Collaboration key to B.C. success against COVID-19

Private, public efforts saved lives,

It’s hard to grasp how, in less than 100 days, the scourge of the coronavirus has impacted almost every facet of life in B.C. Tragically, more than 120 lives have been claimed by COVID-19, with about 50 per cent of those being elderly residents of longterm care or assisted-living residences.

The emotional impact on family members and those who look after seniors in care must be acknowledged. They’re also in our thoughts as we bang pots and pans each evening to salute front-line health care workers.

While we must never lose sight of the tragic human toll resulting from COVID-19, it’s also important we contrast the experience of other jurisdictions to evaluate how B.C. has fared when it comes to managing this public health emergency.

Led by Minister of Health Adrian Dix, a unique “Team B.C.” approach was undertaken in which private care providers co-ordinated our pandemic response directly with the provincial government and with regional health authorities. This work helped save lives, and slowed the spread of COVID-19 in long-term care, assisted- and independent-living settings across B.C.

Early on, all parties agreed that a united response involving government, health authorities, employers and labour organizations would be the way we could prevent our acutecare system from becoming overwhelmed. It was also how we quickly “flattened the curve” in seniors care settings.

As part of Team B.C., the B.C. Care Providers Association was the first group to publicly call for an end to non-essential care home visits to protect residents and staff. We also called for an end to staff working at more than one care home. In addition, we championed an easy-to-administer, “hero pay” top-up for front-line staff, an approach that was successfully implemented in other provinces.

B.C. so far has the lowest death rate per capita of any jurisdiction with more than five million residents.

Some of these measures, supported through public health orders by provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, helped set B.C. apart from several other provinces. While COVID-19 is an unpredictable foe, B.C. so far has the lowest death rate per capita of any jurisdiction with more than five million residents. In Ontario and Quebec, the statistics are more grim. B.C. also didn’t require the assistance of the Canadian military to staff our care homes.

Put in broader context, only 0.3 per cent of all care workers and just 0.6 per cent of seniors living in long-term care or assisted-living residences contracted COVID-19. While one infection is too many, the staff and operators across B.C. who worked tirelessly to keep the coronavirus out of their sites deserve praise.

Regrettably, one group has used the pandemic as a political wedge issue to advocate for the elimination of all privately delivered seniors care in B.C. The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives recently reissued their call to end all for-profit operations in the seniors care sector. Perhaps groups like this should refocus their efforts, join Team B.C. and aid us in the quest to ensure something positive comes out of this pandemic for seniors care.

Policy-makers have long observed that infection spreads too easily within older care home stock. So how about we work to close care homes with two-, three- and four-bed wards, and replace them with modern buildings with single-bed rooms and best-in-class amenities? We should speak up with one voice, and encourage the federal government to provide much-needed infrastructure dollars to make this happen.

Team B.C. can roll up its sleeves to immediately address our long-standing human resources health emergency. We should address the problem of short-staffing, which played a part in the spread of the coronavirus in several care homes across the country. This means getting the federal government to finally address systemic barriers that prevent Canadian and internationally trained health care workers from getting jobs in the seniors care sector.

While no one knows for certain when another health care crisis such as a pandemic will return, our Team B.C. approach is proving itself as the best defence we have.