Seniors Belong in
Homes,
Not Hospitals.
The wait list for long-term care in BC has tripled in six years. More than 7,000 seniors are now waiting, many of them in hospital with nowhere else to go.
Long-term care placement now takes close to one year. Home care is out of reach, and retirement living is at risk.
This election, ask your candidates: What’s your plan?
BC Care Providers Association (BCCPA) has a plan.
Five practical steps to get seniors the right care, in the right place, at the right time.
Five practical steps to get seniors the right care, in the right place, at the right time.
Why Homes Not Hospitals?
Watch the Video >Today, many seniors line the hallways of BC’s hospitals, because there’s nowhere appropriate for them to go.
That ties up hospital beds, lengthens ER waits for everyone, and costs far more than care in the right setting.
A hospital bed: about $1,200 a day. A long-term care bed: about $294 a day.
Over 7,000 seniors are currently waiting for long-term care in BC.
The problem is already bad, and without swift action, it is only going to get worse. Government’s own estimates show that BC will need over 20,000 new beds by 2035. BC is on track to build only less than 3,000 beds by 2030, and fewer than 800 public beds have been built in the last five years. There is no plan to close this gap.
Ask the candidates in your riding where they stand.
Join the coalition demanding action on the 5-Point Plan.
Why act now?
- Budget 2026 cancelled seven long-term care projects, putting 1,200 beds at risk.
- Whoever forms government will decide whether BC builds the care seniors need.
- Candidates are making commitments now. This is when your voice is the most effective.
BCCPA’s 5-Point Plan:
Five Priorities. One Plan.
Zero Excuses.
Non-government providers deliver two-thirds of BC's long-term care and 90% of assisted living. We’re ready to help fix this. Here’s how.
Priority 1:
Build More Capacity – Now
Commit to a multi-year capital plan to build and renew care homes, working with non-government providers who build faster and for less (~$800K per bed vs. $1.2M+ public).
Priority 2:
Fund the True Cost of Care
Fund care homes and assisted living based on what care actually costs to deliver.
Funding rates vary from region to region with no clear rationale, and more than $250M has been withdrawn in under two years.
Priority 3:
Strengthen the Workforce
Build a workforce strategy for seniors’ care, with targeted investment to reach 4 hours of direct care per resident per day.
Staff vacancies rose 42% from 2019 to 2024. Residents average 3.36 hours of direct care a day, below the national standard of 4.1.
Priority 4:
Aging in the Right Place Tax Credit
A tax credit for families paying for home health and independent living services, so seniors can stay home longer, stay connected, and delay higher levels of care.
This tax credit could save the system about $340M a year.
Aging in the right place can prevent premature long-term care admission for about 10% of seniors.
Priority 5:
Fair Rules for Retirement Living
Update the Residential Tenancy Act so it reflects the real costs of running seniors’ residences.
Meals, recreation and other services don’t rise at the same rate as rent, and shouldn’t be bound by caps designed only for rent. Fair rules keep residences sustainable, so seniors get care when and where they need it.
Meals, recreation and other services don’t rise at the same rate as rent, and shouldn’t be bound by caps designed only for rent. Fair rules keep residences sustainable, so seniors get care when and where they need it.
Data shows investment in new retirement living spaces is not keeping pace with demand – there are 17% fewer retirement living spaces per senior in BC than seven years ago
