The topic of senior health care has been in the spotlight in Grand Forks for two reasons.
The first is because Broadacres Care Facility on Carson Road was denied funding for senior care beds by the Interior Health Authority (IH) and the second is because it is federal election time and the topic has been brought up as a topic of discussion amongst politicians in the B.C. Southern Interior at a recent all-candidates forum – the subject could also be broached if a provincial election is called as expected somewhere in the near future.
With an aging population in the city, the need for senior care beds will become more and more necessary and one can only wonder why Broadacres was denied funding, as it is ready to accept patients immediately.
Proprietor Rod Gustafson has a background in the medical field, as he is a retired registered nurse, and the facility is state-of-the-art, with special bathing units for those with mobility issues amongst some of the notable features.
Broadacres is located in a very quiet part of Grand Forks, away from the dust, pollution and noisiness of Highway 3 and the bustle of the downtown core.
The area is quite tranquil and has a patio area, which would be the perfect place for seniors to sit and chat with visitors and family members or just enjoy some fresh air and sunshine.
IH said that there were four applicants for the 40-bed ward and are currently in negotiations with a preferred proponent and because of the nature of the negotiations between the two, the identity of the proponent remains confidential.
What the preferred proponent has to offer is also unknown at this point as is how close the proponent is to beginning operation – will it be able to begin operating immediately or will it have to undergo renovations and go through other similar prep work before opening up its doors?
Also because of the negotiations, IH also says that it can’t reveal the reasoning for denying Broadacres funding and also said that it couldn’t comment on the individual components of Gustafson’s application but he has the background and does have a facility that is seemingly perfect for senior health care.
Provincial NDP leader and former health critic Adrian Dix summed it up best when he said that if a community can’t provide satisfactory services for seniors and health care, it isn’t just bad for the seniors and health care, it’s bad for the economy as well.
– The Grand Forks Gazette