I live on Protection Island in Nanaimo and am so lucky to have my family nearby. My husband and I know that as time passes, our parents will need more care for their ongoing conditions. We lost my Mum to cancer 2 years ago, and her care required many trips to Victoria and weeks of accommodations there while she was in chemo and radiation. The time and costs were enormous, adding hugely to the trauma of losing her. Right now, our remaining three parents are relatively healthy, but between them, we have a cancer patient, a heart patient, and a Parkinson’s patient. We know that as time passes, we will all spend more of our time and money traveling to Victoria so that they can receive care that should be available closer to home. This travel time takes a huge toll on elderly patients who are trying to heal as well as on their caregivers and families. This is not an acceptable level of care.