B.C. long-term care operators hit hard by funding expiry: advocacy group

The B.C. government will reportedly pull back funding for overtime and agency nurses — a key support that was introduced during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We rely on overtime and agency staffing to fill the gap,” said Mary Polak, CEO of BC Care Providers Association (BCCPA).

The advocacy group is criticizing the province’s announcement to pull the funding, starting Oct. 31.

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Polak says the cuts are an issue as the money is needed to ensure enough staff is working at any given time of the day to meet health authority standards.

“Without provincial funding to cover overtime and agency staffing costs, operators in many communities will struggle to meet these standards,” she said.

The cuts will affect all supplemental funding in seniors care, including affiliated long-term care and assisted living providers across B.C.

The province says the funding stems from a COVID-19 relief program.

“These were temporary COVID-19 top-ups brought in response to the exceptional circumstances during the pandemic,” said B.C.’s Ministry of Health in an email to 1130 NewsRadio.

“We are now five years out from that pandemic, and as a result, the temporary COVID-19-related overtime and agency staffing funding will be winding down as of October 31, 2025.”

Mary Polak argues that conditions in the health-care sector have declined since the pandemic.

“COVID-19 had many impacts for all of us. It had impacts in the health care sector in that it made attracting people to these necessary positions very difficult,” she explained.

“Some of that has improved after COVID, but it hasn’t gone back to the way things were before the pandemic.”

Cuts could lead to job losses

Polak warns the cuts will reduce space for seniors in long-term care, which will make it more difficult to safely discharge seniors from hospitals.

“This is going to hit our members hard, and that means it’s going to hit seniors’ care hard in the aftermath,” she said.

“It just seems the wrong way entirely to try and save money.”

The BCCPA also says the cuts could lead to job losses in care communities.

Additionally, the BCCPA calls for a stop to public construction projects for long-term care.

“Our members can help the government build the needed space for less,” a BCCPA statement read.

The Ministry of Health says that the COVID-19 relief to long-term care and assisted-living facilities has amounted to $429 million between 2020/2021 and 2024/2025.

“We will continue to support long-term care and assisted living, and work to expand the health care workforce that long-term care and assisted living facilities depend on,” the ministry said.

—With files from Michael Williams.