"In the past year, the Seniors Advocate has met with thousands of seniors and their families in every region of the province. Among the many issues and concerns these seniors have raised and brought forward for discussion, they expressed a deep concern around the affordability, availability and appropriateness of seniors’ housing in the province...The goal of this report is to emphasize some of the most pressing housing priorities facing seniors living in British Columbia. It is focused on recommendations that are practical, realistic and have the potential to leverage significant change."
Source: Office of the Seniors Advocate
"There are over 25,000 B.C. seniors living in residential care and over 29,000 who are receiving home care. While this is only seven percent of seniors, together these two groups represent our most frail and vulnerable seniors. As such, we must ensure that we are properly monitoring their health status and their care needs. During this first year as Seniors Advocate, one of my key priorities has been to obtain and analyze information that will help us understand the needs of our most vulnerable seniors and how well we are meeting their needs. Part of this will be achieved through standardized client/resident experience surveys my office is conducting. We will be surveying all 339 publicly-funded residential care facilities and 29,000-plus home support clients, including family members. Complementing this will be the health assessment data my office has obtained and initially analyzed, with the findings in this report. This report, Placement, Drugs and Therapy…We Can Do Better, is produced as part of my mandate under the Seniors Advocate Act, to report publicly and independently on systemic issues that affect seniors. The findings in this report highlight three systemic issues I have identified:
- inappropriate placement in residential care of higher functioning seniors who could live more independently with changes to home care and assisted living;
- the overuse of both antipsychotics and antidepressants in residential care;
- the significant gap in the level of rehabilitative therapies in B.C. residential care facilities relative to other provinces."
-Isobel MacKenzie, Seniors Advocate, Province of British Columbia
"An overview of the Walking Together conference held in Yellowknife February 10-12, 2015.
The conference was designed to:
- Learn about and discuss the results of the 2014 research and compare findings to similar research in 2010,
- Use the research to identify next steps for the NWT Network to Prevent Abuse of Older Adults,
- Learn about You Power: It’s Not Right! Neighbours, Friends, and Families for Older Adults, and
- Decide on personal/professional actions to prevent and respond to older adult abuse."
Source: NWT Network
"The National Seniors Council was directed in August 2013, to consult with seniors, key players from the not-for-profit, public and private sectors to assess how social isolation affects seniors and explore ways to prevent and reduce social isolation of seniors in Canada.
The objective of this report is to share the input received through the Council’s consultation efforts on the issue and provide advice in the form of suggested measures for federal consideration that could help to prevent and reduce social isolation of seniors in Canada.
The report is divided in three main sections: Consultation Process; Consultation Highlights; Suggested Measures."
Source: National Seniors Council
"This first report summarizes my [Isobel Mackenzie, Seniors Advocate, BC's] findings to date and outlines how I intend to ensure we bring forward objective and meaningful information to be sure seniors are getting the best possible care and support. I am also launching my first in-depth report to examine seniors’ housing across the continuum, from independent housing to assisted living to residential care. This examination will seek to determine whether housing options and supports currently available to seniors are affordable, accessible, and appropriate. I look forward to promoting positive change." Report includes information regarding the worries of seniors, service providers and stakeholders about the growing abuse of seniors.
Source: Office of the Seniors Advocate
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