The needs of B.C.'s seniors are not being met, said Isobel Mackenzie, the provincial seniors advocate, in a report released Wednesday called The Journey Begins: Together We Can Do Better.
After getting input from thousands of seniors, service providers and family members by traveling across the province during the last six months, Mackenzie's office will now commission independent, standardized province-wide satisfaction surveys for all residential-care facilities, home support and HandyDART services, the report said.
"If we are going to achieve the transformational change required to support the independence of our growing seniors' population, it is crucial that we hear from those who are using the current system and that we have a systematic method of measuring improvement," said Mackenzie, who was appointed seniors advocate in March. "This is a significant undertaking, and it has not been done on this scale anywhere in Canada. Government and service providers need to see where they stand, and the public deserves to know how well their government and service providers are meeting the needs of the most frail and vulnerable seniors."
The report highlights seniors' concerns, including housing, transportation, income supports, residential care, home support and a culture of ageism that thwarts the independence of seniors and diminishes their sense of dignity, the report said.
The most consistent message Mackenzie said she heard from seniors in 26 communities in B.C. was a concern about housing since seniors wish to stay in their own homes as long as they can.
Increasing costs and decreasing services are high on the list for impeding seniors independence.
The Office of the Seniors Advocate will look at available housing, from independently owned or rented housing to assisted living and residential care, and will deliver recommendations on improvements that can be made to better support seniors' independence.
"We are all participants in what will be a continuous journey," said Mackenzie. "This is not just about what governments should be doing. Supporting the dignified aging of seniors, both today and tomorrow, will require constant effort by everyone involved in the lives of seniors as new issues, research and attitudes emerge."
