Survey gathering feedback from B.C. seniors and families struggling to cope during pandemic
Posted August 26, 2020 12:47 pm.
Last Updated August 26, 2020 1:07 pm.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — B.C.’s advocate for seniors is gathering feedback on the toll COVID-19 is taking on the roughly 40,000 people who make up the province’s elderly population.
Isobel Mackenzie says the pandemic has killed about 125 elders, but more than 2,000 have died from other causes in long-term care and assisted living homes.
Mackenzie says health of seniors in care homes impacted by the pandemic because more than 40-thousand went without visits for more than 3 months and we are now in month 7 of #COVID19.
For some, that is “forever” because 125 have died this year. #bcpoli @NEWS1130— Marcella Bernardo (@Bernardo1130) August 26, 2020
“What was life like for them and their loved ones in the fiinal months, weeks and days? Every day, my office hears directly from family members and some residents about how they are struggling,” she says.
Mackenzie is reaching out for help to map out new visitation protocols at care homes over the next year and beyond. She says the feedback will help shape policy to make it easier for residents and their families to stay connected.
Re: How survey will shape future policy, @SrsAdvocateBC says care homes have had 2 months to set up visitation policies and she’s still getting complaints from families about lack of access to loved ones. #bcpoli @NEWS1130
— Marcella Bernardo (@Bernardo1130) August 26, 2020
“That may not be forever for me, but we need to be honest and recognize that it is forever, for some. More than 2,000 other seniors have passed away from something other than COVID-19.”
RELATED: Frustration mounts for families across B.C. kept from visiting someone they love in long-term care
She adds it’s possible some lives have been saved because current restrictions may prevent deaths from other bugs and viruses including the flu.
Family members and other caregivers are encouraged to participate in the survey. Special attention is being paid to help people with dementia take part as well.
The survey, Staying Apart to Stay Safe: The Impact of Visitor Restrictions on Long Term Care and Assisted Living, closes Sept 30.
-With files from the Canadian Press
