THE Province says it took unprecedented action to protect seniors and deliver better, faster care in 2020 to keep people safe, healthy and secure. Read MoreRead More

Health Care Assistants or HCA are the frontline care providers in various institutional and community settings. They play an important and unique role within the health care system, supporting patients in a variety of facilities, including retirement homes, hospices, group homes, and long-term care facilities. These Health Care Assistants provide professional care and supervision in protective and supportive health care environments for clients or residents who have complex health challenges. Here at Gateway College, our mission is to provide potential and current health care professionals with quality education and training. Our programs are designed for students who want to be certified to work as Health Care Assistants. Students will gain skills and experience through these programs, first working in the classroom and lab and then through the practicum. Keep reading to know more. Why study at Gateway College The health care programs at Gateway College are designed to train learners to become Health Care Professionals with quality education gained through hands-on training. We make sure students are fully prepared and be eligible to work as health care assistants. Students will be trained by experienced and knowledgeable instructors who provide personalized instruction and deliver the subject matter in a professional, thorough manner with accredited...Read More

Gateway College would like to share a recent government announcement from the Ministry of Health – https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2021AEST0004-000103 As indicated in this announcement, here is the latest update on this recruitment incentive: “..students who are currently completing a recognized health-care assistant program and who choose to take employment in the long-term care or assisted-living sector, and commit to a 12-month return-of-service, will be eligible for a recruitment incentive of $5,000.” This program will enable recognized HCA program students who started their HCA program between April 1, 2020 – March 31, 2021 with the opportunity for this recruitment incentive if they choose to work in long-term care or assisted living. Further details regarding eligibility and process are forthcoming and we will provide information from the Ministry and/or Registry as soon as it becomes available.Read More

Greetings everyone,   Please note the following COVID-19 update for January 25, 2021: PHO Vaccination Rollout Plan On January 22, 2021, BC’s Provincial Health Officer (PHO) provided an update on the province’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout plan. The plan has four phases and is focused first on protecting those most vulnerable to severe illness. Immunization for the general population is scheduled to take place from April to September 2021. Please visit BC Centre for Disease Control website for more information.   During all phases we are all reminded to continue to: Follow Public Health Guidelines including wearing masks, washing your hands, and maintaining social distancing. Adhere to province-wide restrictions concerning visitors in private residences and allowable/prohibited events. Avoid non-essential travel. This includes travel into and out of B.C. and between regions of the province.   COVID-19 Resources: Guidelines for BC’s post-secondary sector are hosted on the Ministry’s public website. Guidance and recommendations from the Provincial Health Officer are available online at the COVID-19 Provincial Support and Information website. If you require advice regarding a potential COVID-19 case, please contact your local Medical Health Officer.Read More

The BC Seniors Living Association (BCSLA) is calling on the province to ensure that COVID-19 vaccines will be distributed in an equitable way, not only to seniors in assisted living and long-term care facilities but also to those in independent living. BCSLA CEO Lee Coonfer told Global News that earlier in the pandemic, independent living facilities were seemingly forgotten for government funding as the virus rampaged through long-term care centres. Read MoreRead More

On the day the first British Columbian received a vaccination against COVID-19, a poll shows that two-thirds of people in the province say they will step up and get the jab. “The question that needs to be asked is not are you going to (get the vaccine), but why wouldn’t you,” said Wesley Lewin of Maple Ridge. Read MoreRead More

When the story of COVID-19 in B.C. in 2020 is told, the impact it’s had on seniors in long-term care facilities will be a defining part of the narrative. On March 10, Canada’s first recorded COVID-19 death was at the Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver. Since then, there have been more than 400 deaths from COVID-19 in care facilities in B.C., representing 71 per cent of the nearly 700 COVID deaths in B.C. Almost 90 per cent of people who have died of COVID in B.C. have been over the age of 70. Read MoreRead More

A recent study by the British Columbia Nurses Union and the UBC School of Nursing, found that 40 percent of the province’s nurses are struggling with severe depression.The study also revealed that as a result of the pandemic, 60 percent of nurses are showing signs of burnout.“We know 85 percent of our nurses are seriously concerned about bringing this virus home,” said Christine Sorensen, president of the British Columbia Nurses Union, or BCNU. Read MoreRead More

EXTENSION OF PROVINCE-WIDE RESTRICTIONS On January 7, 2021 BC’s Provincial Health Officer (PHO) ordered an extension to existing province-wide restrictions to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. Specifically, the sections of the gatherings and events order concerning visitors in private residences and allowable/prohibited events (sections A, B and C) that were to expire on January 8th have been extended to February 5, 2021 at midnight. All events and social gatherings are suspended to significantly reduce COVID-19 transmission related to social interactions. All non-essential travel should be avoided. This includes travel into and out of B.C. and between regions of the province. PHO UPDATES RE: VARSITY SPORT AND RETAIL OCCUPANCY LIMITS – Varsity sport On December 24, 2020 BC’s Public Health Officer (PHO) amended the Gatherings and Events Order to expand and clarify restrictions on sports and fitness activities. These changes include permitting varsity sports subject to conditions, such as allowing participants to train or practice only with their home institution, ensuring participants maintain three-metre physical distancing, and prohibiting spectators. For the sake of clarity, “varsity sport” includes only formally recognized sports rather than intramural or other informal fitness activities. It is defined as follows: “Varsity sport” means a sport for which the eligibility requirements for participation are established by a national...Read More

Long before the pandemic, her family and others had complained about the quality of care residents were getting at George Pearson Centre, a long-term care home owned and operated by Vancouver Coastal Health for people with complex care needs. Read MoreRead More