British Columbians have spoken up and let the provincial government know that they want higher staffing levels for vulnerable seniors in care.

But without sufficient numbers of qualified workers, B.C.’s seniors care providers are struggling to provide the safe staffing levels that allow for best care.  

But did you know that seniors care homes are preventing from hiring qualified care aides from other provinces due to government red tape?

Consider the case of “Grace”, a fictional care aide who has just moved with her partner and two young children to Penticton BC.  

Grace is a fully qualified care aide, having graduated from an Alberta care aide program in 2014. She has worked as a care aide for Alberta Health Services for the last five years and has a clear criminal record check.

Grace loves working with seniors and hopes to find a full-time job quickly to help support her young family. She interviews with a local care home in Penticton, who offers her a full-time position after checking her employment history and reviewing her references.

However, Grace is not allowed to start work until she has her Alberta credentials assessed and recognized. Grace must pay an $800 credential assessment fee, make child-care arrangements, and cover the costs to travel and accommodation to Vancouver—the only location that offers the testing.

Despite being a fully-trained care aide, the credential assessment test finds that Grace has several undemonstrated competencies—meaning that she will have to take additional courses and training, at a cost of several hundred dollars.  

Overall, the credential assessment process takes Grace five months to complete, and costs her more than $2000, not including over $10,000 in lost wages. As a fully trained care aide, Grace feels that the government has place unfair restrictions on her right to work in B.C.

Meanwhile, the care home has been struggling to fill Grace’s shifts, with many of her colleagues working significant overtime hours, contributing to stress and burnout. Seniors living in the care home see how hard the staff are working but can’t help but feel neglected and isolated.

Please sign this petition to ask the government of B.C. to allow B.C. employers to hire qualified care aides so that we may provide the best quality of life for B.C.’s vulnerable seniors.