Families say visiting rules inconsistent, unfair in B.C. seniors' care facilities
B.C.'s restart plan is getting a failing grade from families with loved ones in long-term care.
Families complain visits are still severely restricted and access is inconsistent from one facility to the next.
“Booked appointments, limited time, we’re told frequency, duration and who we can take,” said a frustrated Jeanette Harper, whose mom is in a nursing home.
She said the province’s current reopening plan makes no mention of easing restrictions and she doesn’t understand why.
“I’ve had my two vaccines. My mother’s had her two vaccines. I have to wear a mask in her private room for every visit. My mom has alzheimer’s… I want her to see the smiling face of someone who loves her every day,” Harper said.
Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry said she is aware that there is inconsistency in how the guidelines are being applied.
“We have been working with health authorities to make sure people do get at least the minimum from the guidelines that are in place,” she said when asked by CTV News about the issue.
But she said now is not the time to allow nursing facilities to open up further.
“We are not yet at a place where we have sufficient protection in our communities to expand from there but we will be. And we will be in the coming months as we move into the summer and we’re working on that as we speak.
Harper said she feels the concerns of families are being ignored.
“To tell us that they are working on it, that’s what we’ve been hearing all year,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPs 'wittingly' took part in foreign interference: national security committee
Some MPs began 'wittingly assisting' foreign state actors soon after their election, says a report released Monday, including sending confidential information to Indian officials.
More Canadians are moving to the U.S. Here's one of the main reasons, according to an immigration expert
Recent data from the U.S. census revealed that more than 126,000 people moved from Canada to the U.S. in 2022. An expert said that one of the main reasons for this move is the cost of living.
Bus carrying Quebec tourists crashes in Cuba, leaving 1 dead and 26 injured
One person is dead and 26 were injured after a bus carrying Quebec tourists was involved in a collision in Cuba on Sunday.
Her gut was producing alcohol. Doctors didn't believe her
For two years doctors told her she was an alcoholic. Then they realized her gut was making alcohol from carbohydrates, a rare condition called auto-brewery syndrome.
Here's how far B.C. drivers must keep from cyclists, pedestrians under new law
A new law protecting cyclists and pedestrians in British Columbia takes effect Monday, establishing minimum distances that drivers must keep from so-called vulnerable road users.
Forest bathing: What it is and why some Alberta doctors recommend it
Many people are familiar with the benefits of being in nature, but forest therapy goes a step further than a simple walk in the woods.
Poilievre says same-sex marriage 'will remain legal when I am prime minister, full stop'
Facing scrutiny over comments one of his MPs made, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says if he become prime minister, he will uphold same sex marriage rights, 'full stop.'
Toyota apologizes for cheating on vehicle testing and halts production of three models
Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda apologized Monday for massive cheating on certification tests for seven vehicle models as the automaker suspended production of three of them.
OPINION We used to be part of Trump’s press team. That’s why we can see through his post-conviction spin
In a political season when many Americans have chosen to tune out the news, tens of millions of people turned to cable and broadcast TV to learn about former President Donald Trump’s fate following his historic criminal trial.