Carole James’ announcement today that the NDP will keep Cowichan Lodge open and place residents there within six months is the height of recklessness and dishonesty, and proves the NDP are willing to put political gain ahead of seniors’ care.
Here are the facts:
- Because of NDP neglect during the 1990s, the existing facility does not meet guidelines for residential care and isn’t suitable for complex care clients. It has a number of deficiencies, including:
- Insufficient interior space in common areas such as activity rooms;
- Spaces, such as bathrooms, that do not meet requirements to accommodate wheelchairs;
- Insufficient room sizes to accommodate equipment required in complex care;
- Narrow doorways, which present access and evacuation risks.
- Renovating the facility would take about 18 – 24 months and would require the residents to move to other care facilities, and then move again back into the facility when renovations are complete.
- The cost of renovating/upgrading the facility to meet guidelines would be the same as building a new facility.
Since 2001, the BC Liberal government has invested in seniors care in Duncan and across the province:
- In 2001, there were 242 seniors care beds in Duncan. Today there are 364 seniors beds – a 50 per cent increase. Every bed built since 2001 meets the high care standards British Columbians expect for their seniors. The NDP voted against every one of these new beds in the Duncan area.
- The BC Liberals invested in modernizing and upgrading 6,539 seniors beds that the NDP neglected through the 1990s. In addition, the BC Liberal government created 5,896 net new beds and units across the province. The NDP voted against all of these beds.
- Wait times to access residential care have dropped from up to one year in 2001 to just 15-90 days on average across British Columbia today.
- Carole James and the NDP have voted against literally billions of dollars that the BC Liberals have invested to improve seniors care across the province.
