Hello everyone,
I would like to formally welcome you to my new Plan Your Healthcare Blog. Hopefully my feelings, thoughts and suggestions prove to be somewhat useful to you. If not, I hope to at least make you stop and think and even laugh at times.
As you may or may not know, my webiste is: http://www.planyourhealthcare.com/. Please feel free to review the services I offer and make your comments here, or email me and I will respond to you as soon as possible.
I look forward to all of you getting to know me better and to hearing your thoughts on home care in BC, future care planning and of course, what I write here within this blog.
Sincerely,
Kami
FYI: The most recent facts posted by Ministry of Health Services BC is as follows:
ReplyDeleteTHE FACTS ON SENIORS CARE IN B.C.
Dec. 16, 2009
Ministry of Health Services
The Government of British Columbia has modernized and improved care options and supports for seniors, increasing opportunities to live independently and providing more supports for those who require it. Here are some examples of services provided to seniors in B.C.:
* The government has built almost 13,000 new or replacement beds and units for residential care, assisted living and supportive housing.
* The province has opened more than 6,000 net-new beds and units since June 2001, successfully meeting our goal to open 5,000 net-new beds by the end of 2008.
* Spending on residential care and assisted living is expected to exceed $1.7B this year – a 46% increase since 2001.
* Wait times for residential care in B.C. have been reduced from up to one year in 2001 to an average of less than 90 days today.
* Under the restructured residential care system taking effect January 1st 2010, 25% of clients will see their rates reduce to as low as $29.40 per day, the lowest rate in Canada.
* Spending on home care and home support is expected to exceed $681M this year – a 69% increase since 2001.
* In the last 4 years the number of home support and home care clients have each increased by 14%.
Approximately 71 per cent of all recipients of home support pay absolutely no charge at all.
* The government has created a continuum of care for seniors in B.C.
o Home support: For seniors who want to stay in their home, but require some assistance.
o Assisted Living: For seniors who wish to live independently, but require more services, and physical assistance.
o Residential Care: For seniors with complex care needs who require full-time professional care.
o Specialized Residential Care: some seniors facilities are specially equipped and staffed to deal with those who suffer from serious psychogeriatric disorders and advanced dementia.
* And seniors have access to PharmaCare, one of the most comprehensive programs in the country, including 100 per cent coverage for seniors in long-term care facilities and in palliative care.
* The number of publicly subsidized hospice beds in BC has more than quadrupled, from 57 in 2001 to 279 today.
* B.C. residents who choose to die at home may receive the same drug coverage they would receive if they were in hospital:
o Over 46,000 clients have received these benefits since the Palliative Drug Care Plan started in 2001. An estimated $15 million will be spent on medications in 2009/10 – up from $3.9 million in 2001/02.
http://www.gov.bc.ca/fortherecord/seniorscare/se_healthcare.html?src=/healthcare/se_healthcare.html