The report that MP Blaney is referring to was a survey of all of the residents in residential care facilities in British Columbia. From looking at the raw data and comparing province to province, we know that our population is not much different from other populations in the other parts of the country.
What came out of that report were two messages. One was clearly related to ensuring that we have sufficient levels of staffing support in our care facilities to make sure people can get to the toilet when they need to, get a bath when they want it, and so on.
However, there was another equal voice that came through that's not about staffing or money. It was about the 45% of people who said that there was nobody there who they had anything in common with and the 46% who said that there was nobody there who they had things to do with. That's not fixed with staffing or money. That is a reflection of people in long-term facilities who are still able to be actively engaged, and in my opinion and the opinion of others but not everybody, could still be in the community. Where we are falling short is in making sure that our communities provide the supports necessary for those who still want to live at home, who still have some ability for independence, who still have cognitive engagement in the world around them, to remain in their communities.
Long-term care actually looks very similar from province to province. Home care supports for activities of independent living look very different from province to province. Long-term care is funded in every province slightly differently, but essentially, any Canadian senior who requires long-term care is going to be provided with it and they are not going to become bankrupt. It's not the same with the other ones.
We need national standards around what Canadian seniors are going to get that will allow them to remain independent because that's what you are seeing to a large extent in the 45% of people who say that there is nobody there they have anything in common with.