By GREENWOODS RESIDENTS FAMILY COUNCIL
As members of the Greenwoods Residents Family Council with loved ones in long-term care, we are concerned about the personal and community-wide consequences of recent provincial government funding cuts.
In mid-September, the provincial government informed eldercare facilities throughout B.C., including Greenwoods Eldercare Society, that effective Oct. 31, all overtime and agency funding would be eliminated. For Greenwoods, this meant an approximate $400,000 cut to its annual budget. This government action was taken without any plan to replace the funding deficit.
Greenwoods Residential Care Facility is the only secure long-term care home on Salt Spring Island. It provides 50 long-term care beds and one respite care bed. All residents are provided with private rooms and round-the-clock professional care.
The Greenwoods respite care bed is the only such bed on the island, providing clients in need with nursing care and support, as well as opportunities to engage in social interactions and lively activities, and enjoy a change of scenery. It also allows family caregivers to temporarily step away, rest and recharge.
Amenities provided for Greenwoods’ residents include three daily meals and snacks, bathing, group and exercise programs, and live entertainment and community engagement events. An option for hospice care also exists. Within the secured facility, vulnerable residents can move freely in and out of common rooms and gardens but for their safety are prevented from wandering off-site. Residents living with a range of debilitating illnesses including dementia, advanced Parkinson’s and limiting physical disabilities are all cared for in a very real community setting consisting of caring staff, fellow residents, family and friends.
While Lady Minto Hospital’s extended care facility also provides long-term care, no private rooms are available and a hospital vs. home-like setting is apparent. The single occupancy rooms provided by Greenwoods are critical for maintaining the dignity and privacy of its residents. Available beds are precious. Even now, the wait list for long-term admissions is more than one year for new entries.
Another key community program is Greenwoods’ Adult Day Program, which can serve as a comforting bridge into long-term care. In addition, operation of the Braehaven Assisted Living residence apartments and Meals-on-Wheels are included in the society’s annual budget.
When the time comes for a loved one to move into long-term care at Greenwoods, family caregivers can return to their former relationships as wife, husband, daughter, son and/or friend, knowing that they are now part of the larger Greenwoods family. The dedication of the society’s administration, nursing, and care and support staff is very apparent, consistently displaying grace, generosity and good humour, no matter the situation.
At Greenwoods, 85 per cent of the annual budget is spent on labour costs. At present, the society must rely on both travel nurses and care aides to supplement its staff in order to deliver safe, quality care. While the society’s aim is to phase out travel nurses, a provincial program to hire more locally based RNs, LPNs and care aides needs to be successfully implemented first. The recent loss of funding will hinder the society’s ability to provide essential services to facility residents and the wider community.
So what does the loss of overtime and agency funding mean to the larger Salt Spring community? The cut has already resulted in loss of programming, including evening social programming and support for one-on-one physical exercise at Greenwoods. In the longer term, it may lead to lengthened waiting lists, loss of the Adult Day Program and possible bed closures. If the society is unable to hire and retain additional care professionals and provide compensation for overtime hours, stress on existing staff will inevitably increase, adding to existing challenges in staff retention and job satisfaction.
The Greenwoods Eldercare Society’s annual appeal for donations is on now. Please go to the website greenwoodseldercare.org for more information and to donate. Country Grocer and an anonymous donor are generously matching donations, dollar for dollar, up to a maximum of $10,000 until Dec. 31.
Please support Greenwoods Eldercare Society! It is a core institution in our community, providing loving care and support that, inevitably, every one of us will, at some time, be touched by, on behalf of a friend, a relative, or even ourselves. It is essential to keep the invaluable, essential services offered by Greenwoods on island!
We all feel we have something special here.