Province unveils long-term care help

People in assisted-living residences will soon have more options to stay longer and access more services to avoid being prematurely moved into long-term care, says B.C.’s health minister.

The changes to the Community Care and Assisted Living Act, announced Wednesday in New Westminster by Adrian Dix, will come into force on Dec. 1. The regulations will give people, including seniors and people with disabilities, the flexibility to stay in their communities longer.

“What this means is people will be able to live in assisted living longer and to continue to pursue an independent life longer,” Dix said.

Currently, those in assistedliving facilities must require “two and only two” prescribed services, such as managing medication and provision of and monitoring therapeutic diets, he said. Those requiring more support – assistance with the activities of daily living, behaviour management, psychosocial supports, or safekeeping of money and personal property, for example – were asked or advised to move along to long-term care.

“The gulf between assisted living and long-term care is large,” Dix said.

Assisted living offers semiindependent housing – private rooms in a house or an apartmentstyle building with suites – that provides extra supports for daily living, such as meals, recreation, medication management and psychosocial supports. Long-term care is 24-hour care. Placing people in long-term care prematurely could take away their independence and sense they are still living in their own home, Dix explained.