LTCcovid Country Profile – Printable Version
1.01. Population size and ageing context
As of 2019, the total population in BC is 5,071,336. There are 948,062 people over the age of 65 and 118,479 people over the age of 85 (source: https://bcstats.shinyapps.io/popApp/).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: February 11th, 2022
1.02. Long-Term Care system governance
Five regional health authorities are accountable for all LTC including residential facilities and community care. However, public health authority owned facilities receive more support and oversight compared to privately owned facilities (source: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/1.25.2021_LTC_COVID-19_Response_Review.pdf). BC has five regional health authorities and a Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA), is responsible for managing the quality, coordination, accessibility and cost of certain province-wide health care programs. Each health authority has oversight over their own publicly owned LTC facilities. However, there is lack of coordination between health and social care. Healthcare is monitored more by the national government although jurisdiction is under the provincial government, whereas social care is almost exclusively provided and monitored by regional health authorities within the province (source: Health Authority: Overview).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: February 11th, 2022
1.03. Long-term care financing arrangements and coverage
In total, LTC services in British Columbia cost $2 billion CAD per year, with the majority, $1.3 billion CAD, spent in the contracted sector (source: https://www.seniorsadvocatebc.ca/app/uploads/sites/4/2020/02/ABillionReasonsToCare.pdf).
LTC services are available through publicly subsidized and privately funded services. Some publicly subsidized home and community care services are provided free of charge. For example, British Columbia has the highest recommended funded hours per resident day at 3.36 hours, higher than the Canadian average of 3.30. For other services, the cost is shared between the Ministry of Health and the person receiving services. The amount paid by individuals receiving care is called the client rate. Client rates are determined by BC’s health authorities and may be calculated based on income or set as a fixed rate, depending on the type of care received. For most LTC facilities, the person receiving care pays up to 80% of their income taxation and can also apply for a reduced rate due to financial hardship (source: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/accessing-health-care/home-community-care/who-pays-for-care; https://rsc-src.ca/sites/default/files/LTC%20PB%20%2B%20ES_EN_0.pdf).
Unpaid carers (commonly referred to as family caregivers in Canada) are represented by the Family Caregivers of British Columbia (FCBC), a provincial non-profit. FCBC represents over 1 million people in British Columbia. Although there is no data yet on how many family caregivers are present in the province. FCBC provides access to information and education and acts as a voice for family caregivers when liaising with other stakeholders in the health and social sector (source: https://www.familycaregiversbc.ca/).
LTC residents and individuals receiving continuous care in the community are charged a portion of their after-tax income. Individuals may apply for a reduction in rates due to financial hardship. For the most part, anyone requiring care should be able to receive it (source: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/accessing-health-care/home-community-care/who-pays-for-care).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: February 11th, 2022
1.04. Approach to care provision, including sector of ownership
Publicly subsidized services are provided by regional health authorities who deliver them through health authority owned or contracted private/not-for-profit facilities. For-profit, private facilities are often regarded as inferior to publicly owned/health authority owned facilities in terms of care, access to equipment, and government support.
In 2020, 33% of publicly funded LTC beds are operated directly by health authorities. The remaining 18,000 beds are delivered by for-profit companies (35%) and not-for-profit societies (32%) who have been contracted by one of the five regional health authorities in B.C.
A recent paper situates the contemporary crisis of COVID-19 deaths in seniors’ care facilities within the restructuring and privatisation of this sector. Through an ethnographic comparison in a for-profit and non-profit facility, they explore what they identify as brutal and soft modes of privatisation within publicly subsidised long-term seniors’ care in Vancouver, British Columbia, and their influence on the material and relational conditions of work and care. Workers in both places are explicit that they deliver only bare-bones care to seniors with increasingly complex care needs, and they document the distinct forms and extent to which these precarious workers give gifts of their time, labour, and other resources to compensate for the gaps in care that result from state withdrawal and the extraction of profits within the sector. They nonetheless locate more humane and hopeful processes in the non-profit facility, where a history of cooperative relations between workers, management, and families suggest the possibility of re-valuing the essential work of care (Molinary and Pratt, 2021; COVID-19_Response_Review.pdf; ABillionReasonsToCare.pdf).
