The opposition party is calling on the B.C. health minister to conduct an independent investigation into the shortcomings of the retirement-homes system after another seniors home, in Williams Lake, was cited for neglect and sub-standard care.

The New Democrats released internal Vancouver Island Health Authority reports showing the Williams Lake Seniors' Village did not meet the legally required minimum standards of care, which include staffing levels, during inspections in 2004.

'We've got to act on facts, not just what the opposition says.'— Health Minister George Abbott

Complaints against the 68-bed residential care home include a "lack of cleanliness, a lack of training, a shortage of staff," NDP Leader Carole James said Thursday.

Documents released by the NDP Wednesday reveal that Beacon Hill Villa in Victoria has violated the province's care standards 12 times over five years. Both residential homes are run by Retirement Concepts, a Vancouver-based company with seniors homes all over B.C.

Health Minister George Abbott must take immediate action, James said.

Abbott responded that he's waiting for a final report, due to be completed Friday, from the Vancouver Island Health Authority before making any decisions.
 
"The important thing is to let that review complete. When that review is complete, we'll be put in a position where we can act on the facts," Abbot said. "We've got to act on facts, not just what the opposition says."

Nancy Hardman, whose mother lives in Beacon Hill Villa, told CBC News Thursday she's upset and scared.

Nancy Hardman says she's planning to remove her mother from Beacon Hill Villa in Victoria for safety reasons.
(CBC)

She put her mother in the 80-bed facility three years ago, when her dementia and osteoporosis got worse.

"I know one lady [living in Beacon Hill Villa] who was 11 to 14 days between baths, that's not good enough!" Hardman said Thursday.

Abbot said complaints against seniors homes in the province are common and it takes a while to figure out which complaints are legitimate.

"Either about the quality of care, of food, how family members are managed," he said. "We try to look at the veracity and see if the complaint is substantiated."