Winter Campaign Launches in Support of Seniors and B.C.’s First Senior Friendly Emergency Unit
Trevor Cradduck, Local Senior Advocate
NANAIMO, BC – November 19, 2025 – This season, the Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation (NDHF) is calling on the community to help ensure safer care for seniors.
The Foundation has launched its Winter Campaign, aiming to raise $2.3 million for key initiatives, including building and equipping British Columbia’s first Senior Friendly Emergency Unit at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital (NRGH).
Every year, Nanaimo’s emergency department sees more than 68,000 visits, and 35% of those patients are seniors aged 65 and older. This new Emergency Unit will provide calm, safe, and dignified care designed specifically for older adults, helping them heal with the specialized comfort the aging population requires. Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation is raising $1.2 million to create this innovative space within the existing Emergency Department at NRGH.
“No senior should have to spend days in a hallway waiting for care”, said Barney Ellis-Perry, CEO of the Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation. “Together, we can light the way to better care for our neighbours, parents, grandparents, and generations to come.”
The Senior Friendly Emergency Unit will feature pressure-reducing beds, comfortable reclining lift chairs, and comfort carts that help patients stay calm and engaged during long stays. The space will also include softer lighting, reduced noise, and dedicated staff trained in geriatrics, ensuring a safer and faster recovery for seniors.
“As a nurse and lifelong Nanaimo resident, I’ve seen how hard it can be for older patients in a busy ER,” said Rebecca McGregor, Clinical Operations Director at NRGH. “Crowded, noisy spaces can make confusion worse and delay healing. This new unit will give our elders the care and dignity they deserve, and it will help reduce the incredible pressure we all feel daily on our emergency department.”
“Our seniors built this community. Now it’s our turn to ensure they have the best care possible when they need it most,” said Ellis-Perry. “Every donation, large or small, brings us closer to opening this much-needed unit.”
In addition, the Foundation is raising $600,000 to create the Nanaimo Health Centre Ambulatory Care Clinic as a wound and outpatient care clinic. Seniors and adults living with chronic diseases come to NRGH every day to seek medical care for their wounds or to receive intravenous antibiotics for related infections, further straining hospital resources. When it opens in 2026, the Clinic will expand wound care and infusion services for Central Vancouver Island, so that individuals can receive these services in the community.
Donations can be made online at www.NDHF.ca, by calling 250-755-7690, or visiting the Foundation office inside the main Dufferin Crescent entrance of the hospital.
Rounding off the season of giving is the Foundation’s Giving Tuesday campaign, with the goal of raising $500,000 in support of the new Parksville Treatment Centre for mental health and addictions recovery, which will serve residents from Central and North Vancouver Island when it opens in 2026.
To help kick off the holiday season and support the Winter Campaign, the community is welcomed to the annual Light the Trees event on November 28th at 5:30 pm outside the Hospital entrance. Hear from the Harmony Nanaimo Carolers, sip hot chocolate and treats from Code Brew, and enjoy a visit from Santa.
About Nanaimo Hospital Foundation
The Nanaimo & District Hospital Foundation was founded on December 30, 1977 as a means for grateful patients and loved ones to support Island Health facilities. The Foundation procures vital equipment, patient comfort items and fund medical staff education to ensure healthcare professionals have the tools and resources they need to provide the best healthcare for the central Vancouver Island communities. For over 40 years, the Foundation has stewarded donations to expand services and reduce wait times for patients right here at home.
Media Contact:
Andrea Bava
778-908-1764 | andrea@blitzme.ca