References:
Molinari, N. and Pratt, G. (2021), Seniors’ Long-Term Care in Canada: A Continuum of Soft to Brutal Privatisation. Antipode. https://doi.org/10.1111/anti.12711
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: February 11th, 2022 Contributors: William Byrd |
1.06. Care coordination
There is a lack of integration between health and social care both at a national and provincial level. Healthcare is broadly regulated by the Canada Health Act but provinces have jurisdiction over the operational aspects, funding, and services offered. Social care, including home and continuing care, are not covered under the Canada Health Act. Although the health and social care sectors are not governed under the same regulations, it is the same five regional health authorities providing both social and health care. The system is fragmented and power dynamics are difficult to understand (source: https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-care-system/reports-publications/health-care-system/canada.html).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: February 11th, 2022
1.07. Information and monitoring systems
Data availability presented a key challenge in managing pandemic, for example, lack of baseline data made it difficult to calculate excess staffing needs and costs during COVID-19 (source: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/1.25.2021_LTC_COVID-19_Response_Review.pdf).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: February 11th, 2022
1.08. Care home infrastructure
89% of the rooms in LTC facilities are single-occupancy rooms, 7% are double-occupancy, and 4% are multi-bed rooms (3 or more beds). 76% of residents reside in single-occupancy rooms. In health authority owned facilities, 57% of residents reside in single-occupancy rooms compared to 85% in contracted facilities (source: QuickFacts2020-Summary.pdf).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: February 11th, 2022
1.10. Workforce conditions: pay, employment conditions, qualification levels, shortages
Majority of LTC and AL health care workers in BC are represented by a union, the largest being The Hospital Employers Union (HEU) (source: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/1.25.2021_LTC_COVID-19_Response_Review.pdf).
Normally, to become a health care assistant, one must complete six to eight months of post-secondary education at their own expense before applying for a position. Due to staffing shortages during COVID-19, BC has launched the subsidized Career Access Program, a sponsorship program where individuals will work as a health support worker while training to become a health care assistant. Applications for the program began in early 2021 (source: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/economic-recovery/work-in-health-care; https://www.choose2care.ca/hcap/).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: February 11th, 2022
1.11. Role of unpaid carers and policies to support them
Unpaid carers in Canada are represented by the Family Caregivers of British Columbia (FCBC), a provincial non-profit. FCBC represents over 1 million people in British Columbia. Although there is no data yet on how many family caregivers are present in the province, FCBC provides access to information and education and acts as a voice for caregivers when liaising with the health and social sector (source: https://www.familycaregiversbc.ca/).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: March 3rd, 2022
1.12. Personalisation, user voice, choice and satisfaction
Individuals receiving LTC may choose between privately or public owned LTC facilities, day services, home support, assisted living, etc. which are all publicly subsidized (source: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/accessing-health-care/home-community-care/care-options-and-cost). A survey by the Angus Reid Institute found that two-thirds of Canadians (66%) would like the government to take over – or nationalize – LTCFs in order to increase the health and safety outcomes for people requiring long-term care (source: http://angusreid.org/covid19-long-term-care/).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: February 11th, 2022
1.14. Pandemic preparedness of the Long-term care sector
Information on pre-pandemic prepared in the LTC sector is lacking. However, in terms of Canadian pandemic preparedness for the general population, there is evidence that some lessons were learnt from SARS, which affected Canada more than any other country outside of Asia. While responses differed across provinces, funding for infection control in hospitals increased and legislative changes were made to allow for better collaboration between federal and provincial actors (source: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)30670-X/fulltext?hss_channel=tw-27013292).
An independent review of the LTC response to COVID-19 was completed in October 2020 and released to the public in January 2021. The review provides a detailed analysis of the government’s and LTC sector’s preparedness. While quick policy decisions prevented further outbreaks in LTC facilities, the pandemic highlighted issues with staffing and Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) training (source: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/1.25.2021_LTC_COVID-19_Response_Review.pdf).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: February 11th, 2022
2.01. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the country (total population)
As of February 7, 2021, there have been 69,716 confirmed COVID-19 infections in British Columbia and 1,246 deaths attributed to COVID-19, corresponding to 25.45 COVID-19 attributed deaths per 100,000 population (Source: https://resources-covid19canada.hub.arcgis.com/app/cases-cases-per-100k-population-webapp).
