OCTOBER 1, 2008, VICTORIA
According to BC Minister of Healthy Living and Sport
October 1st is the International Day of Older Persons, an opportunity to acknowledge older British Columbians for their important contributions to our communities and to the province, and to continue supporting them in living healthy, active and independent lives.
British Columbia is facing an unprecedented demographic shift, where soon one in four British Columbians will be over the age of 65. This shift is significant and British Columbia plans to build the best system of support in Canada for older adults.
On September 12th, 2008, Seniors in BC: A Healthy Living Framework, B.C.’s action plan was released to support older adults. The plan, a collaborative effort of 13 ministries, outlines four cornerstones that government will focus on: create age-friendly communities; mobilize and support volunteerism; promote healthy living; and support older workers. Most recently, supporting the healthy living cornerstone, we invested $1.8 million to establish 18 ActNow BC Seniors Community Parks throughout the province. These parks will provide older British Columbians with places within their communities to be physically active, socialize and connect.
AUGUST 2008, VICTORIA – Seniors in Campbell River will be the first in B.C. to participate in a free physical activity program designed to connect them with sports they played in their youth, Healthy Living and Sport Minister Mary Polak announced today.
“B.C.’s seniors are leaders in physical fitness and healthy living. Still, only half of our seniors over 65 are active enough to reap the health benefits,” said Polak. “The Boomers Plus Boot Camps provide seniors with a fun way to participate in a sport or get back into a sport they used to play.”
“The Boomers Plus Boot Camps are helping seniors in communities throughout B.C. get physically active by involving them in recreational activities and sport,” said Suzanne Allard Strutt, chief executive officer of the BC Recreation and Parks Association. “We are proud to deliver a program that promotes healthy living and will involve seniors in communities throughout B.C.” ActNow BC is the provincial government’s healthy living initiative aimed at encouraging British Columbians to eat healthier, increase physical activity, eliminate tobacco use. For more information on healthy living tips, visit www.actnowbc.ca.
JULY 2008, VICTORIA – Premier Gordon Campbell and Health Services Minister George Abbott broke ground today to mark the start of construction of a new $350-million, 500-bed Royal Jubilee Hospital that will reduce wait lists and provide single rooms for over 80 per cent of patients.
“All across the province, we are investing billions of dollars in new and expanded health facilities and hospitals to improve access to quality patient care,” said Premier Campbell. “The new Royal Jubilee Hospital will expand the bed capacity by close to 25 per cent, provide more comfort and privacy for patients, and be a world-class, energy-efficient facility designed as a Centre of Excellence in elder care for Island patients.”
The new 37,000-square-metre facility will have the capacity for up to 500 beds and will replace approximately 400 beds that currently operate on the old Royal Jubilee Hospital campus. The facility will provide acute care for patients who are recovering from illness, surgery or injury. The hospital will replace some of the aging buildings on the campus, including the south, east and centre blocks, which were built in the 1920s and 1930s and are no longer suitable for modern health care delivery.
“The new Royal Jubilee Hospital will be designed to provide the best patient care possible in a safe, modern building,” said Abbott. “A more caring environment will benefit both patients and health professionals.”
Each patient room will have large windows that maximize natural light and views to the outside. Over 80 per cent of the rooms will be single-bed patient rooms, which will significantly reduce hospital-acquired infection rates, enhance patient privacy, improve quality of sleep and speed recovery times. The facility is expected to open with 400 beds and additional beds will be opened as demand and resources permit. Construction of the hospital will be complete by the end of 2010, and it will open to patients in 2011.