Burnaby’s financially troubled care home for veteran seniors is still working to fill beds left empty during a Fraser Health Authority freeze on new admissions.
As many as 21 beds at the George Derby Centre were left vacant at one point after the health authority put a stop to new admissions during a financial and quality review of the facility launched in April.
The health authority decided to keep the freeze in place in May after the care home, citing financial problems, began the process of laying off more than 50 nurses and contracting out its nursing services.
“The decision was that, OK, we’ll wait for them to bring in their new staff and then we would lift the halt on the admissions,” Fraser Health spokesperson Tasleem Juma told the Burnaby NOW.
But Paul Ballinger, chair of George Derby’s family council, is concerned the freeze has hurt the centre’s already weak financial position.
“If you’re missing 21 people, which is what, seven per cent of your population? that means your revenue’s down and your overheads are not going to go down,” he said. “It has a disproportional impact negatively financially when there are empty spaces.”
As of Aug. 22, 283 of the centre’s 300 beds were filled, according to George Derby Care Society executive director Ricky Kwan, who said his facility usually runs at about 99 per cent capacity.
We’re gradually bringing new residents in to George Derby Centre, but, just imagine, we cannot just take 20 new residents on one day or in a week’s time,” he told the NOW. “Certainly there’s some financial impact, but we are gradually building it up and we should be able to get back on track within a few weeks’ time.”
Besides the financial impact, Ballinger is concerned leaving up to 21 beds vacant means seniors who need them are stranded in hospital or at home.
But Juma said the freeze at George Derby did not impact the health authority’s ability to place residents who need care in its network of beds.
“There was no impact,” Juma said. “Beds come up every day. Every day there’s movement. It’s a very fluid process.”
In early May, Kwan said George Derby was contracting out its nursing services because of financial problems and that the centre would need $1 million in extra funding from Fraser Health to reverse the process, but the health authority’s own review found George Derby was receiving adequate funding.
Ballinger said he met earlier this month with Fraser Health CEO Michael Marchbanks and asked for a copy of the review but has yet to receive one.
