A new report from a BC advocacy office says the province ranks lowest in Canada when it comes to supporting seniors with key services..The BC Seniors Advocate, which analyzes issues in BC relating to seniors and makes recommendations to government, released the report Thursday, and it may explain why BC has a relatively higher percentage of seniors with low-care needs entering long-term care "prematurely.".“Seniors I speak with tell me their pension incomes are not keeping up with rising costs and they are paying too much for rent, groceries, dental care, home care, house repairs and other essentials,” said BC Seniors Advocate's Isobel Mackenzie Thursday..Mackenzie says BC’s healthcare system could face even greater strains if the trend continues, as nearly half of the province’s seniors are living on less than minimum wage and 25% are living on less than $21,000 a year..“These are the lowest incomes we find by a wide margin and it speaks to the significance of the financial hardship seniors are experiencing,” she said..The report also highlights minimum wage has increased 40% over the last five years while pension incomes have only jumped 14% during the same time period..It further notes most seniors don’t have a private benefits plan, meaning they’ll pay out of pocket for dental, hearing aids, eyeglasses, walkers, wheelchairs, and other medical equipment..“When we look at exactly what is provided to support seniors living in the community and how much it's costing them, a picture clearly emerges that many seniors are struggling and if we do not begin to address the gaps now, things will only get worse,” said Mackenzie..A key recommendation is to redesign the Shelter Aid for Elderly Renters program which will, as the report puts it, “reflect the current reality of the BC rental market and ensure yearly rent increases are recognized.”.It also wants to see the number of subsidized housing units for seniors increased, and done so with a particular focus on rural BC communities where it says the overall supply of rental accommodation for seniors is most challenging..The province’s senior care and assisted living system includes facilities run by public regional health authorities as well as private contractors, churches, and other non-profits..It didn’t take long for the BC Liberal Caucus to weigh in on the report, which it says “highlights the failures” of BC New Democrat leadership hopeful David Eby, as well as the party as a whole..“From the healthcare crisis to the housing crisis, BC’s seniors have faced growing challenges over the last few years,” said Peter Milobar, BC Liberal’s finance critic and MLA representing Kamloops-North Thompson..“Unfortunately, David Eby and the NDP have neglected the issues facing seniors — particularly when it comes to housing.”.Partially blaming “a decade and a half of privatization,” BC Premier John Horgan noted in October 2020 BC’s seniors had less access to publicly funded home-care services in 2017 than they did in 2001 when the BC Liberals took office. He further highlighted access to home support in BC for those older than 75 had dropped 30% under the BC Liberal watch..“There are thousands in long-term care facilities right now who could be living safely at home with the proper support. We’ll ensure they can do just that,” he said at the time..Fast forward two years, while the newly-released report says “governments at all levels” have “demonstrated concern” for the well-being of seniors, actions and policy have done little to reverse the steady degeneration of their care across the province, particularly for those living in their own homes..“With the realization that we're not meeting the needs of many BC seniors, I know British Columbians will want to do better,” said Mackenzie.
