The BC Care Providers Association says a lot of investments will be needed to ensure operators can provide the services necessary to live up to the new national long-term care standards.

CEO Terry Lake says the new standards looked at long-term care from both a residence viewpoint in terms of the service provided, in addition to a workplace point of view.

He says the new standards speak to a whole range of different factors such as a need for infrastructure and trained staff.

“If every operator could work to that level, certainly it would improve care; but the fact is, without investment by government, in infrastructure, in the workforce, there’s no way that these standards will be met.”

The new standards released Tuesday by the Health Standards Organization recommend that residents get a minimum of four hours of direct care each day, and staff who work in those facilities should get a pay raise.

Lake explains it echoes issues with a lack of trained staff available to fill the needs of the standards.

“What we recognized over COVID was what many of us have been saying for years that we didn’t have enough staff to properly manage outbreaks, that we needed a better-trained staff. We need to make this a career that people choose to go into.”

Lake adds that the new standards are recommendations, noting investment from the Feds would help long-term care providers reach those standards.

“The only way these standards would be enforceable to make operators want to live up to them is if money came through the federal government to the province to say; ‘look, you’re going to follow these standards over a certain period of time, and here’s money that will go into infrastructure or go into the workforce to help you meet those standards.”

Additionally, since long-term care is not included in the Canada Health Act– Lake explains the Feds have no power to change the care requirements unless they provide money.