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CTV News
4 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Who's at risk during B.C.'s first heat wave of 2025
A man cools off at a temporary misting station during a heat wave in Vancouver on Aug. 16, 2023. (Darryl Dyck / The Canadian Press) While most of us will be enjoying the first heat wave of the year, health officials are warning that some British Columbians should watch for signs of trouble. Several health authorities published bulletins on Friday to urge the public to prepare for temperatures forecast to be in the mid-to-high twenties this weekend with plans to keep cool and hydrated. 'Though we haven't reached the criteria for a heat warning or an extreme heat emergency, there is some concern that people, especially those at higher risk, might be at increased risk,' said Dr. Michael Schwandt, a medical health officer with Vancouver Coastal Health. For example, seniors, young children and babies, those who are pregnant, diabetics, have heart or respiratory disease, have substance use disorder, have disabilities or cognitive impairments, and those living alone are at increased risk. Certain medications, like anti-psychotics and anti-depressants, as well as diuretics can make people more vulnerable. Anyone who's had heat stroke in the past is likely to have sensitivity to higher temperatures. Early season heat is different Though the temperatures will be significantly lower than the rare 2021 heat dome event, which saw 619 British Columbians die in record-shattering heat, this weekend's heat wave is still early in the year to see temperatures like those forecasted. 'Temperatures that might, by the end of the summer, not present much of a challenge can actually have a greater health impact early on in the summer,' explained Schwandt. 'This is because our bodies—although we can become acclimated to extreme heat quite quickly, actually in a matter of weeks—just haven't had that opportunity as we move from spring to summer.' The B.C. Centre for Disease Control says, 'Severe headache, confusion, unsteadiness, loss of thirst, nausea/vomiting, and dark urine or no urine are signs of dangerous heat-related illness.' SFU researchers urge long-term planning As public health leaders and municipalities urge people to take steps to respond to the heat on the horizon, researchers at Simon Fraser University want them to think about mitigating the risks for years to come with concrete action in the near-term. Associate professor in urban planning, Andreanne Doyon, analyzed more than 240 documents with her co-author and concluded there are gaps in planning for future events like the fatal heat dome of 2021, without a government agency – or even level of government – responsible for quarterbacking future planning. 'Every summer we're going to experience this, and our buildings and our neighborhoods have never been built with heat in mind because we're temperate place,' she said. While the BC Building Code was updated last year to include maximum acceptable temperatures for new home construction, retrofitting older buildings with air conditioning and the requisite power upgrades, or replacing windows and insulation are much more complicated and less feasible. Concrete jungles without tree canopy or shady areas were also identified as factors that built 'heat islands' and contributed to the death toll. 'I want people planning for heat in February, not July,' said Doyon. 'It should be something that we're always prepared for and always thinking about.'
CTV News
7 days ago
- General
- CTV News
Why B.C.'s secure involuntary treatment may be more ethical than the status quo
Eighteen beds are opening in Metro Vancouver, expanding of involuntary care for people with drug addiction, mental illness and brain injuries. The issue of secure and involuntary treatment for a small number of struggling British Columbians has been extremely controversial, but as the first batch of permanent housing for them is unveiled, it may be that the new approach is more ethical than the status quo. CTV News spoke with several service providers of the new Alouette Homes facility in Maple Ridge, where two vacant government-built group homes have been refurbished with secured doors, panic buttons, and heavy furniture with rounded edges to avoid self harm. They believe months of planning and careful consideration has culminated in a dignified, dorm-like setting, where those with specific overlapping needs can find some semblance of a normal life. Dr. Daniel Vigo, a scientific advisor hired by the premier to recommend a path forward on people grappling with drug use, mental illness, and brain injuries, told reporters that the 18 people who'd be living at the two houses have been in and out of treatment, 'stuck for years in a high security limbo of hospital units.' Later, he emphasized that the tenants of Alouette Homes – and future, similar secured facilities with wraparound services – were those with long-term and repeated interactions with the health-care system. Already locked up Vancouver Coastal Health's director of mental health and substance use told CTV News that while the rooms may appear sparse and spartan compared to a typical home, they'll be adding artwork and providing services for people who've essentially been living in locked hospital rooms. 'A hospital is not a place where you want to be living, per se,' said Dr. JJ Sidhu. 'This is a step in the right direction in terms of the environment being an upgrade.' Sidhu is a frontline clinician himself, and has often encountered patients who begin to lose hope after spending so much time in the hospital, but he says that time and appropriate treatment can greatly improve their health and well-being. While VCH is providing the clinical oversight, medical, and psychiatric treatment on-site, Connective Support Society is providing non-clinical supports to residents. 'That includes a constellation of supports, including things like art therapy, music therapy, connection to individuals' culture,' said the organization's chief operating officer, Liz Vick Sandha, who says her team has been meeting with the incoming residents. 