On March 9, 2017, Minister of Health, Terry Lake announced $500 million in additional funding for home and community care as well as $10 million for a new long-term care equipment purchase fund for wheelchairs and ceiling lifts for residential care facilities. CAOT-BC was pleased to be at the BC Legislature as a guest of the Ministry of Health to observe the announcement by Minister Lake and Parliamentary Secretary Dr. Darryl Plecas. It was wonderful to be welcomed by Minister Lake and to hear that the funding would improve access to occupational therapy in the residential care sector.
On behalf of the almost 2,400 occupational therapists in British Columbia and all of the clients they serve, Giovanna Boniface, CAOT National Director of Professional Affairs thanked Minister Lake, Dr. Plecas, and MLA Linda Larsen (Chair of the Select Standing Committee on Health) for this commitment.
The increased funding means 1,500 more health care professionals, including occupational therapists, will be hired in British Columbia’s residential care facilities to care for our seniors. It also means each senior will receive the recommended 3.36 hours of direct care provided by nurses and allied health staff, such as occupational therapists, every single day. Despite this commitment, CAOT-BC is still concerned about where those additional occupational therapists will come from. With just 48 occupational therapists graduating from the UBC Faculty of Medicine, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy program every year, it is simply not enough to meet the needs of British Columbia’s growing population of seniors.
CAOT-BC is looking forward to assisting the provincial government in following through on its home and community action plan, and while there is much work to be done with respect to implementation, we are hopeful that access to occupational therapy will be improved for British Columbia seniors.
Read the BC Ministry of Health announcement
Read the full CAOT-BC press release
Read the BC Ministry of Health announcement
Read the full CAOT-BC press release
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