Media Clippings Archive

Source: Restaurant News

For those in the food and equipment distribution business, long-term care and retirement home facilities offer massive growth potential in Canada.

When you think of fine food, retirement and long-term care homes may not come to mind, but the industry is catching up by expanding its menus beyond the traditional meat and potato dishes of the past.

Compared to the restaurant industry and its struggles of late, homes for aging Canadians are booming.

Ombudsman issues first part of report after investigating state of seniors' care in the province

Source: Burnaby Now

Good, but not good enough. That's some of the reaction stirred up by the provincial ombudsman's recommendations on improving rights for seniors in residential care.

The suggestions are a step in the right direction but not enough to deal with cuts to health care and lack of affordable housing, according Elsie Dean, a Burnaby seniors' advocate. Dean works with Women Elders in Action, a group for female seniors.

On Dec. 17, ombudsman Kim Carter released the first of two reports as part of her systemic investigation into seniors' care. Carter called for the government to draft up a bill of rights for seniors in residential care, ensuring it's displayed prominently in seniors' facilities. She also wants a website listing comprehensive and comparable information about seniors' care facilities, listing things like per diem government funding, staffing levels and the number of daily care hours each resident gets. The idea is to make it easier for seniors and their families to make informed decision about care facilities. Also, she wants an expanded role for resident and family councils, entrenched in legislation, and support for the development of regional family councils.

By Justine Hunter

Strength in numbers - it's the principle that guides collective bargaining. And the notion that you carry more clout at the bargaining table as a unified force often holds true for employers as well.

Yet 26 operators of B.C. seniors care homes are opting out of the Health Employers Association of B.C. - demonstrating a loss of confidence in the government's bargaining agent.

"The end game is that we have collective agreements that are more sensitive to the issues of the residential care sector," explained Christine Nidd, provincial director for Revera Long Term Care, which has pulled six B.C. facilities out of the employers association.