As the province looks to see if restrictions on care home visits can be eased, B.C.’s Seniors Advocate says her office has a role to play in that process.

Isobel Mackenzie says right now the way people can visit their loved ones depends on the care home in question.

“Some care homes are able to offer a visit every week. A person can wear a mask and so they can be close to their loved one, and they can be in their loved one and they can be in their loved one’s room,” she said.

“And then others are experiencing care visits that are once a month for 30 minutes and that they have to stay six feet away, wear a mask, be in a common area, and be supervised.”

She says her office is trying to understand the reasons for such a difference in the type of visits that are allowed, and whether there should be a minimum standard.

“Whether its one visitor or three visitors, we still have these other issues which is how often can they visit, how long can they stay, and what does that visit look like,” she added.

“Whether its one designated visitor and one care partner for example as some provinces have done. Is it the essential visitor and the designated visitor – are they one and the same? – and then there is that whole other issue around the frequency of visits and the type of visits, so we find a gamut of experience out there.”

Mackenzie’s office has launched a province-wide survey to gauge the impact that restrictions on care homes visits have had on people and their families.

“I think we really have to understand that time is more important for somebody in long term care and assisted living because frankly, they have less of it. We desperately want to keep our loved ones safe, we want our mum or dad with us for as long as possible,” she noted.

The province began allowing visits into care homes at the end of June, after things were restricted back in March to keep some of the most vulnerable people safe from COVID-19.

According to data from the province, there have been 46 long term care homes and assisted living facilities that have experienced a COVID-19 outbreak since March 7, which is when the outbreak began at the Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver, which was the site of the first recorded COVID-19 death in Canada.

Since then, there have been at least 355 residents and 233 staff members who were infected with COVID-19, and another 124 residents have died of the virus.