B.C. led other provinces in long-term care during pandemic: report

A new report from the Hospital Employees Union details how B.C. led among provinces in protecting long-term care residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the union, working conditions for health care workers was a contributing factor.

"When you improve working conditions, you improve health outcomes for all seniors", explains Lynn Bueckert, with the HEU.

The report compared pandemic policies in B.C, Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec. The union highlights three factors that made British Columbia stand out: high wages, tuition-free training for care aides, and working at single-sites.

"We need good staffing levels, we need to have a manageable workload. We need to make sure that we have benefits and wages for our workers," Bueckert said.

Those who lost loved ones to COVID-19 are not as convinced. According to data from the B.C Seniors Advocate, 782 people died from the virus in long term care.

Dan Levitt says despite the province making some strides during the pandemic, there are still many gaps to fill.

"There simply aren't enough beds, so whether you're in a town like mission or Mackenzie you should be able to stay in the community, you shouldn't have to leave to get care."

The report says during the first wave of the pandemic, the death rate in long-term care in B.C. was lower than the other provinces.

"The pandemic really highlighted the gaps that exist in long term care, gaps that existed long before COVID", explains Bueckert.

The number of Canadians in long-term care is expected to double in the next 10 years.