Satellite training centre opens in Lumby, B.C. for continuing care workers

Continuing care workers in B.C. rural centres will soon have the opportunity to expand their knowledge base. A new partnership will bring health and safety training to continuing care facilities across the province.

Lumby, B.C., is now the home to a new satellite training centre, the first of five to be established across the province.

“We can bring education that we wouldn’t normally offer in person to a new part of the province so that we can really extend the reach of our training,” said Saleema Dhalla, SafeCare BC chief executive officer.

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The opening of the training locations is being made possible by a partnership between SafeCare BC and AgeCare.

The organizations felt training needed to be more accessible especially when it comes to occupational safety as continuing care workers currently have the highest injury rate of all occupations across BC.

“There was actually around 400 incidents of workers that are unable to work because of workplace injuries so it is quite needed,” said AgeCare regional director John Nocon. ”

“There is a high chance of health-care workers getting injured.”

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In order to provide instruction to health-care workers, the two organizations will work together to coordinate the resources.

“The staff member can ask one of their managers to participate in the training. Then we would work with them to establish a trainer who would come over bring all the course materials and then deliver the education,” Dhalla said.

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In addition to the Lumby facility, satellite centres will open in Kelowna, Williams Lake, Burnaby and Salmon Arm.

“To be able to get our training out across the province is really important to us. We’ve got continuing care workers that do very important work looking after vulnerable seniors across the province and for us, it’s really important that we’re reaching all of those workers.”

SafeCare BC is also providing satellite training to health-care workers in Penticton.