The BC NDP have announced that if re-elected, they plan on working with Island Health to turn the Oak Bay Lodge into a seniors’ care centre.
Diana Gibson, BC NDP candidate for Oak Bay-Gordon Head and Grace Lore, BC NDP candidate for Victoria-Beacon Hill made the announcement in Oak Bay on Wednesday, October 9th.
“Our elders helped build our province, and they deserve care and support as they age,” said Diana Gibson, BC NDP candidate for Oak Bay-Gordon Head.
“We’re taking action to strengthen the health care that seniors need in our community. We will redevelop Oak Bay Lodge, with a priority on health services for seniors, including primary care.”
The Capital Regional District has been looking to the community since 2021 to determine how best to use Oak Bay Lodge, located at 2251 Cadboro Bay Road.
They determined through community engagement campaigns that the Oak Bay Lodge would be best utilized to fill gaps in seniors’ care in the region.
While the District of Oak Bay would be responsible for zoning the building to be a seniors’ care facility, the BC NDP are saying that if elected, they would provide funding to make this a reality.
“We want seniors to be able to stay in the community they love, close to family and with access to the health care they need,” said Grace Lore, BC NDP candidate for Victoria-Beacon Hill.
“Redeveloping Oak Bay Lodge will help local seniors in this region get connected to health care and other services they need as they age.”
Other supports for seniors that the BC NDP have announced as part of their campaign platform ahead of the upcoming election are:
- Helping seniors make rent and reduce costs by qualifying more people for SAFER (Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters) and increasing the support available for individual renters
- Making it more affordable to get around the community by offering free transit for seniors during non-peak hours
- Helping seniors with the cost of living by increasing the Senior’s Supplement by $50, to $149 per month
- Making sure all seniors in long-term care receive the same high-quality care by providing common wages, benefits, and working conditions for staff across public and private long-term care homes
The Conservative Party of BC say their plan for seniors’ care would include boosted tax rebates, expansion of respite care options and caregiver training programs, more funding for home support services and expansion of home care services instead of relying on long-term care homes.
Additionally, the Conservatives say they would expand access to long-term care with 5,000 new beds, fund healthcare resources needed by seniors such as flu and shingles vaccines, modernizing the SAFER program and expanding HandyDART services.
The BC Green Party also would see thresholds for the SAFER program increased, increase access to comprehensive care in-home and in care facilities and address problems that arise for seniors in need of care living in rural areas.
The general election date is set for Saturday, October 19th, just 10 days from this publication date.
