Pubdate: Tue, 05 Nov 2002 Source: Abbotsford News (CN BC) Copyright: 2002 Hacker Press Ltd. Contact: http://www.abbynews.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1155 Author: David Marsh LIBERALS AIM TO DELICENSE FACILITIES FOR SENIORS, ADDICTS Thousands of vulnerable British Columbians are in danger of getting substandard care under a provincial proposal to delicense a wide range of community care facilities, critics say. Local governments and community groups believe frail seniors, recovering drug addicts and others will suffer under the B.C. Liberals' draft Community Care Facility Act, known as Bill 16, because many assisted-living residences and recovery homes will no longer need to be licensed under the proposed law. The Liberals say the change will reduce "unnecessary regulation" of facilities serving people with "a greater level of independence." Only those needing help in following direct instructions from a doctor, such as drug prescriptions, would qualify for a licensed facility under the new rules. Currently, any facility providing care or supervision to three or more people must have a license, which requires the facility to meet provincial standards. Opponents say Bill 16 is a step backward, likely bringing back the days of vulnerable individuals being jammed into overcrowded facilities where they receive inadequate attention. "People won't have any idea how important this is, until they're trying to find a place for their aging parent," said Val MacDonald, executive director of the New Westminster-based Seniors' Housing Information Program. MacDonald said the delicensing move is particularly troubling because it comes at a time when the B.C. population is aging, and when the government is also planning to provide more care for seniors in "supportive living" arrangements rather than conventional nursing homes. Because of the potential for local impacts, the Greater Vancouver Regional District's board of mayors and councillors has unanimously called on Victoria to put the brakes on the bid. The local governments say it will dump problems in their communities that they have no tools and resources to deal with. Surrey city councillor Judy Villeneuve said unregulated facilities such as recovery homes have in the past generated numerous complaints in the community. Homes would be overcrowded, clients would not be fed properly, and they would at times be spotted wandering the streets due to a lack of supervision, she said. "It means anyone can open up a support-service home . . . (and) the city has no power to regulate these facilities," Villeneuve said. "It's a real backwards step as far as I'm concerned." New Westminster Mayor Helen Sparkes said the province intends for its regional health authorities to oversee the care facilities. But those authorities are already overburdened, she said, because their funding has been frozen for the next three years. "(The province is) so gung-ho about reducing what they call red tape, they've just barrelled ahead with this," Sparkes said. After repeated requests for an interview, a spokesperson for Katherine Whittred - the Liberals' minister for community care - said she would have no comment until after the law is passed, expected some time this fall. - --- MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart