Our publicly subsidized long-term care homes have exceptional staff delivering great care. But a growing number of seniors in long-term care cannot afford everyday items not covered by the healthcare system. Sometimes that can be as simple as a $5 bottle of shampoo.
Long-term care costs up to 80% of a senior’s after-tax income and does not include vital personal care items. For those seniors who have only their pension, Old Age Security, and Guaranteed Income Supplement payments for income, they often can’t afford the things they need.
Can you imagine not being able to wash your hair for a month or considering chopping off your hair due to a lack of shampoo and conditioner? That’s the reality for some of our local seniors.
“As BC’s population ages, more seniors are falling through the cracks,” says Eldercare’s Executive Director Tom Arnold. “That’s why we established the Resident-in-Need Fund, to ensure that support for seniors is available as soon as urgent requests come in – whether for dentures, hearing aids, or even shampoo. This much-needed fund is just one of the ways we’re working hard to protect quality of life for a growing number of seniors across Vancouver Island.”
Last month Sasha Seguin, a social worker at Aberdeen care home happily received a bounty of donated shampoo on behalf of residents in need. “Our bathing facilities are generously equipped with high-quality, accessible, therapeutic bathtubs thanks to Eldercare donors,” says Sasha. “It’s only fitting that residents with financial barriers can access quality shampoos and conditioners. It’s amazing how a seemingly small thing can make such a big difference. We are so grateful to Eldercare donors for helping us restore dignity to some of our most vulnerable residents.”