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Province and Interior Health pledge nearly 500 new long-term care beds

Interior Health and the British Columbia government have pledged to add 495 new long-term care beds to the region.

They said it is the largest one-time boost to bed numbers the region has seen in over 15 years.

The new beds are intended to help with the Interior’s increasing senior population.

"COVID-19 has shown what we can achieve together," said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health.

"The investments we made to raise care standards across BC made an important difference when we were met with COVID-19."

Dix added that the beds represent a “historical investment” for seniors living in the area.

While the exact distribution of all the beds is yet to be decided, the government and Interior Health (IH) said there are plans for the following numbers:

  • Kelowna: 140

  • Kamloops: 100

  • Vernon: 90

  • Penticton: 90

  • Nelson: 75

The new additions will take the total number of publicly funded long-term care beds in the region to 6,550.

It’s close to a 10% increase.

"Interior Health supports individuals to live independently through home and community care services,” said Doug Cochrane, board chair at IH.

“When this is not possible, long-term care is often needed. The government's commitment to long-term care is a welcome investment recognizing the increasing care needs of our aging population and all that we have learned from the ongoing pandemic.”

By 2035, about 25% of BC’s population is expected to be 65 or older (it’s now 19%).

In the Interior alone, the number of people aged 75 or over is expected to grow by 28% in the next five years.



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