The first presumptive positive case of COVID-19 in British Columbia was identified on January 28, 2020. The first case of community transmission was announced on March 5, 2020. On March 18, a provincial state of emergency was declared in British Columbia, and by the end of March, all schools, personal service establishments, and dine-in restaurant services were closed. Health officials considered British Columbia to be successful in flattening the curve by late April and on June 24, the province entered phase 3 of its restart plan, where most establishments were allowed to reopen and non-essential travel within the province resumed. A second wave of COVID-19 was declared in British Columbia on October 19 and in November, mandatory mask policies and new restrictions against social gatherings were introduced. In December, Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were approved for use in Canada. The first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in British Columbia was administered on December 15. As of January 29, 2021, 129.421 vaccine doses have been administered. Current restrictions on social gatherings, restaurant services, fitness centres, and travel have been extended indefinitely (Source: https://bc.ctvnews.ca/scroll-through-this-timeline-of-the-1st-year-of-covid-19-in-b-c-1.5284929).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: November 6th, 2021
There is no data on long COVID in the LTC sector specifically, but British Columbia has opened three clinics that offer specialized care for “long haulers”. More than 1,400 people are estimated to still have COVID-19 symptoms three months following initial symptoms (Source: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/british-columbia/article-bc-now-has-three-clinics-for-long-hauler-covid-19-patients-with/).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: November 6th, 2021
2.04. Impacts of the pandemic on access to care for people who use Long-Term Care
Elective surgeries were postponed during the first wave of COVID-19, but by January 6, 2021, 90% of postponed surgeries have been completed. Health authorities plan to add capacity for additional procedures throughout 2021 and 2022. There is no evidence of discontinuation of care in LTC facilities. However, there is a lack of data published about care in the community and by family providers (Source: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/british-columbia/article-bc-has-completed-90-per-cent-of-elective-surgeries-delayed-because-of/).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: November 6th, 2021
2.05. Impacts of the pandemic on the health and wellbeing of people who use Long-Term Care
A recent survey by Safe Care BC found that many LTC staff had increased psychological fears and anxiety and intention to leave as a result of COVID-19. They felt a psychosocial burden responding to pandemic and had concerns about their personal safety and ability to care for residents (Source: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/1.25.2021_LTC_COVID-19_Response_Review.pdf).
A report by the office of the Seniors Advocate British Columbia highlights that the use of antipsychotics among LTC residents has increased by 7% during the COVID-19 pandemic and points towards interRAI assessments suggesting ‘unintended weight loss and worsening mood’ among residents.
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: November 6th, 2021
3.01. Brief summary of the overall pandemic response (not specific to Long-Term Care)
The first presumptive positive case of COVID-19 in British Columbia was found on January 28, 2020. The first case of community transmission was announced on March 5. On March 18, a provincial state of emergency was declared in British Columbia and by the end of March, all schools, personal service establishments, and dine-in restaurant services were closed. Health officials considered British Columbia to be successful in flattening the curve by late April and on June 24, the province entered phase 3 of its restart plan where most establishments were allowed to reopen and non-essential travel within the province resumed. A second wave of COVID-19 was declared in British Columbia on October 19 and in November, mandatory mask policies and new restrictions against social gatherings were introduced. In December, Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were approved for use in Canada. The first dose of COVID-19 vaccine in British Columbia was administered on December 15. As of January 29, 2021, 129,421 vaccine doses have been administered. Current restrictions on social gatherings, restaurant services, fitness centres, and travel have been extended indefinitely (Source: https://bc.ctvnews.ca/scroll-through-this-timeline-of-the-1st-year-of-covid-19-in-b-c-1.5284929).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: November 6th, 2021
3.02. Governance of the Long-Term Care sector's pandemic response
Provincial Health Officer Dr Bonnie Henry and Minister of Health Adrian Dix had a “united and consistent presence in providing key messages to the public which may have led to greater adherence and compliance to public health recommendations. Each regional health authority mobilized an Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), which included the medical health officer (MHO). MHO has authority under the Public Health Act to manage the public health response and outbreak in their region. EOC was useful and effective in coordinating responses in health authority owned and operated (public) LTC facilities but not privately owned or affiliate facilities (Source: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/1.25.2021_LTC_COVID-19_Response_Review.pdf).
