Health Care Needs Home Care

Mary is 84 and lives alone. After a fall and a short hospital stay, she was assessed for home support. Because she could still manage some daily tasks herself, she qualified for only 15 minutes of medication support each day. Every morning, a home support worker arrived, handed Mary her medications, and left. What the system didn't see was everything else. Mary was losing weight because standing long enough to prepare meals was difficult. Her laundry piled up because carrying

Dennis is not a senior. He is a younger adult living with health challenges that make it difficult to work and safely live alone. It all started with hospitalization. When he was ready to leave hospital, everyone agreed he still needed support at home. But there was a problem. Affordable home support wasn't available. The co-payments were more than he could manage. Without the support he needed to return home safely, Dennis was placed in long-term care. Long-term care was nev

James wasn't asking for much. His wife was living with dementia. He simply needed help with feeding, bathing, and transfers so he could safely care for her at home. But the amount of home support they needed wasn't affordable because of co-payments. Without adequate support, crises became common. When things became too difficult to manage, his wife ended up in hospital—again and again. The hospital became the substitute for the home support they couldn't afford. Hospitals are

George was caring for the love of his life. His wife was living with dementia. Together they managed on a modest income, doing their best to remain independent. They qualified for home support. But the co-payments were more than they could afford. Like many older couples, they found themselves in an impossible situation: too much need to manage alone, but too little income to pay for the support that would keep them at home safely. Day after day, two frail seniors struggled w

Jim wanted to stay in the community he loved. Living on Bowen Island with early-onset dementia, Ji m didn't need long-term care. He was mobile and active. What he needed was consistent support, gentle guidance, and someone to help keep him safe. His family stepped in whenever they could, travelling to the island and taking turns providing care. But public home support wasn't reliable. Some days support arrived. Other days it didn't. There was no continuity, no predictability,

No matter your age, this issue affects you. You may not be a senior today. You may not currently be caring for aging parents. But chances are, one day you will need home support services—or someone you love will. British Columbia's population is aging rapidly, and our home care system is not keeping pace. Without action now, thousands more seniors will face long waits, reduced services, and unnecessary moves into long-term care. The good news is that we can help change that.

Why support the Home Health Needs Home Care Campaign? Barriers to home support increase the risks associated with elder abuse. When seniors cannot access adequate home support, they are more likely to be invisible, isolated, and dependent on people they do not fully trust for care, leaving them vulnerable to abuse and neglect. Improving access to home support reduces the risk of elder abuse by reducing isolation and dependency. Home support fosters independence and helps seni

Healthcare starts at home — and we need your voice. Caregivers are the invisible backbone of our care system. More than 26% of people provide unpaid care, often for 5+ hours every single day. That is not just support—it is a second job. The impact is profound: burnout, financial stress, and difficult choices no family should have to face. When home care becomes unaffordable, people are not choosing long-term care—they are being pushed into it. It does not have to be this way.

Home care isn't a luxury. It's health care. Thousands of seniors are waiting for long-term care. Hospitals are overcrowded with patients who could be supported at home. Family caregivers are stretched to their limits. Yet many seniors cannot access the home support they need because of financial barriers. Home support is healthcare. It helps seniors remain independent, prevents unnecessary hospitalizations, reduces pressure on long-term care, and supports family caregivers. M

Eliminating co-payments for home support will allow more seniors to age-in-place in their own homes and delay admissions to more costly long-term care. Accessible, reliable home support is essential healthcare that helps keep seniors healthier, safer, and comfortable in their own homes. When care begins at home, people maintain dignity and independence, and our healthcare system becomes more sustainable for everyone. We are calling on BC to eliminate home support co-payments

Families should not have to choose between financial hardship and keeping a loved one safely at home. Across BC, seniors and caregivers are struggling with home support co-payments that make essential care unaffordable. When home support fails, families burn out, seniors lose independence, hospitals become overcrowded, and people enter long-term care earlier than necessary. Home support is healthcare — not an optional service. We are calling on BC to eliminate home support co

Home and community care is not just a compassionate option for seniors — it is an economic necessity. Across British Columbia, the lack of accessible home support is forcing thousands of older adults into hospitals, the most expensive place in the healthcare system to receive care. Seniors aged sixty-five and older account for up to one-third of emergency room visits in B.C., and one in three of those visits leads to hospitalization. Yet many of these patients no longer requi

Long-term care in B.C. is at a breaking point. Today, 7,829 people are waiting for a long-term care bed, while wait times have nearly doubled over the past eight years to 290 days. Hospitals are feeling the strain, with 1,659 patients waiting for discharge each day, including more than 600 awaiting long-term care placement. Seniors are remaining in hospital beds because the right care, housing, and community supports are unavailable. Families are left in limbo, and care provi