A re-elected BC NDP government will expand publicly funded home care so that more seniors can stay in their own homes for as long as is safely possible, said BC NDP Leader John Horgan on a campaign stop to the Comox Valley on Sunday.

“This has been a challenging time for all of us, but it is our seniors who are most at risk,” said Horgan. “COVID-19 has exposed the true cost of BC Liberal neglect to seniors care. There are thousands in long-term care facilities right now who could be living safely at home with the proper support. We’ll ensure they can do just that.”

A decade and a half of privatization and layoffs in seniors care left huge issues, Horgan noted. BC’s seniors had less access to publicly funded home care services in 2017 than they did in 2001 when the BC Liberals took office. Access to home support in BC for those aged 75 and older fell by 30% under their watch.

“Seniors helped to build our province. They deserve to live with dignity, and receive quality care as close to home as possible, in their retirement years,” said Ronna-Rae Leonard, BC NDP candidate for Courtenay-Comox. “John’s plan to expand home care builds on the progress we’ve made to keep seniors healthy and safe, through the pandemic and beyond.”

Horgan praised Leonard’s work to help seniors in Courtenay-Comox—delivering a new long-term care facility with 120 publicly funded beds, a new seniors-focused primary care network, and training more health care assistants with 60 new seats at North Island College.

“Ronna-Rae was so effective at getting things done for seniors locally, she was the obvious choice to deliver results across BC as our Parliamentary Secretary for Seniors,” said Horgan. “With Ronna-Rae as part of our team, we will keep BC moving forward, not for those at the top, but for everyone—including for our seniors.”