Elderly residents must seek housing when Kamloops care home shuts special unit

Residents living in a supportive care unit at theBerwick on the Park retirement home in Kamloops, B.C., receivednoticeWednesday that the unit will close in one year.

TheBrio unitprovides around-the-clock care by licensed nurses and professional care aids for 28 seniors in the southern Interior city, helping them with medicationsand personal care.Accommodations and services inthe unit areprivately paid for by residents.

Kelly Lazaro, director of operations for Berwick Retirement Communities, said the closure is mainly due to staffing challenges.

"What we have been finding over the last 18 months increasingly, is that due to chronic staffing challenges that occur with the current labour market, we're unable to maintain a sustainable standard of operations that we want for our Brio residents and therefore we had to make the extremely difficult decision to close the care unit," Lazaro toldDaybreak Kamloopshost Shelley Joyce.

The unit isfully staffed, however finding replacement casual employees is "extraordinarily very, very difficult," she said.

"We hire people and thenthey leave because there's a lot of full-time work elsewhere."

Lazaro said they don't want staffing shortagesand that is why they made the choice to tell the residents they need to move.

"It is one of the most difficult things that we have ever done, but being able to ensure that we provide a high standard of care outweighs the difficult conversation."

Loss of home and community

Don Erikson's 92-year-oldmom has lived at the Berwick for eight years. She requires assistance due to various medical problems, as do other residents of the floor.

"How would you or any of us feel about being forced to move against your will and leaving essentially all of your friends behind? And that's the situation it would be for each of these people," he said.

Erikson said he's especially disappointedbecausethe staff at the unit have taken such good care of his mom.

"Ican't say enough positive things about the Brio unit. My mother loves the Brio unit. The staff are awesome and very caring. Some of the staff there are among my mother's best friends now," he said.

"Ever since she's moved to theBrio unit, her health has improved immensely.I think it's added years to her life to tell you the truth. And the thought of having to move her now, it makes me sad."

Staffing issues

Erikson questions the reasons for closingthe unitbecause he's observedreliable staff levels.

"The staffing at Berwick in general, the stability of that staff,is one of the strengths of the operation as far as I'm concerned," he said.

"Maybe I'm a little bit pessimistic or whatever, but I think that there's probably a better way to make more money from the square footage involved in that hallway at that building."

Erikson's mother pays more than $5,000 per month for her room, he said.

Theunit isslatedto eventually be converted into one-bedroom suites, said Lazaro. She said she doesn't know how much rent residents would pay for those suites.

Erikson says forcingseniors in the unit into publicly funded care homeswill end up costing taxpayersmore money.

"It seems to me that there should be a moral imperative to continue to at least allow these seniors, these very needy seniors who have contributed so much to this country frankly, to live out their lives in their homes and in this case that means the Brio unit of Berwick," he said.