A non-profit organization says the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) in B.C.’s long-term care homes, assisted living, and home and community care is a “crisis.”
SafeCare BC said that it conducted a survey Friday of its members, with 478 long term care, assisted living, home support and community living providers, spread across all five of B.C.’s health regions, responding. The survey was carried out over a 7-hour period and respondents included both private and non-profit facilities.
Seventy per cent of the 478 facilities said they are experiencing a “critical shortage” of PPE, according to Safe Care BC.
Another 52 per cent said they have no N95 masks, while 25 per cent said they only have enough to last up to three days. Meanwhile, 70 per cent of care providers who responded to the survey said they expect to run out of surgical masks by the end of next week, and 38 per cent expect to run out by the end of the Easter long weekend.
When it comes to eye protection equipment, SafeCare BCsaid that 21 per cent said they have none, and 30 per cent expect to run out by the end of the long weekend.
“The data from this survey of front-line home support, community living and long-term care providers confirms we are in the middle of a PPE emergency,” said SafeCare BC CEO Jen Lyle in published Saturday on the non-profit’s website.
Twenty-one long-term care and assisted living facilities in B.C. have reported outbreaks of COVID-19. Two of the hardest-hit facilities are the Haro Park Care Home in 麻豆传媒映画and the Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver. That centre has also seen
In Richmond, two seniors at the Austin Harris Residence in Steveston have been diagnosed with COVID-19.
Last month, SafeCare BC launched , calling for donations of extra medical supplies to healthcare workers. And, while SafeCare BC received 360,500 pieces of equipment through the outreach, it isn’t enough, said Lyle.
“Until April 9, SafeCare BC was directing all donated items into the provincial supply chain,” she said. “Despite this, of 72 requesting continuing care organizations, only three had received PPE from the province. Multiple care providers have received invoices for the donated items.”
Lyle said SafeCare BC is now responding directly to urgent requests from its members and assisted living providers.
“In addition to ensuring donations reach their intended destination at no cost, we will continue to direct PPE to the provincial supply chain. So far, we have transferred three large shipments of PPE for use in B.C. hospitals and other health care sectors,” said Lyle.
SafeCare BC has also requested emergency meetings this weekend with provincial health authorities, the B.C. Ministry of Health, WorkSafeBC, and others due to the PPE shortage.
In addition to continuing to spread the word about Operation Protect, said Lyle, the public should also encourage public health officials to “immediately designate B.C. long-term care homes as a priority for access to PPE to protect these vulnerable population groups.”
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