“Today, we are announcing concrete actions to improve the lives of seniors, their families and their caregivers,” said Health Minister Michael de Jong. “Over the past decade, our focus has been on expanding the range of care options for seniors to meet increased demand for the fastest growing segment of our population. Now is the time to expand our efforts in ways that help seniors and their families navigate the system, easily access information about care options, and have a clear and simple way to have any concerns addressed.”

‘Improving the Care of B.C. Seniors: An Action Plan’ addresses concerns expressed publicly and directly to the Health Minister and the ministry by families and care providers. The direction of the action plan was also informed by the findings and recommendations in the comprehensive report on seniors’ care by B.C. ombudsperson Kim Carter. The minister and ministry staff have reviewed Carter’s report and met directly with her on numerous occasions about the need for improvements in channels of communication and the quality of care.

Through the action plan, stakeholders – including seniors and their families – will be consulted on specific items. Consultation initiatives include determining the role of the seniors’ advocate and developing a strategy to address the abuse of seniors.

“Seniors are an important sector of our community and it is critical we plan to meet the needs of this growing population,” said Ron Cantelon, Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors to the Minister of Health. “The focus of the action plan is not only on the system of care but also compliments initiatives that support healthy aging to improve the quality of life for all B.C. seniors and help them remain independent for as long as possible.”

The action plan will support healthy aging to improve the quality of life for B.C. seniors to help them remain independent for as long as possible. The Province is providing $15 million to the United Way of the Lower Mainland, to expand the availability of non-medical home support services in up to 65 communities across the province over the next three years. This will build on five pilots already underway that offer seniors access to a range of support services, such as transportation, housekeeping, home repair, yard maintenance, friendly visiting, and information and referral.

“We applaud government for expanding non-medical home support for seniors,” said Michael McKnight, president and CEO, United Way of the Lower Mainland. “The five pilots are making a significant difference to seniors who want to stay in their homes longer and require some simple services to help them do so. They make a lot of sense and are the right thing to do.”

The Province is also providing $1.4 million to the BC Association of Community Response Networks to support prevention and education activities in collaboration with local stakeholders to end abuse and neglect of older adults in B.C.

“Providing support to community response networks that work at the grass-roots level makes a difference in the lives of older adults who may be abused or neglected,” said Sherry Baker, executive director, BC Association of Community Response Networks. “With the $1.4 million in funding from government, we will be able to further strengthen the support for our collaborative work to promote safety and security for older adults.”

Actions include:

Ensuring concerns and complaints are responded to and resolved in a timely manner through the establishment of the Office of the Seniors’ Advocate, and a separate toll-free phone line for seniors and families to launch June 2012.

Improved access to information for seniors and their families so they can make better care choices. This includes online access to facility reports, easier access to assessments of seniors’ health needs and information on policies around eligibility, charges and hardship waivers – all by September 2012.

Piloting a new risk assessment tool for residential facilities to provide a more accurate indication of potential risks to quality and safety, as well as establishing enforcement processes that ensure compliance.

Protection and safety of seniors through the development of a provincial elder abuse prevention, identification and response plan by December 2012, which will include consultations with key stakeholders starting in February 2012.

Meeting the support needs of seniors in their community so they age in place by expanding non-medical home support from five communities to up to 65 communities over three years, initiating opportunities for new housing and care options, providing provincewide, after-hours access to palliative tele-nursing beginning April 2012 and better integration beginning April 2012 of primary and community care for seniors.

“British Columbia has an opportunity to lead the country in meeting the challenge of responding to the needs of our aging population,” added de Jong. “We are committed to a fair, equitable system that is clear, helpful and beneficial for seniors.”

Health authorities expect to spend over $2.5 billion on home and community care this year for seniors – an increase of 60 per cent from 2001.

‘Improving Care for B.C. Seniors: An Action Plan’ is available online at: www.seniorsbc.ca.

Health Minister Michael de Jong announced today that the site, home to the new Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, Abbotsford Hospice Society and Matthew’s House, will be named the Dave Lede Campus of Care.

These three unique and caring agencies are building on the same campus that will be named after Dave Lede, head of the Ledcor Group of Companies in recognition of his donation totalling $5 million through the Dave Lede Family Charitable Foundation. The donation includes $2.5 million that was previously announced for the second Canuck Place Children’s Hospice, as well as an additional $2.5 million for the campus of care that will benefit all three agencies.

The City of Abbotsford has contributed land adjacent to the Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre, which will be shared by the three organizations in a campus of care model.

