One of the things I’ve always wondered about the Sunshine Coast is whether seniors are getting a fair shake. Are there enough services and perks in place to keep the over-65 crowd happy and healthy? Time after time the answer seems to be no.
My latest conclusion came as a result of the decision by Vancouver Coastal Health to close two public-funded care homes and amalgamate them into one privately run facility with a miniscule net increase in beds.
On the surface that could seem a good thing to the folks charged with spending our tax dollars. After all, the prevailing wisdom in our province seems to be that anything government can do, business can do better. But is that really the case in this instance?
First off, census after census tells us the population on the Coast is getting older and the need for more long-term care beds will quickly outstrip the supply. Some would argue it already has. Like the woman I interviewed several years ago whose husband was locked in the depths of Alzheimer’s disease and was living in a home on the North Shore. For 18 months the elderly woman took a ferry every day to help care for her spouse. Whenever a bed came available on the Coast it was quickly snapped up. When I questioned a supervisor at Shorncliffe, she advised (off the record) there was no waiting list – if the bed was available when needed, the person got it. So my take on that was if you were already in a bed there was no compulsion to move you.
Many of you would have read the recent story of the Barkers’ experience. Strong advocacy by their daughter resulted in both of them ending up in the same facility in time for Christmas. I’m happy for them. However, for caregivers with no one to advocate for them, just living takes all their effort – never mind spending hours on the phone and computer to get their loved ones the care they need close to home.
When the doctors on the Coast sent their well-reasoned letter to the powers-that-be, alarm bells went off for me. Most physicians are just too busy to get involved in politics. The only other issue I can ever recall them stumping for was the Back the CAT movement several years ago that resulted in the Coast getting a much needed CT scanner – not because of any largesse from the government, but because the Coast came together to raise the massive funds required for the machine.
In this instance, the funds needed are too much for any community to raise. So we’re stuck with whatever decisions are made. Pay attention, folks. No matter how old you are now, the day will come when you’re a senior. How do you want your life to play out?
