Article content continued

Selina Robinson, B.C. NDP spokeswoman for seniors, again shared the story of Wolfram and Anita Gottschalk, an elderly couple in Surrey married for 62 years but forced to live separately due to the lack of spaces in care homes and long waitlists.

Robinson told the audience she had been in touch with the couple’s granddaughter, Ashley Bartyik, and hoped to continue working with them on their stressful situation.

“My head has been swirling with this,” said Robinson, noting at least two other families in similar situations have approached her for help after the Gottschalk story went viral.

Caroline Wang, a family physician practising for nearly three decades, shared her perspective from inside the health care system.

“It’s not enough to say, ‘Too bad — you’re on a waiting list.’ The system needs to be designed to deliver the care,” she said, calling for a “completely new mindset and leadership. We need to really understand and treat the whole patient.”

Stuart Alcock, 72, is president of the 411 Seniors Centre Society.

“I, too, am concerned about the health care system but we need to understand that seniors are not just patients,” he said.

Alcock said there needs to be more focus on seniors’ health before they land in a hospital. He called for a comprehensive plan by multiple levels of government to support community-based activities and services for seniors that keeps them out of hospitals.

Another man shared the story of his mother-in-law who has been in a care home for the last decade and has been treated by three different care providers, due to re-contracting and staff turnover for various reasons.