The new campus of care will bring together three unique services on one site:

Abbotsford Hospice Society – will provide hospice services for Abbotsford residents as young as 19 years of age. The hospice society’s building will be named Holmberg House in honour of a local resident, David Holmberg Jr., whose family has made a significant contribution to the construction of the hospice.

Canuck Place Children’s Hospice – provides specialized pediatric palliative care services for British Columbia children and support for their families. The second Canuck Place in Abbotsford is underway with completion anticipated by late 2012. The new building is being named Dave Lede House, the lead donor of the capital campaign.

Matthew’s House – will provide respite for children with complex medical challenges. It is the first of its kind in Abbotsford and will offer children a safe, welcoming place where they can stay, while allowing their parents time to rest. Construction is set to begin early in 2012.

The Province provided one-time grants of $1.5 million to the new Canuck Place site in 2010 and $3.5 million to Abbotsford Hospice site in 2011.

Construction of the campus of care will begin in early 2012, with completion of the Dave Lede Campus of Care expected in 2013.

Hello,

As Surrey parents we would like to thank you for creating BC School Fruit and Vegetable Nutritional Program. This program makes so much sense on so many levels, we hope it is just the beginning of smart thinking.

As voters we are often disillusioned, so when something comes along that really makes sense, hope is renewed. We own a Canadian apparel factory and create our corporate wear right here in BC. We know the importance of buying Canadian, and especially, BC – made products. This can help buffer us from the types of crises seen in the Eurozone and the US.

A program that benefits childrens’ health and local agriculture – an excellent way to grow both of our most important resources!

Best regards,

Susan Marles and Sergei Olikhovski

For more information on the BC Fruit and Vegetable Nutrition Program please click here.

Partners in a new supportive housing development in Abbotsford marked the beginning of construction today. Once complete, the 41-unit building will contain a mix of studio and one- to four-bedroom apartments for single women or women with children at risk of homelessness in the Fraser Valley.

The $10.3 million project is part of an agreement between the Province and the City of Abbotsford to create new affordable housing in the city. The Province provided a grant of approximately $8.9 million. The City provided the land valued at approximately $1.36 million and waived property taxes and development cost charges. Construction is expected to be complete by spring 2012.

The Women’s Resource Society of the Fraser Valley (WRSFV), a non-profit society, will manage and operate the affordable apartments. For over 25 years, the WRSFV has been dedicated to providing and promoting the development of services that assist in the reduction of domestic violence against women and their children in the Fraser Valley including women’s counselling, outreach and multicultural outreach, caregiver support, and children and youth support.

Recently the province and city also announced a proposed site for another development under their partnership agreement, the George Schmidt Centre, a 31 unit transitional housing project for men at risk of homelessness.

Expansion of InspireHealth, which has operated a Vancouver centre since 1997, will improve cancer care delivery and help patients learn about the many ways they can support their own health and recovery. Integrated cancer care combines nutrition, exercise, and stress management programs with standard cancer treatments to promote an overall healthier lifestyle, which is proven to lead to better patient outcomes and cancer survival rates.

The new InspireHealth centres are scheduled to open in Victoria, Kelowna, Abbotsford and Prince George in a phased approach beginning in September 2011. Full implementation is expected by September 2012.

There is growing evidence that integrated cancer care approaches support health and immune function and can significantly reduce the risk of cancer recurrence and increase survival.

Core health classes, dedicated to supporting health and healthful lifestyle changes such as healthy nutrition and cooking classes, exercise, meditation, yoga, shared learning groups and stress reduction classes will be offered at all integrated cancer care centres. InspireHealth is funded through a mix of physician salaries, patient-pay-fees and private donations.

Access to InspireHealth’s physicians and nurse practitioners is free. InspireHealth has a number of other programs including core health classes, as well as a two-day LIFE Program that costs $445 for the first year of membership and $95 for annual renewals. The fee is waived for patients on Medical Service Plan Premium Assistance. In-house therapy practitioners –such as massage therapists, acupuncturists and naturopathic doctors – have patient-pay-fees.

The Ministry of Health is providing one-time, start-up funding totalling $2.5 million for five new centres including a virtual one in Vancouver. Additional annual funding of $2.5 million from the Provincial Health Services Authority will provide up to 12 additional medical doctors.

Expansion of integrated cancer centres in communities beyond Vancouver, especially the virtual centre to service rural and remote communities, supports the government’s commitment to ensuring the provision of services, including access to health care, is looked at through a rural lens.

Greater access to integrated cancer care is part of Healthy Families BC, which supports British Columbians to manage their own health, reduce chronic disease and ensure that pregnancy and support programs target the province’s most vulnerable families. Additionally, the strategy will continue to focus on healthy eating initiatives, including a public awareness campaign around sodium and sweetened beverage reduction as well as a provincial restaurant nutrition information program to help make the healthier choice the easier choice.

