B.C. Ombudsperson Kim Carter has raised serious questions about the government’s handling of seniors care throughout the province – and the Liberals want her back for a second term.
On Wednesday, members of the all-party special committee, led by Chilliwack MLA John Les, reappointed Carter to a second six-year term as the province’s Ombudsperson.
Carter was first appointed to the position in 2006, and Les said this week she has shown a strong commitment to good governance.
During her tenure, the ombudsperson’s office has undertaken the largest investigation in its history into the state of seniors care in B.C.
In February, Carter released a second report on seniors care that included 176 recommendations for how the government could improve the way B.C.’s elderly population is cared for.
During a recent interview with Business in Vancouver, Carter said she was impressed by the dedication of a large number of the private for-profit seniors care providers in B.C., but the system needs to be simplified to make it easier for seniors and their families to navigate.
Her recommendations focus on everything from streamlining the acts under which care facilities are governed, to setting a standard of care that applies to all health authorities and implementing simple rules care regulations.
“Most of these things are quite straight forward and basic things such as food, bathing frequency, staffing and it’s been done in childcare,” Carter said. “We tend to really try to make our recommendations practical and doable and not create some strange new ‘academically endorsed but no one has ever done it’ approach.”
Carter said she hopes to see most of her recommendations implemented in the next 18 to 24 months.
Health Minister Mike de Jong told BIV that was a “fair” timeline.
Check out this week’s edition of BIV and tune into CBC this week for a multi-platform, weeklong investigation into the state of seniors care in B.C.
