Skip to content

Housing and bed shortages concern seniors

Affordable housing for seniors and complex-care beds are two concerns for a local seniors group.
80014NewS.37.20110131211042.RCSimpson010_20110201
Cariboo North MLA Bob Simpson speaks to a group concerned about seniors’ issues as Audrey MacLise

Affordable housing for seniors and complex-care beds are two concerns for a local seniors group.

On Wednesday the Seniors Advisory Council of Williams Lake and Area shared those concerns with Cariboo North MLA Bob Simpson at the Williams Lake library.

Audrey MacLise, chair of the council, said after the meeting dwindling home-care support, the cost of living, a lack of transition beds between assisted living and complex care and a shortage of complex care beds in the community creates an untenable situation for Williams Lake seniors.

“Home support — the hours and the services provided have been cut so drastically the last five years that all they do now is personal care,” she said.

“People who need assistance with grocery shopping or any cleaning at all and laundry those things are not done.”

This, she says, can result in situations where seniors prematurely go into care in an assisted-living facility.

However, the drawbacks of assisted living include: unsubsidized beds being too expensive, and the fact that those facilities may not offer the right level of care — too much of too little — for the senior.

A gap between assisted living and complex care may mean that seniors go into long-term care prematurely. Complex care beds too are at a premium.

“Even though Deni House is supposed to open this fall and that will provide us with 20 complex care beds … we currently need between 40 and 50 complex-care beds so 20 isn’t going to get us where we need to be,” MacLise said. To meet the need, MacLise suggests expanding Deni House either through its north wing or to a second storey.

Bob Simpson, MLA for Cariboo North, thinks health authorities are playing “catchup with the needs as they occur.”

The situation is worsened by an aging population, gaps across the care continuum and funding challenges.

From his perspective, there is a need for “robust” home care to keep seniors in their homes as long as possible. Affordable housing is an important element in keeping seniors at home.

“We have to address the issue of income assistance rates, disability rates, Canada Pension — all that stuff to make sure seniors have a living retirement benefit,” says Simpson.

The other piece is to have enough capacity at the assisted-living and complex-care levels.

One of the troubles in Williams Lake, says Simpson, is the lack of diversity when it comes to private-care providers.

“The lack of choice, the one provider. Other communities are learning that they need a mix of public/private and they need a mix of private-sector providers.”

Another concern in Williams Lake is that seniors are being offered publicly funded beds but they are outside the community away from family and friends.