The independent MLA for Delta South is outraged at a new Fraser Health Authority policy that will require seniors in extended care homes to pay to rent wheelchairs.
"It is a pure cash grab, absolutely."
Vicki Huntington says the move is appalling, considering seniors are on fixed incomes.
"How would you feel if your mother who is in a facility, absolutely and totally dependent on a wheelchair to even access the dining room for their meals, what would you think? And if they had a very limited income in the first place, how are they going to afford it?"
Huntington says seniors will have to pay $25 a month for a wheelchair starting Sept. 1, but have the option to buy a wheelchair for a few thousand dollars.
Fraser Health spokeswoman Tasleem Juma says it’s not a cash grab, adding the agency is able to charge a fee like this because of recent changes in legislation made by the provincial government.
"The $25 fee we are talking about is really to maintain wheelchairs that are in circulation right now. It is things like replacing the cushion, or maintenance on the wheels or the tires, in order to ensure that these are in good working order. This is by no means intended to cause any hardship."
Juma says if seniors are disabled or receive MSP premium assistance, they will be exempt from the fee.
She says the health authority is willing to meet with Huntington to discuss her concerns.