There was a lack of coordination between health and social care. Healthcare is monitored more by the national government, although jurisdiction is under the provincial government. Social care is almost exclusively provided and monitored by regional health authorities within the provinces. While the same five health authorities oversee both health and social care, the creation of emergency committees and new medical health officer roles within these authorities created confusion regarding decision making power and authority.
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: March 3rd, 2022
3.02.01. National or equivalent Covid-19 Long-Term Care taskforce
There was no national taskforce because social care/LTC is governed provincially. British Columbia Ministry of Health set up a Health Emergency Command Centre (HECC) structure with the purpose of bringing people together and assisted with communication, but HECC decision making was not well integrated into provincial decision-making and accountability frameworks. The power of HECC was not clearly defined, which led to uncertainties around who should be making key decisions and how to use funds (Source: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/1.25.2021_LTC_COVID-19_Response_Review.pdf).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: November 6th, 2021
3.02.02. Measures to improve coordination between Health and Social Care in response to the pandemic
While the same five health authorities in British Columbia oversee both health and social care, the creation of emergency committees and new medical health officer roles within these authorities created confusion regarding decision making power and authority (Source: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/1.25.2021_LTC_COVID-19_Response_Review.pdf).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: November 2nd, 2021
3.03. Monitoring Covid-19 impacts in the Long-Term Care sector: data and information systems
Limitations in accessing basic LTC and assisted living sector data, including human resources and expense data, created challenges in implementing COVID-19 policy and operational support initiatives (Source: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/1.25.2021_LTC_COVID-19_Response_Review.pdf). LTC operators reported “spending hundreds of extra hours to respond to requests for reporting and additional inspections over the course of the pandemic” and many providers found these requests to be overwhelming. But the government saw this information as essential to evaluate how LTC sector was doing throughout COVID-19 and what further assistance/support was needed.
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: November 6th, 2021
3.04. Financial measures to support users and providers of Long-Term Care
At the beginning of the pandemic, LTC and assisted living providers reported spending an excessive amount on COVID-related expenditures and were unsure as to whether they would be reimbursed, because the Ministry of Health had not provided clear guidelines or timelines. Providers also reported lost revenue from an increased vacancy rate.
After the province announced additional funding to meet demands, LTC operators found funding distribution to be problematic. LTC operators were not sure how the funding was allocated and distributed. Additionally, privately-owned sites were not included in wage levelling and did not qualify for pandemic pay despite filling the same role. Managers and leaders were not included in pandemic pay, and in some instances, managers were paid less than the people working under them.
Despite supplemental funding totalling 1.3 full time equivalent per full-time staff person in order to cover additional staffing demands, operators found it difficult to fill the extra hours due to staffing shortages (Source: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/1.25.2021_LTC_COVID-19_Response_Review.pdf).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: November 6th, 2021
3.05. Long-Term Care oversight and regulation functions during the pandemic
Health authority owned LTC facilities were found to have had better oversight, management, and support during the pandemic. Provincial health officer orders could be interpreted differently in each health authority, for example leading to different visitor guidelines/policies. The ministry established a clinical reference group as part of the Health Emergency Management British Columbia (HEMBC) to develop clinical policy responses to COVID-19. However, it is unclear how the HEMBC differs from the Provincial Health Services Authority (Source: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/1.25.2021_LTC_COVID-19_Response_Review.pdf).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: March 3rd, 2022
3.06. Support for care sector staff and measures to ensure workforce availability
A single site order was introduced on March 25, 2020, meaning that workers in British Columbia’s LTC and assisted-living facilities were limited to working in a single facility. On March 26, 2020, LTC operators were asked to provide personal and employment information, including name, contact information, and Social Insurance Numbers for all staff to the ministry to support decisions about the allocation of staff among facilities. On April 10, 2020, all employees within the scope of the Single Site Order would receive a common hourly wage regardless of their facility and employer. On April 15, 2020, Regional Health Boards were ordered to establish a working group to make recommendations to their Medical Health Officer about the assignment of staff because staffing shortages became a bigger issue following the Single Site Order (Source: https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/1.25.2021_LTC_COVID-19_Response_Review.pdf).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: March 3rd, 2022
3.07. Infection Prevention and Control measures in the Long-Term Care sector: guidance, support and implementation
At the beginning of the pandemic, LTC providers did not feel confident with IPC and emergency management practices and felt unaware of emergency support resources that could be used such as IPC specialists and staffing support. Providers did not receive regular training and education on IPC, emergency management, and how to use PPE. When guidance about PPE was given, they were inconsistent and unclear. There was also a lack of guidance for community care providers and for residents with advanced dementia or behaviour and aggression challenges, who generally do not understand or comply with social distancing requirements.
