From Shortfall to Crisis: Growing Demand for Long-Term Care Beds in B.C.

The Seniors Advocate is calling on the Province to address the increasing shortfall in long-term care bed supply. This systemic review reveals B.C. is not prepared to care for the most vulnerable seniors today or in the future due to the ongoing, increasing shortage of long-term care beds.

Over the past ten years, the waitlist for long-term care in B.C. has ballooned. Between 2016 and 2025, the number of people waiting to be admitted to long-term care rose from 2,381 to 7,212, an increase of 200%. The provincial average wait time has grown by 98% over the past eight years, from 146 days in 2018, the first year data was collected, to 290 days in 2025.

The report has six recommendations to government:

1. Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the Ministry of Infrastructure, extend and update the Long-Term Care Bed Expansion Plan to increase the supply of new long-term care beds with funding commitments beyond 2030/31 to increase capacity, meet growing demand and reduce wait times.
   
2. The Ministry of Health improve access to community-based supports to help seniors remain at home longer and reduce the demand for long-term care by eliminating the financial barrier to accessing the provincial home support program; increasing the availability of adult day programs; and increasing the availability of respite care.
   
3. The Ministry of Health strengthen the navigation of the long-term care system by establishing a consistent and transparent process, and expand access to essential supports for seniors and families waiting for publicly-subsidized long-term care. Improving supports for seniors and their families should include eliminating the home support assessed client contribution cost for people waiting for long-term care. 
4. The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the ministries of Housing and Infrastructure, develop a comprehensive plan to expand access to a broader range of publicly-subsidized seniors’ housing options.
5. The Ministry of Health must act with urgency to conduct a comprehensive review of health authority waitlist management practices and develop wait time targets. 
6. The Ministry of Health develop a detailed action plan outlining how it will address the findings and recommendations of this report, including clear timelines and deliverables with annual updates. This plan must be submitted to the BC Seniors Advocate by October 1, 2025, the International Day of Older Persons.