'We're supporting them to make choices around what their room looks like and how they want to choose to spend their day,' she said. While the rooms are private, there are communal bathrooms and other common areas for socializing. A 'family room' provides a sequestered area for residents to visit with loved ones in an area separate from their bedroom and communal living space. The bigger picture While the Surrey Pre-Trial Centre saw the first batch of secured, involuntary treatment beds for inmates with the three concurrent disorders, those are for temporary stays for individuals facing criminal charges. The Alouette Homes are intended as long-term or even permanent housing for those who are deemed unable to safely live on their own. And while there are no bars on the windows and the homes are surrounded by trees and fresh landscaping, the high fences and locked doors are a reminder the residents cannot leave the property unescorted. When CTV News asked who was providing oversight of the use of the Mental Health Act and the implementation of involuntary care provisions – whether secured or not – Vigo insisted that there is a system of education and oversight in place. Read more: Involuntary treatment, insufficient support: Riverview patterns continue post-closure 'My office is working very closely with physicians across the province so that we use the Mental Health Act correctly in a therapeutic manner, which is what is intended,' he said. 'The province has a very robust system of safeguards to ensure that people are receiving care under the Act, have their rights protected and are not receiving care that is inappropriate or unwarranted.' Health Minister Josie Osborne says there are currently 21,000 beds staffed in B.C. for treatment of those with mental illnesses, and they're working to add more. 'We are continuing the work of voluntary treatment and recovery, the work of early intervention,' she said. 'The work of ensuring that people have access to the treatment and recovery service that they need to not be in a situation like this in the first place.'
Global News
7 days ago
- Health
- Global News
Involuntary treatment facility in Maple Ridge, B.C. could take 1st patients this month
British Columbia's first involuntary treatment facility for people who are not in the criminal justice system will begin accepting patients as early as this month, the province says. The Alouette Homes facility in Maple Ridge is equipped with 18 beds and will take patients with 'severe and persistent mental-health disorders, often combined with other challenges, such as addictions and brain injuries, which may impact their behaviour and ability to interact safely with others,' according to the Ministry of Health. 1:43 B.C. government announces new involuntary care beds, opposition says it's not enough Patients will have to meet the criteria for involuntary treatment under the Mental Health Act. Story continues below advertisement 'We want to ensure people are getting the right care, especially when they are unable to make that decision for themselves,' Health Minister Josie Osborne said. 'These beds are a vital part of government's work to build a continuum of care that works for everyone.' The facility, which is being operated in partnership with Vancouver Coastal Health and the Connective Support Society, could be transferred to the homes this month, according to the ministry. Dr. Daniel Vigo, B.C.'s chief scientific advisor for psychiatry, toxic drugs and concurrent disorders, called the facility a 'first-of-its-kind' service in B.C. The homes will provide patients with individualized treatment and psychosocial support in a 'home-like environment,' he added. 'Before these homes, there was no housing alternative for them, due to the extreme complexity of their mental and substance-use disorders, so they were stuck in high-security hospital units indeterminately.' Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Vigo said the facility is designed to accept people who have been receiving long-term treatment in hospitals, and who have reached a point of stability that is 'still unmanageable by a supportive housing or by any other form of care.' 'Now they can live here in a humane manner,' he said, getting one-on-one treatment so that 'at some point they can aspire to scale down.' 4:47 B.C.'s chief scientific adviser on changes to involuntary care guidelines In April, the province announced a new involuntary treatment centre in the South Fraser Pretrial Centre, which will focus solely on people who are already in the justice system. Story continues below advertisement The province says it is also working to add mental health beds at hospitals around the province, which could accept patients for involuntary treatment. In March, the province released guidelines for when doctors can prescribe involuntary treatment. The 11-page guidance document lays out a trio of scenarios under which someone can be treated involuntarily under the Mental Health Act, all of them involving mental impairment. The law does not, otherwise, permit doctors to use involuntary treatment to stop someone's 'risky decision-making or override the person's harmful or self-harmful behaviour.' There have been growing calls to expand the use of involuntary treatment as the province grapples with ongoing drug and mental health crises, along with growing public pressure about street crime and disorder. BC Conservative public safety critic Elenore Sturko said the 18 beds announced Tuesday were 'very inadequate when it comes to the scope of people and the number of people who currently need to have more supportive care under the Mental Health Act.' 'This is a drop in the bucket compared to the number of resources that we need, I don't think that it goes far enough,' she said. 'And again, these are beds that rely upon someone being certified under the Mental Health Act to get this type of care, but we see time and again that there are people who need this kind of care and are not certified under the Mental Health Act.' Story continues below advertisement Sturko argued the province needs new legislation that will allow it to impose involuntary treatment on people who are a danger to themselves of others, specifically as a result of drug addiction. 'We know that 18 beds isn't going to cut it,' she said. Vigo acknowledged that people who have not been certified under the Mental Health Act won't receive involuntary treatment in B.C. 