But some say that costs for long-term care are already so high that they are finding it difficult to meet them. And some have had to resort to extreme measures to make ends meet.
Helga Boker’s husband Don is a resident of Columbia House in Invermere. She said that, with the new system, the government is asking for 80 per cent of his entire income. That includes his old age pension, Canada pension and investments made when he was younger and dividends from them. The government has said a person making less than $15,000 can have an exemption that will leave them $275 a month to survive.
But in Don’s case, he is just above that limit and therefore does not get the exemption.
“It’s ridiculous. That won’t cover expenses,” said Helga.
In order to avoid having to pay more, Helga and Don have had to agree, after 46 years of marriage, to get an involuntary separation so that her income would not be included in the total. Had they decided to sell some investments to lower his income, the income from the sale would mean his room rate would be increased even more.
Helga, who is the chair of the Columbia House Family Council, said that of the 33 people living in Columbia House, only a few had their rates decreased as a result of the government’s new system. The rest saw a fee increase.
And next year those costs are going to be going up even further. The provincial government has said that B.C. Medical Service Plan premiums will be rising by six per cent.
For those on flexible incomes, the rise is not as much. But for fixed-income pensioners, this could potentially be disastrous.
Helga has written to the Minister of Health, Kevin Falcon, as well as the B.C. Health Coalition about her situation and this week met with Columbia River - Revelstoke MLA Norm Macdonald.
“I’ve heard a number of heartbreaking stories over the last few months that result directly from the residential care rate increase,” said Macdonald. “It has been clear since 2001 that this government has not made seniors’ care priority. In fact, over the years we have seen the consistent erosion of services and the considerable increases in costs to seniors.”
Helga reminded that this is a problem that everyone will eventually have to face.
“You’d better think of where your money is and in whose name it is and how it’s coming out,” said Helga, “because the government wants 80 per cent of it.”