Close X
Monday, November 11, 2024
ADVT 
National

Volunteers a lasting legacy of pandemic: advocate

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 16 Feb, 2022 04:15 PM
  • Volunteers a lasting legacy of pandemic: advocate

VICTORIA - The advocate for seniors in British Columbia says a rise in volunteer services supporting the elderly has been one of the "brightest lights" throughout the pandemic.

Isobel Mackenzie says nearly 26,000 seniors benefited from the generosity of over 13,000 volunteers as part of a provincially funded program that was expanded in March 2020 to boost services through community organizations.

Mackenzie says the number of seniors living independently and getting help with everything from the delivery of groceries to visits and snow shovelling doubled between April 2020 and March 2021 compared with the year before.

She says the groundswell of support for those who became isolated will be a lasting legacy of COVID-19, and she expects some of the connections they made with volunteers will continue.

A report released by the Office of the Seniors Advocate says nearly 94 per cent of people aged 65 and over live in private dwellings, nearly half of them in detached homes.

Mackenzie says the response to a call for help from volunteers was so strong that a help phone line crashed as people stepped up to help their neighbours, while seniors looking for support also overwhelmed call takers.

"Some of them (call takers) were a little upset because they had no idea how some seniors are living in very impoverished conditions," she said on Wednesday.

Mackenzie said that while the overall program has been a success, more support is needed for seniors in smaller communities.

"The reality is, in remote areas it's tricky," she added.

The annual report also says about a quarter of the population in the Interior and Vancouver Island health regions is over 65, compared with about 16 per cent in the Fraser and Northern Health regions.

"That has a real impact on service delivery because not only do you have more seniors who need services, you have a smaller pool of the population in the labour force to provide those services," Mackenzie said.

The report says 42 per cent of seniors are either healthy or have a low-complexity condition like asthma or high blood pressure. Six per cent have been diagnosed with dementia.

It says 11 per cent more seniors over 80 have maintained a driver's licence, although part of that increase may be because all older motorists are no longer required to take an exam to determine if they are healthy enough to operate a vehicle. Mackenzie said up to 96 per cent of seniors had passed the exam anyway and the change may be more in keeping with a healthier population that is living longer.

Inspections of long-term care homes by health authorities were down by 11 per cent over the period covered by the report, but Mackenzie said that was expected during the pandemic.

"Normally, B.C. has very high rates of inspection, well over 80 per cent, and we are seeing that is returning."

 

MORE National ARTICLES

2,701 COVID19 cases over 3 days

2,701 COVID19 cases over 3 days
In addition, 93.1% (4,315,735) of eligible people 12 and older in B.C. have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, 90.5% (4,193,878) received their second dose and 52.7% (2,443,314) have received a third dose.

2,701 COVID19 cases over 3 days

Suspect Arrested in a Series of Stranger Assaults on Transit

Suspect Arrested in a Series of Stranger Assaults on Transit
In all incidents, the suspect and victim were not known to each other, and there was no interaction between the two prior to the alleged assaults. The Metro Vancouver Transit Police General Investigation Unit linked this series of assaults to one suspect.

Suspect Arrested in a Series of Stranger Assaults on Transit

​​​ICBC set to launch online insurance renewals

​​​ICBC set to launch online insurance renewals
Eligible ICBC customers renewing policies effective on or after May 1, 2022, will have the option to renew their policy using their computer, tablet or mobile device.

​​​ICBC set to launch online insurance renewals

Emergency law could freeze travel near Parliament

Emergency law could freeze travel near Parliament
Security expert Wesley Wark says declaring a public order emergency under the never-used law would give the government power to control streets near the Hill now jammed with vehicles.

Emergency law could freeze travel near Parliament

Former B.C. Speaker doesn't recall documents

Former B.C. Speaker doesn't recall documents
Bill Barisoff told the B.C. Supreme Court trial of the former clerk of the legislature Craig James that he only saw some documents connected with benefits after the RCMP began investigating James, and when letters and memos were sent to him by the Crown.

Former B.C. Speaker doesn't recall documents

Law enforcement activity continues near the Pacific Highway Border Crossing

Law enforcement activity continues near the Pacific Highway Border Crossing
Currently, there is no access to 176 Street south of 8th Avenue. In addition, 0 Avenue is blocked at 184 Street to westbound traffic. Police continue to work with area residents to keep the neighborhood near the border to local traffic only.

Law enforcement activity continues near the Pacific Highway Border Crossing