Wednesday March 22, 2023 | VANCOUVER, BC [Updated April 13, 2023]
by Mary P Brooke, B.Sc. | Island Social Trends
“The majority of people living in long-term care are living with either Alzheimer’s or some form of dementia,” said Health Minister Adrian Dix during a media session today.
That seems like a sweeping and definitive statement — as many elderly heading into long-term care may just require the physical support in daily life without necessarily being impaired with dementia. But the Ministry of Health confirms that 63.2% of people living in long-term care in BC (2021/22) had a diagnosis of either Alzheimer’s or some form of dementia (according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information).
“Long-term care homes provide care and supervision for people with complex care needs, who can no longer live safely and independently at home, through a range of services delivered by well-trained, compassionate and caring staff,” says the Ministry of Health.
240 beds for seniors in Vancouver:
That was said during the announcement of a new upcoming long-term care centre in Vancouver.
- People on the Lower Mainland will benefit from improved long-term care and community services as Providence Health Care prepares to build the new St. Vincent’s Heather long-term care home.
- That new facility (projected to open in Fall 2028) will provide 240 long-term care beds that will replace other beds at aging Providence care homes.
- The building will be 13 storeys in the downtown Vancouver area. The facility will include 20 ‘households’ that will accommodate 12 residents, each in single-bed rooms.
- St. Vincent’s Heather will be built on the former site of St. Vincent’s Hospital.
260 beds for seniors in Colwood:
Last week Minister Dix announced the next phase of developing a long-term care centre in Colwood.
- That 306-bed centre (projected to open in 2027) will have 260 spots for seniors, along with 26 beds for brain-injured or mental health-needs residents, as well as 20 beds for hospice care.
- The building layout is more ‘sprawling’ due to land availability in the west shore.
- The facility will include a 37-bed child care centre to support local health care workers.
Dementia and long-term care:
“When a person living with dementia needs full time support, moving to a long-term care home may be the next step for you and your family,” says the Alzheimer Society of Canada on their website.
They provide a caregiver stress assessment checklist for family caregivers might be experiencing the stress of caring for a dementia patient might be affecting the caregiver’s life.
Also see: Resources for Long-Term Care (PDF)
Long-term care funding support:
“As people age, their care needs change. Everyone in BC deserves to have access to care when they need it. That is why Government has invested approximately $1 billion over the last four years to improve care for seniors, which includes investments in primary care, home health, long-term care and assisted living in BC,” it was stated by the Ministry of Health on March 23.
===== ABOUT ISLAND SOCIAL TRENDS:
Island Social Trends is a professional news portal at islandsocialtrends.ca .
Fully online since mid-2020, Island Social Trends emerged from the extensive groundwork of previous print publications in the west shore, all similarly published by Brookeline Publishing House Inc: MapleLine Magazine (2008-2010), Sooke Voice News (2011-2013), and West Shore Voice News (2014-2020).
Since 2008, journalist, photojournalist and editor Mary P Brooke has taken a socioeconomic lens to news analysis about the west shore and south Vancouver Island region, including BC provincial news, and national news impacts. She is a professional communicator, with a Certificate in Public Relations and career-long credentials in journalism and publishing. She holds a B.Sc. in health science and community education.