These concerns have since been addressed by the BC Centre for Disease Control releasing frequently updated IPC guidelines for LTC facilities and assisted living (https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/1.25.2021_LTC_COVID-19_Response_Review.pdf; http://www.bccdc.ca/Health-Professionals-Site/Documents/COVID19_HomeCommunityCareIPCGuidance.pdf; http://www.bccdc.ca/health-professionals/clinical-resources/covid-19-care/clinical-care/long-term-care-facilities-assisted-living).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: November 6th, 2021
3.07.01. Measures in relation to transfers to and from hospital, from community to care homes and between settings
Temporary suspension of interfacility transfers, except for cases of intolerable risk to the patient. Facilities were required to notify the receiving facility if an outbreak occurred within a 14-day period of the transfer. The outbreak protocol states that residents transferred to acute care for treatment of COVID-19 or its complications, can return to facility when medically stable. July 15, 2020 – Notification that interfacility transfers may resume if precautions are taken. Services must follow regional MHO directions (including restricting transfers between facilities with active COVID-19 outbreaks). Precautions (e.g., 14-day isolation) for interfacility transfers will be at the direction of the MHO based on assessed regional risk (https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/1.25.2021_LTC_COVID-19_Response_Review.pdf).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: November 6th, 2021
3.07.02. Approach to isolation of people with confirmed or suspected Covid-19 infections in care homes
Guidance
If a positive case is found in a LTC facility, the operator must close the affected floor/unit/ward or facility/residence to new admissions, re-admissions, or transfers, unless medically necessary and/or approved by a Medical Health Officer. COVID positive residents are not transferred to an external quarantine facility and are only transferred to acute medical care for COVID if necessary (http://www.bccdc.ca/Health-Info-Site/Documents/COVID19_LongTermCareAssistedLiving.pdf).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: January 12th, 2022
3.07.03. Visiting and unpaid carer policies in care homes
Visitor restrictions were put in place to only allow for essential visitors. March 19, 2020 – The definition of essential visitor was expanded and it was indicated that HAs would determine if a visit was essential. June 30, 2020 – Further amendment of the policy, stating that each facility must have a plan in place in accordance with BCCDC IPC (Infection Prevention and Control) guidance to indicate how social visits would be facilitated (https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/1.25.2021_LTC_COVID-19_Response_Review.pdf).
Visitor guidance for long-term care published March 30, 2021, stated that up to two adults and one child can visit a resident indoors without staff present, which may be increased when outdoors depending on current provincial guidelines (http://www.bccdc.ca/health-professionals/clinical-resources/covid-19-care/clinical-care/long-term-care-facilities-assisted-living). There are no restrictions on the frequency and duration of visits, with physical touching allowed as long as masks are worn. Residents may leave nursing homes for non-essential reasons and are not required to isolate upon return.
