Little progress on long-term care A/C in Interior Health sites since 2021 heat dome
Global News
The health authority in B.C.'s Interior says a worker shortage and long waits for needed supplies are leading to delays in upgrading air conditioning in long-term care homes.
During the 2021 heat dome, Interior Health (IH) had 12 long-term care sites without cooling in residents’ rooms, and that’s still the case.
The number of long-term care facilities around B.C. without air conditioning during the heat dome was recently made public thanks to documents obtained through a Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act request by a member of the media.
The documents show during the heat dome, in June 2021, IH had 29 long-term care sites with cooling in residents’ rooms, one site where most residential rooms didn’t have cooling, and 12 sites with no cooling in residents’ rooms.
Asked this week whether the number of facilities without air conditioning in residents’ rooms had changed, the health authority said there are still 12 IH facilities that do not have cooling for residents’ rooms.
However, Interior Health says all long-term care homes in the region have air conditioning in common areas and further air conditioning upgrades are in the works.
“Funding has been approved for upgrading cooling systems in high-priority long-term care sites in Interior Health,” the agency said in a statement to Global News.
“However, the upgrades are a work in progress due to a number of factors, including lengthy delays from suppliers and the shortage of workers who can do this work. Interior Health’s priority is to ensure residents in long-term care are safe and comfortable and will continue to work on the upgrades as resources come available.”
Across B.C. more than 600 people died due to extreme heat in the summer of 2021. Of those, 40 received their heat “injury” while in a seniors facility or long-term care.
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