For more information on Healthy Families BC, please visit: www.healthyfamiliesbc.ca

A high-tech Mobile Medical Unit that acts as a mini-hospital and will be used across the province to provide medical services for B.C. families was unveiled today by Minister of Health Michael de Jong, in partnership with the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA).

The Mobile Medical Unit is unique to Western Canada and is one of the major medical legacies from the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games. The Ministry of Health purchased the unit from VANOC after the Games for $5 million in order to improve emergency service delivery across the province.

The Mobile Medical Unit’s primary role includes emergency and/or post disaster response to any region in British Columbia. Additionally it is able to replace lost ambulatory or emergency room service capacity, such as in the case of an emergency department closure.

The unit can also be used at large public events in order to provide assurance to families that they have access to the best medical care, should something unforeseen happen while they are attending leisure activities. The first deployment of the unit will be this weekend (Aug. 12-14) at the Abbotsford International Air Show in partnership with Fraser Health Authority, St. John Ambulance and the BC Ambulance Service.

The Mobile Medical Unit is very flexible with both its form and function. The configuration of the unit is dependent upon the needs of the situation. The unit has capability for providing support and patient care in a variety of situations, ranging from attending to minor ill and injured patients up to higher-level acuity of care, such as critical care and emergency surgical intervention.

Another important feature of the unit is its self-sustainability. It contains its own power, oxygen and waste systems. The unit can be connected to a hospital’s shore power, city water and waste systems, allowing medical staff to be self-sufficient for up to three days.

PHSA will maintain the unit and is working with emergency response planners, clinicians and other stakeholders from the health authorities to implement the operating plan for its use throughout the province. All health authorities will have equal participation in accessing and shaping the future use of this mobile medical facility.

Over the next several months the Mobile Medical Unit and staff will travel throughout B.C. to increase awareness and to educate and train local staff and physicians about its capability. As well, staff will work with each health region to build upon existing emergency contingency plans in order to integrate an operational unit when appropriate.

Abbotsford residents requiring hospice care will soon be able to receive the expanded services they need in their own community. The B.C. government is providing $3.5 million to support hospice services through the Abbotsford Hospice Society.

Hospices help improve the quality of life for those with a terminal illness. Continuing to reside in their own community is of great benefit to these patients, meaning their loved ones can visit more often and they are not completely uprooted for their final weeks.

Families and friends dealing with the anticipated death of a loved one are often under a great deal of stress. The resources provided by a hospice can help families come to terms with their loss.

Currently, Abbotsford has no residential adult hospice. The goal of the society’s Light the Way Campaign is to raise awareness and $7.5 million to help cover construction costs of the two-storey, 2,650-square-metre (28,500-square-foot) facility. The name Holmberg House honours the life and legacy of David Holmberg Jr., an Abbotsford resident whose family has made significant financial contributions to hospice, including the campus of care project.

The new hospice is just one facility that is being developed to provide further care for the people of Abbotsford. The City of Abbotsford has contributed land adjacent to the Abbotsford Regional Hospital, which will be shared with Matthews House and Canuck Place in a campus of care model.

The Ministry of Health developed the Provincial Framework for End-of-Life Care in 2006, which is used as a guide by health authorities and care providers in developing and delivering services to those in need.

Hospice care and support does not end after a loved one is gone. Bereavement services and grief support are available, free of cost. These are vital resources to help family and friends of all ages move on in a healthy way.

Figures released by Statistics Canada show that B.C.’s international merchandise exports from January to June were worth $15.9 billion, compared with $14 billion last year.

Solid growth is being recorded in exports of forestry products, industrial goods and energy products, along with gains in agricultural and fishing products, machinery and equipment and automotive products.

British Columbia’s domestic-exports to Asia over the first half of 2011 are worth $6.9 billion, surpassing the $6.8 worth of goods shipped to the United States.

Healthy year-to-date increases in exports have also been recorded to the European Union, up by 27 per cent to reach $1.2 billion, and to South America, up by 44 per cent and worth $454 million.

During June, B.C.-origin exports were worth $2.98 billion, an increase of 11 per cent over what was exported in June 2010.

For the second month in a row, the value B.C. exports of softwood lumber to China surpassed the value shipped to the United States. In June, $130 million worth of softwood lumber was shipped to China compared with $125 million that was sold to the U.S.

Nationally, Canada’s exports over the first half of 2011 reached $201.1 billion, an increase of almost 10 per cent compared with the pace set in 2010.