'Nor should they,' he said. 'Folks who don't have a severe mental illness, a severe addiction and a severe acquired brain injury that puts them above the threshold of sec. 22 of the MHA do not receive involuntary care in the province, they have voluntary care options.' He also responded to concerns about oversight of the treatment, given that patients are potentially being held against their will. He said that oversight will be provided by the B.C. Review Board and that patients will have rights advisors. 'My office is working very closely with physicians across the province to ensure we are using the Mental Health Act correctly in a therapeutic manner, which is what is intended,' he said. 'And the province has a very robust system of safeguards to ensure people who are receiving care under the act have their rights protected and are not receiving care that is inappropriate or unwarranted.' Story continues below advertisement Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michels said Tuesday there is no evidence that forcing people into addicitons treatment works, but that she would not intervene in the province's decisions about the practice. More to come…
CTV News
26-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
‘Increasing' cases of whooping cough in Pemberton area, health officials say
This 2016 illustration based on electron microscope imagery and provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention depicts Bordetella pertussis bacteria, which causes whooping cough. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Meredith Newlove, CDC via AP) Health officials are warning of an 'increasing number' of cases of pertussis – commonly known as whooping cough – in the Pemberton, B.C., area. Vancouver Coastal Health said families, particularly those with young children, should watch for symptoms and seek treatment if they suspect a pertussis infection. Officials also urged parents to keep their children's vaccinations up to date. 'People of any age can get pertussis, but young children who have not been immunized get sicker than older children and adults,' said VCH, in an information bulletin. 'This disease can cause severe complications such as pneumonia, seizures, brain damage or even death, most often in infants under one year of age.' Generally, children first receive pertussis-containing vaccinations at around two months old, followed by additional vaccines that end in Grade 9. A single booster is recommended for adults as well. Vaccinations during pregnancy are also recommended as 'the transfer of antibodies to the baby is highly protective against pertussis infection in the first three months of life,' according to VCH's bulletin. Officials said whooping cough spreads 'easily' through coughing, sneezing and close contact – and if untreated, those who are infected can spread the disease for up to three weeks after the onset of coughing. More information on pertussis and the vaccines is available on the HealthLinkBC website.
Vancouver Sun
26-05-2025
- Health
- Vancouver Sun
Whooping cough cases on the rise in Pemberton area
Health officials are advising people in the Pemberton area to watch for symptoms of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, after a spike in cases. Vancouver Coastal Health says whooping cough is a serious infection of the airways caused by whooping cough bacteria. While people of any age can get whooping cough, young children who haven't been immunized can get sicker than older kids or adults. 'This disease can cause severe complications, such as pneumonia, seizures, brain damage or even death, most often in infants under one year of age,' warned the health authority in a public notice Monday. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Whopping couch spreads easily when an infected person coughs, sneezes or has close contact with others, including sharing food, drinks or cigarettes or kissing. It often spreads during the early stages of infection, when symptoms are less severe. If untreated, it can keep spreading for up to three weeks after coughing starts. 'Early symptoms are like those of a cold: sneezing, runny nose, a low fever and a mild cough,' the notice said. 'Over the next week or two, longer spells of coughing often end with a whoop or crowing sound when the person breathes in. The cough can also result in vomiting.' Getting tested and treating the illness with antibiotics can reduce the duration of the cough, which can last for many weeks. Treatment also reduces the likelihood of spreading whooping cough to others. 'It is most important to prevent pertussis in infants and their caregivers.' People in the Pemberton area and nearby First Nations communities, especially those with young children, are asked to watch for symptoms and seek testing and treatment. Residents are also encouraged to make sure vaccines are up to date. Children usually get vaccinations against whooping cough at two months of age, followed by boosters at four, six and 18 months, when they enter kindergarten and in Grade 9. You can check immunizations records for your school-age children through public health, a local community health centre or on Health Gateway . People who are pregnant are urged to get vaccinated because the transfer of antibodies to the baby is protective against whooping cough infection in the first three months of life. And a booster dose of the vaccine, given as the Tdap vaccine, is recommended for all adults. Whooping cough vaccine is being offered for free to the following people: • Children who have not started on their immunizations or may be behind. • People who are pregnant, ideally 27 to 32 weeks into pregnancy — though it can be given as early as 13 weeks and up until delivery. • Parents and others in a household where there are children less than a year old. • Any other adults who are unsure of their vaccination history. If your child is not up to date on vaccinations, you can book them through the public health app . Vaccines are also available at Frontier Pharmacy for those over five years old by calling 604-894-6416, and residents of the Líl̓wat Nation can call Líl̓wat h ealth and healing at 604-894-6656. More information on pertussis-containing vaccines and whether you or your family members are eligible for a publicly funded Tdap vaccine is at . jruttle@
