4,000-BED MILESTONE

· Government made a commitment to build 5,000 new residential care beds, assisted living units and supportive housing with home support for seniors and people with disabilities by December 2008.

Broken down by health authority, the targets are:

Health authority	Target	Current
IHA	1,153	980
FHA	1,613	1,034
VCHA	822	942
VIHA	1,259	846
NHA	255	251
Total	5,102	4,053

· Most recent provincial data indicate:

o Total new and replacement beds/units opened = 9,599;

o Net-new beds/units = 4,053;

o New and replacement beds/units under construction or conversion = 2,401.

· Prior to 2001, approximately 10 per cent of the total residential care inventory was unsalvageable and required outright replacement – and 40 per cent of care facilities required upgrading to provide complex care.

· Average wait times for residential care have decreased from over a year in 2001 to less than three months today.

· In 2001, the primary choices available to seniors were residential care, home support, or adult day programs. Today’s housing mix also offers assisted living and supportive housing with home support.

· The provincial budget for residential care/assisted living has increased by 24 per cent from a total of $1.159 billion in 2001/02 to more than $1.442 billion in 2007/08

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Contact:

Michelle Stewart

Communications Director

Ministry of Health

250 812-5571 (cell)

250 952-1889 (media line)




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