MLA Brennan Day calls on Health Minister Josie Osborne to halt cuts as families and care staff face growing hardship.
COMOX VALLEY, B.C.: MLA Brennan Day is calling on Health Minister Josie Osborne to immediately reverse the closure of three hospice beds at the Aitken Community Hospice in the Comox Valley, following decisions by Island Health and Golden Life Management to reallocate resources to long-term care.
“The decision to take hospice beds offline to ‘preserve’ long-term care capacity is not a solution, it’s a symptom of a system in freefall,” said Day. “End-of-life care deserves dignity, and that dignity is not found in a crowded hallway or shared room, nor in forcing families to take on this sacred work alone at home without support. That is unacceptable.”
A recent CTV News investigation exposed how long-term care homes across B.C. are already suffering from Ministry funding cuts, leading to missed baths, lonely meals, and overworked staff unable to provide basic care. The same overtime and contract nursing cuts are now forcing decisions that directly harm end-of-life care in the Comox Valley.
“These cuts are driving the exact outcomes we’ve been warning about for months,” said Day. “The government was told this would happen. And now, families in Minister Osborne’s own riding are paying the price.”
The Aitken Community Hospice, which operates in partnership with the Comox Valley Hospice Society, will lose 50 percent of its capacity under this decision. Skilled hospice nurses have already warned they will not simply transfer into long-term care positions, meaning the province risks losing decades of experience in palliative care.
Day is calling for immediate action to:
- Pause Ministry of Health funding and staffing cuts
- Reinstate all six hospice beds at Aitken Community Hospice
- Conduct a transparent review of the decision-making process
- Deliver the promised fix to the long-term care funding model
“This government keeps saying they’re protecting care,” said Day. “But families see what’s really happening: missed meals, missed baths, and now, missed moments at the end of life. That’s not compassionate care, that’s abandonment.”
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Media Contact:
Ryan Painter
Communications
Ryan.Painter@leg.bc.ca
