Province urged to fund alternative transit for home-support workers during strike
Credit to Author: Harrison Mooney| Date: Tue, 26 Nov 2019 22:56:04 +0000
The organization representing B.C.’s home-support sector is urging the province to consider temporary funding for those whose home-based services may be impacted by transit strike job action.
About 40 per cent of home-support staff rely on public transit to get to their appointments, according to a survey conducted earlier this month by the B.C. Care Providers Association (BCCPA).
As a total shutdown of Metro Vancouver’s bus and SeaBus services appear ever more likely, the BCCPA is warning of the financial and emotional impact this will have on individuals such as seniors and people with disabilities who receive care and support at home.
“For many seniors who receive publicly funded home support in Metro Vancouver, there is no contingency plan except to pay out-of-pocket to hire home support from one of dozens of private homecare agencies in the region,” said BCCPA CEO Daniel Fontaine. “Whether it is an urgently needed home-support appointment, or to make a trip to attend an adult day program, thousands of seniors could be stuck with footing the cost for support or a taxi trip themselves.
Many B.C. seniors depend on support workers for personal care, mobility assistance, housekeeping, meal preparation and even medication management. Disruptions in transit service could lead to stressful disruptions in their care.
In a news release Tuesday, the BCCPA urged both parties to consider the impact that job action will have on seniors and reach a deal quickly. But, in the meantime, the group believes the government should step in to defray the inevitable, additional costs to those who rely on home support.
“B.C. seniors that rely upon publicly funded supports should be able to seek alternative solutions during the transit disruption,” Fontaine said. “Which is why we are recommending that the provincial government should consider funding out-of-pocket home support or transportation costs that occur as a result of the transit strike.”
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