Complaints about home care and support on Vancouver Island were up 45 per cent in 2018 compared to the year prior.

A new report released by the Office of the Seniors Advocate of British Columbia shows a 32 per cent rise in home care complaints across the province, over and above a 23 per cent increase the year prior.

And Vancouver Island surpasses the provincial rate. There were 187 complaints from Island Health home care patients in 2017-2018 B次元官网网址� a small portion of the total patients, but still a 45 per cent jump from the previous year.

The biggest portion of complaints that came in across B.C. were about delays, disruptions or a lack of accessibility.

B次元官网网址淭he challenges around home support are, I think, that over the years we have contracted what the service does and we have contracted who we provide the service to,B次元官网网址� said Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e done that in part because we have focused on some higher need people. But then weB次元官网网址檙e leaving those who still have needs, but arenB次元官网网址檛 the highest needs people.B次元官网网址�

Over 40,000 B.C. residents receive a form of home care, including more than 9, 500 on Vancouver Island.

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The complaints were collected from two sectors of home care: professional home care services: nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy and other services provided on a short-term basis following surgery or illness, and home support: services provided to patients that need long-term regular assistance with medication, bathing and health monitoring.

Mackenzie said that for a significant amount of seniors over 85-years-old, home care is a life line to independence.

B次元官网网址淎s one gets olderB次元官网网址�most people still want to live in their own home and home support allows them to do that by bringing care to them, rather than making them go somewhere where the care is provided,B次元官网网址� she said.

Complaints may be up, but the number of home care hours delivered on the Island has decreased more than anywhere else in B.C.

The number of hours delivered on Vancouver Island is down by more than 150,000 hours, or six per cent, and the number of patients receiving home care at all is down 2.8 per cent.

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Island Health attributes the complaints to a province-wide shortage of community health workers and said it works collaboratively with home care service providers B次元官网网址渁s concerns are raised to ensure safe and quality care.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淓nsuring home support clients receive the services they need B次元官网网址� when they need them B次元官网网址� is a top priority for Island Health,B次元官网网址� the authority said in an email. B次元官网网址淲hen clients have concerns, we take them seriously and we work closely with the client and their care providers to resolve issues as they arise.B次元官网网址�

Clients with concerns about home support care or any other publicly funded service are encouraged to speak with managers or care providers and contact Island HealthB次元官网网址檚 Patient Care Quality Office if their issues are not resolved.

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