New Fees for Seniors
The good old Campbell Government announced it is going to raise the fees, charged to Seniors in Care Homes. A nice little New Year’s gift for them, is an 8% rise in fees this coming year, 10% next year. It is expected to generate an additional $54 Million to the Province.
Isn’t that nice, to know those who are elderly, nearing the end of their lives, will add so much more to the Provinces Coffers, to help pay off the over budget Olympics and other mismanaged projects of our Provincial Government? I mean come on, we have to pay those underpaid executives a bit more, so they can continue to do good work for us, like the head of VIHA or BC Hydro.
The change — affecting 75 per cent of seniors living in care homes — will bring in an additional $54 million, the province says. The revenue is to be used to improve services for seniors. ( source – CBC News )
Whatever happened to caring for people?
There is no doubt that service and care for the elderly in this Province, Country, & World needs improving, but you know, it comes from WANTING TO, NOT FROM HOW MUCH MONEY WE SPEND.
There are some really good care facilities, but when we turn over care to Private Enterprise, profit or non profit, we still need to maintain quality control. AND that is where OUR GOVERNMENTS are failing us. Today we no longer have oversight, of these private groups that manage our care, whether it is the facilities or in home. The Government fails to see, that sure it may indeed provide all medications, meals, etc. to those entrusted into its care, but it DOESN’T KNOW if those medications are being given, if they are being given properly, or if they are even the right medicines.
They do not know if the staff hired, is truly qualified, and only BELIEVE THEY ARE, because well gee, THE COMPANY SAYS THEY ARE.
Perhaps if the GOVERNMENT actually did checks, actually monitored often, the care facilities, and kept to a high standard, then perhaps a rise in fees would be tolerated, would be acceptable. Unfortunately, today we do not monitor, we do not regulate, and worse -
WE DO NOT CARE
Flu Season & Old People
It is the Flu Season, and perhaps even more of a risk this year, than in many past years. This is especially true for those at risk, such as Health Care Workers, Seniors, & Young Children. And yet our Federal Government is spending 5 times more of our money on promoting it’s unrealistic tax cut program, than on informing us about Swine Flu.
I suppose many will say, so what, it is just advertising, but the truth is simple. KNOWLEDGE IS KEY TO SURVIVING. The more you and I know, the better we can plan and better we can protect ourselves. Sure there is a ton of information on the Internet, but how much of that is true? Lots in the newspapers too, on radio and television, but again, how much of that is true, and HOW MUCH IS JUST HYPE TO SELL PAPERS, RAISE RATINGS?
We need an authoritative site, or organization, to give us the facts. One would suppose that would be our Government, but the fact is, they are more concerned about projecting their image, than they actually are in caring. Least that is the case with both the Harper Conservatives in Ottawa, and the Campbell Government in Victoria.
And what about our health agencies?
Why has VIHA not given us, the families of elderly patients, some information on this, on how to protect our loved ones? OH WAIT I KNOW WHY, IT ISN’T IN THEIR BUDGET BUT THE OLYMPICS ARE ON TRACK.
Point is that I have a support worker coming to my home daily, and they also go to other homes, daily. HOW SAFE AM I & MOM? I mean, are they getting shots to keep them immunized from the Flu, or is the vaccine worthless? What do I do, to protect mom? Should I be taking other precautions, or what?
While the Press creates worry, and makes one afraid, should we be afraid? After all, the Government did send a bunch of body bags to the reserves in Manitoba, so do they know something we don’t, or were they, not just being callous, but paranoid too? So much has been made of this flu, and yet truth is, it doesn’t appear to be any more dangerous than other strains, or is that also hype?
IT IS THAT UNCERTAINTY, WHICH MAKES IT NECESSARY TO SPEND MONEY ON ADS, TO INFORM THE PUBLIC, NOT CREATE FEAR OR PANIC, BUT TO GIVE US THE FACTS. YET HOME RENOVATION TAX CUTS ARE MORE IMPORTANT TO OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
