Listen to this article
Estimated 4 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
A delegation representing caregivers in the Oceanside region of mid-Vancouver Island, B.C., delivered a petition to Qualicum Beach town council on Wednesday, asking for more respite and seniors care facilities in the area.
Area resident Carol Dowe, the petition’s ringleader, says many people caring for a loved one in Oceanside are at the breaking point and need help now.
“People have to wait six months to two years depending on their diagnosis,” Dowe said, referring to long-term care beds.
“Caregivers also have to wait at least six months to get any respite.”
Respite is a temporary spot in a facility for the person in need of care, which Dowe says gives caregivers time off to recharge before they go back to the 24/7 support they often offer.
At last count, Dowe’s petition had 2,260 signatures. The delegation also delivered 188 letters of support.
Varying wait times: Island Health
Oceanside — which informally encompasses 12 communities, including parts of the Nanaimo Regional District, the Town of Qualicum Beach and the City of Parksville — is one of a handful of B.C. regions with the largest percentage of older residents in all of Canada.
In Qualicum Beach, 56 per cent of residents are at least 65. In Parksville, residents 65 and older make 46 per cent of the population — more than in any other urban area in the country.
In a written statement, Island Health says it has three respite care beds available in the region. The health authority says these can be booked up to six months in advance, in one-week blocks.
“Wait times vary based on individual care needs and demand for respite fluctuates significantly depending on the season,” the statement said.
“In the fall and winter, most people can book a respite stay within four weeks of the request. When demand increases in the spring and summer, people may need to plan their booking months in advance.”
Island Health said caregivers can also book ahead at nearby regions like Nanaimo.
The health authority says it is also on track to open a new seniors facility in nearby Lantzville, 35 kilometres away from Qualicum Beach, which will add 306 long-term care beds to the system.
It is also opening a new long-term care facility in Campbell River, about 110 kilometres north of the town.
B.C. Seniors Advocate Dan Levitt says B.C. will need almost 16,000 new beds by 2036 in order to meet growing demand. He says the shortage is due to a lack of investment from the province, particularly with building new care homes in response to looming demand from the aging baby boomer population. On BC Today with host Michelle Eliot, he responds to a caller who had to care for her elderly mother while wait-listed for a long-term care home. He says caregiving and financial responsibility have shifted to family caregivers.
‘I worry what will happen’
But Dowe says those facilities are too far away for local caregivers, and help is needed sooner.
“By the time our caregivers make the phone call, they are probably just about to reach their breaking point,” Dowe said.
“Right now is when we need help.”
Caregiver Terry Champagne agrees. She was part of Wednesday’s delegation.
Champagne told council she is the sole caregiver for her 94-year-old mother, who has complex health needs.
“I have had one nervous breakdown, and I expect this will not be the last one,” she said.
“I worry what will happen if mom is waiting for years for a nursing home facility, and I’m thoroughly exhausted.”
Qualicum Beach Mayor Teunis Westbroek told CBC News that council appreciates the work that Dowe has done so far.
“I think it was a very meaningful presentation and certainly that needs to be addressed, especially with our demographics,” he said, adding that council intends to advocate for more respite care.
But Westbroek says there are enough long-term care beds in Qualicum Beach.
He thinks what’s needed is small facilities in rural areas — something Vancouver Coastal Health recently rolled out — so those in need can stay in their communities instead of overloading nearby municipalities.
