Senior's Minister Can't Explain Why 76 year-old was Living in Hospital Hallway

VICTORIA - BC's minister responsible for seniors says she is at a loss to explain how a 76 year-old Vancouver Island man was left in a hallway at Royal Jubilee Hospital for five months.
/A\ News was the first to show you his cramped corner of the corridor.

But Ida Chong insists Peter Piercey's shocking living arrangements should not reflect on seniors care in BC.

Others say, what happened to Piercey is a symptom of a major illness that's leaving vulnerable patients to suffer.

While on a waiting list for a residential care bed, Piercey was placed in a hallway on the first floor of Royal Jubilee Hospital. He had a cot, a side table, and privacy curtain.

He lived there for five months, and was initially charged $55 a day to be there.

Chong, looking at photos of Piercey in hospital provided by /A\ News, said "I don't think people would believe this is an acceptable standard of care."

But she couldn't explain why he waited five long months.

Yesterday, as Piercey's caregivers at the Vancouevr Island Health Authority offered a full apology for leaving him there, and said it would reverse thousands of dollars in accomodation charges, they also revealed Royal Jubilee was out of beds, and residential care beds in the region were also full.

A report tabled last year by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives says when it comes to seniors accessing long term care in Canada, BC ranks second to last.

In 2001, the Campbell government promised to add 5000 residential care beds across BC.

And while it has added and fixed up other beds, its fallen well short of the mark on residential care.

Nine years later, only one thousand or so have been built.

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