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majority of british columbians say long-term care should be nationalized

according to a new angus reid poll, a total of 66 per cent of b.c. say long-term or extended care should be expanded under the federal canada health act instead of remaining under provincial jurisdiction.

the majority of british columbians feel long-term care should be nationalized, a feeling that appears widespread across much of canada as covid-19 continues to ravage parts of the country’s elderly care system.
many of b.c.’s outbreaks and deaths have been recorded in long-term care facilities and among the elderly, prompting many to take a closer look at the current state of privatized care for b.c.’s most vulnerable population and whether it’s time for government to step in.
according to a new angus reid poll, a total of 66 per cent of b.c. residents say long-term or extended care should be expanded under the federal canada health act instead of remaining under provincial jurisdiction.
that figure is in line with the national total, where 66 per cent of canadians feel the same. ontario (66 per cent), manitoba (64 per cent), quebec (77 per cent) and the atlantic provinces (60 per cent) also hold the same majority view, while alberta was more split with only 54 per cent saying long-term care should be nationalized. however, some 51 per cent of saskatchewan disagreed.
the poll also found that feelings about long-term care and the responsibility for oversight changed depending on political beliefs.
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just 47 per cent of those who vote conservative feel long-term or extended care should be brought under the federal health act, while 77 per cent of liberal voters, 83 per cent of ndp voters and 90 per cent of bloc voters feel the federal government should step in.
the survey was conducted online on may 18 and 19, 2020 among a random sample of 1,777 angus reid forum participants. a probability sample of this size would carry a margin of error of +/- 2.3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
to date, there have been 2,517 confirmed cases of covid-19 in b.c. of those, 2,057 have recovered, while 157 have died. more than two dozen care homes have been impacted, though just 14 outbreaks remain. the province has also moved to implement single-site plans with many of the province’s care facilities, requiring care workers to work at one and only one facility.

sip@postmedia.com | twitter.com/stephanie_ip

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