BC’s professional association for social workers calls on the provincial government to improve home support services to seniors by fully implementing the recommendations of the report released by the Office of the Seniors Advocate.
Seniors need more appropriate and affordable home support so that they can stay in their home as long as possible.
BC should remove financial barrier for all seniors needing support, increase the range of services including respite care, and implement tools to measure how well the home support system is working.
The Office of the Seniors Advocate notes that the current home support program is not meeting the demand or needs of seniors. There has been a decrease in the support clients receive, yet and increase in the complexity of clients’ needs. BC also lags behind other provinces having a higher number of people with low care needs that could be met in the community, who are instead moving to long-term care.
Unlike most other provinces, BC charges seniors for home support services, except those who receive government assistance. This presents a significant hardship and means many seniors go without the care that they need. Our association is calling on the government to heed the advice given in the report by BC Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie and ensure that seniors and their families receive all required services.
Michael Crawford, President, BC Association of Social Workers
