The 2016 Annual General Meeting for the BC Care Providers Association has been scheduled for:
- Tuesday, May 31st @ 8 am – MacDonald Ballroom – Fairmont Hotel, 4599 Chateau Blvd – Whistler, BC
Anyone wishing to transfer their vote via proxy, must do so in accordance to our by-laws. Please note:
Voting rights shall be exercised at any meeting of the Society only by voting delegates or their proxies, established in writing. A proxy shall be deposited at the registered office of the Society no later than 30 days prior to the meeting, or such other place as is specified for that purpose in the notice calling the meeting, prior to the time for holding the meeting at which the voting delegate named in the proxy proposes to vote. The proxy may be given to any other voting delegate, who shall be entitled to vote on behalf of the voting delegate who gave the proxy. Proxy votes shall be allowed and shall be valid in respect of one meeting (including adjournments thereof) only.
AGENDA – the agenda will be posted online on Friday, April 15th. For further information regarding the AGM, please contact Diana Lim, Board Secretariat at diana@bccare.ca.
