by Walter Cordery, The Nanaimo Daily News
The group representing private, for-profit seniors' care homes in B.C. is urging the provincial government to study and compare the costs and efficiencies of facilities run by its members and those run by provincial health authorities.
As part of the provincial government's review of all government-funded programs, the B.C. Care Providers Association has asked Health Minister Kevin Falcon to "initiate full comparative analysis of all funding provided to health authority residential care facilities versus not-for-profit and privately operated facilities for the same service," a BCCPA press release states.
Retirement Concepts, the company that VIHA has contracted for seniors' care services at Nanaimo Seniors Village, is one of companies the BCCPA represents.
If that review demonstrates that private care facilities are administering quality seniors' care more cost-effectively than health authorities, the government should consider putting them out to competitive tender, states the release.
"An informed discussion about increased efficiency in health care must start with a commitment to more transparency," said BCCPA president Christine Nidd.
"The ability of health authorities to award themselves contracts for residential care and home support at higher rates without public tender is not ultimately in the best interest of taxpayers or the seniors we serve," she said.
In the report that BCCPA released late last week, the organization made a number of recommendations it believes will provide safer, more efficient and sustainable seniors care in the province.
A full copy of the report can be viewed at www.bccare.ca.
REPORT HIGHLIGHTS
Some recommendations of the B.C. Care Providers Association
Prioritize $54 million in new user fee revenues for care facilities with low staffing ratios.
Mitigate the impacts of the HST on the seniors' health sector.
Expand home support services and to consider standardized wage rates of home support workers and residential care aides.