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: November 6th, 2021
3.08. Access to testing and contact tracing for people who use and provide Long-Term Care
In care homes: Initially testing was only completed for symptomatic staff and patients, those experiencing “influenza-like illness (ILI) or respiratory symptoms, clients with fever without known cause, and clients experiencing other symptoms possibly due to COVID-19”. Contact tracing was completed by both public health authorities and the LTC facility itself. Residents who share rooms with the infected resident should be considered as exposed and should be monitored for symptoms at least twice a day for 14 days from last date of exposure (http://www.bccdc.ca/Health-Info-Site/Documents/COVID19_LongTermCareAssistedLiving.pdf). Staff wearing all appropriate PPE are not considered a close contact of a patient who tests positive (http://www.bccdc.ca/health-professionals/clinical-resources/covid-19-care/testing-and-case-management-for-healthcare-workers).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: November 6th, 2021
3.09. Access to Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) in the Long-Term Care sector
Health authority owned and operated facilities were supported in procuring PPE, managing staffing availability, and IPC education and training, whereas private and affiliate sites felt that they were left to manage independently unless an outbreak occurred. For example, one Health Authority provided PPE to private providers with 3 days notice, where others only provided supplies to health authority owned and operated facilities. Private LTC providers were left to source PPE through local community initiatives or unauthorized distributors, which often did not meet proper IPC requirements. Two policies were introduced regarding PPE: Emergency Prioritization in a Pandemic Equipment (PPE) Allocation Framework March 25, 2020 and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Supply, Assessment, Testing and Distribution Protocol May 1, 2020 (https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/1.25.2021_LTC_COVID-19_Response_Review.pdf).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: November 9th, 2021
3.10. Use of technology to compensate for difficulties accessing in-person care and support
Telemedicine and telehealth are covered under the Medical Services Plan. Individuals seeking care may also contact the non-emergency medical support phone line by dialing 811.
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: November 6th, 2021
3.11. Vaccination policies for people using and providing Long-Term Care
Phase 1 prioritized LTC: residents and staff of LTC facilities, individuals assessed and waiting for LTC, residents and staff of assisted living residences, essential visitors to LTC and AL facilities (https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/covid-19-provincial-support/vaccines). Distribution depends on the province/territory jurisdiction – distribution difficult in northern areas, Moderna vaccine may easier to deliver than Pfizer (https://ltccovid.org/2021/01/25/the-rollout-of-the-covid-19-vaccines-in-care-homes-in-canada/). Pfizer’s discontinuation of shipment for week of Jan 25 sets back vaccination schedule (https://ltccovid.org/2021/01/25/the-rollout-of-the-covid-19-vaccines-in-care-homes-in-canada/). All LTC facility residents and the people who care for them have been offered vaccine in all health authorities around the province, as of February 9. Uptake is quite high, 87% of long-term care residents have received their 1st dose (https://bc.ctvnews.ca/all-residents-and-staff-of-b-c-s-long-term-care-homes-have-been-offered-vaccines-top-doctor-1.5288511).
Covid-19 vaccinations are not mandatory for long-term staff or any sector. As of April 30, 2021, 142,000 healthcare, assisted-living and long-term care staff in British Columbia (B.C.) had received vaccinations but the percentage of vaccinated staff in the province is unknown because not all provincial health authorities report total number of registered staff. 82.9 per cent of Vancouver Coastal Health’s eligible staff had received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, leaving more than 4,200 workers unvaccinated (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-health-care-worker-vaccination-1.6008486).
The Ministry of Health is taking an educational approach, informing staff working in Long-Term Care instead of making vaccines compulsory (https://vancouversun.com/news/covid-19-high-rate-of-vaccinations-among-care-home-staff-dispels-anti-vax-fears).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: November 6th, 2021
3.12. Measures to support unpaid carers
The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) was offered between March 15, 2020 and September 26, 2020. Individuals were eligible if they stopped working due to taking care of a family member with COVID-19, having a disability with usual care not available because of COVID-19, or a child because schools are closed. CERB has now been discontinued; however, unpaid carers are eligible for the Canada Recovery Care Benefit (CRCB). CRCB provides income support to employed and self-employed individuals who are unable to work because they must care for their child under 12 years old or a family member who needs supervised care (https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/cerb-application.html#eligible; https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/benefits/recovery-caregiving-benefit.html).
As part of British Columbia’s emergency COVID-19 response plan, BC doubled 2020 funding for Family Caregivers of British Columbia to $1 million CAD. Family Caregivers of British Columbia is a non-for-profit organization that provides support for over 1 million unpaid carers (https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020HLTH0141-000763).
Update for: British Columbia (Canada) Last updated: November 6th, 2021