Fifteen joined us to welcome BC Seniors Advocate Dan Levitt and Communications Manager Jocelyne Lahaye to this ASK Salt Spring gathering. After our Acknowledgement and a chance for all to introduce themselves, we learned what “excites and delights” Dan. He recalled with pleasure his first trip to Salt Spring on a cycling/camping trip to Ruckle Park in 1985. He savoured an Embe treat those many years ago – and had just enjoyed that guilty pleasure again before our gathering. If you want to know more about Dan, you may enjoy reading: https://www.seniorsadvocatebc.ca/about-the-advocate/). 

He is also delighted to be in a position to guide B.C. toward the plethora of opportunities to better serve our ageing demographic. We learned that one in every five B.C. residents is currently 65 and over. Predictions are that, in 2036, seniors will make up one-quarter of B.C.’s population. While these proportions are high, they are even higher on Salt Spring. Will we be overwhelmed by the unmet care challenges or become leaders implementing solutions? 

The Office of the Seniors Advocate of British Columbia (https://www.seniorsadvocatebc.ca/) is an independent office of the provincial government. Dan’s office monitors and analyzes seniors’ services throughout the province, making recommendations to government to address systemic issues. These recommendations focus on five areas of concern: 

1. Health care, 
2. Housing, 
3. Income support, 
4. Community support, and 
5. Transportation.

In addition to its role in improving B.C. seniors’ services, Dan’s office also provides direct support to seniors through a treasure trove of information, a directory of long-term care facilities, and a toll free number (1-877-952-3181) for seniors to get information and referrals from a real person, guiding them toward the help they need. 

Last year, his office published Ageing Matters: Listening to Seniors (https://www.seniorsadvocatebc.ca/osa-reports/ageing-matters-listening-to-b-c-seniors/) as well as a number of other reports, all on their website. In addition to these analyses, talking to hundreds of seniors and visiting numerous sites has provided Dan with the information he needs to identify issues and seek solutions. Our time together delved into some of his findings as well as discussing successful models that could be replicated.

We learned that location can play a major role in longevity. Seeking Blue Zones (https://www.bluezones.com/), those areas in which folks tend to live longer, Dan toured rural B.C. He discovered a strongly mixed message: While rural life may be healthier, living far from essential medical services can create huge challenges. He cited long journeys to care and labs, trips that are difficult for everyone and often impossible for those who can no longer drive.

Another area of great concern is the enormous burden placed upon family caregivers. For many couples, their “until death do us part” promise has a sobering reality. Many of those needing care can stay at home and age in place only at the cost of their partner’s exhaustion, frustration, and hopelessness. In Dan’s opinion, B.C. simply does not do enough to support these vitally important family caregivers. Participants shared stories of nursing their aged parents to the end, some with tears of frustration at the loneliness and dearth of support while another cited amazing support received in Delta.  

Dan is interested in models of effective support for family caregivers. His office surveyed 900 family caregivers of seniors on the wait list – or who had recently moved into – long term care. This survey revealed a variety of needed supports that would ease the burden on these family caregivers. 

Some need money to pay for escalating costs. Is the family house-rich and cash-poor? What about forgiving property taxes and giving it to the family caregiver? Sound expensive? It is actually a good deal for taxpayers. If a family caregiver gives up and puts their loved one in care, taxpayers will pay over $100,000 a year to support them in a long-term care facility 

Home health care workers with little experience receive paid training as part of their employment: (https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/job-seekers-employees/find-a-job/health-care). What if a family caregiver in need of money took this training and was then paid for the care they provided to their spouse? 

It is expensive to modify a person’s home for declining mobility. What if it were simple to get the money needed to turn one’s home into a safe environment, including stair chairs, grab rails, and renovated/safer bathrooms? 

For many family care providers, money is not the issue. They need support groups and far more adult day programs for breaks during the day. They also need more multi-day respite care opportunities so they can take a holiday or visit family members who can put them first for this short time. Doesn’t it make sense to develop the support programs needed by these hard-working family caregivers – a win for both senior couples as well as taxpayers? 

If staying at home is not an option, what are the other choices?

• Independent Living, an unsubsidized option often charging both rent and services to residents.
• Publicly-subsidized Assisted Living, offering hospitality services and personal assistance during some hours of the day and requiring 70% of the resident’s monthly income.
• Publicly-subsidized Long-Term Care, offering 24/7 nursing support. Clients pay a monthly rate of up to 80% of their after-tax income, subject to a minimum and maximum monthly rate. For 2025, the maximum monthly rate is $4,073

Our discussion turned to issues with long term care homes, the most expensive taxpayer option. We learned that there are approximately 28,000 publicly funded long-term care beds in B.C. There is a need to replace outdated long-term care homes and to expand the number of spaces available for seniors. Some recently announced long-term care projects will eliminate multi-bed rooms, offer a less institutional style of food, and focus more on allowing residents choices about how they spend their sunset years. 

Dan wants better for them. Some facilities need sweeping renovations to address the mental health of these seniors as well as their basic needs. Others need more workers. With higher care ratios, seniors have the chance of getting support beyond the minimum, even including social support. 

Dan has spent much of his life seeking better models, and he has found some intriguing ways to do things differently: 

• Some communities continue to maintain that caring for seniors is a family responsibility. Widely prevalent in First Nations and Asian communities, other European countries, like a Greek island Dan visited, do not need many long-term care facilities for their aged community members. 
• Nearby in Cranbrook, their regional district is building a 150-bed facility despite rising costs and other challenges. https://kerhd.ca/hospital-district-approves-additional-funding-to-ensure-f-w-green-project-continues/). Recently, our CRD Hospital Board, at the request of Island Health, removed $50 million funding for a 50-bed facility here. Local leaders like Electoral Director Gary Holman and MLA Rob Botterell are working hard to get this unfortunate decision reversed. 
• What about intentional pocket neighbourhoods or collectives in which residents support one another? There are a number of examples, like the exclusive Beacon Hill Village (https://www.beaconhillvillage.org/) and Golden Girls-inspired living arrangements: https://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/from-strangers-to-housemates-why-some-canadian-seniors-are-turning-to-the-golden-girls-model/article_c0461b24-878f-4c34-8f5b-84f9a75cb670.html. 
• There are also less-intentional but still effective senior communities like a NORC, Naturally Occurring Retirement Community (https://norcinnovationcentre.ca/). Our Brinkworthy was cited as a local example of a supportive community that has naturally grown out of many caring seniors living in close proximity to one another, willing to help each other when needed.  

As our time together was coming to an end for this week, we asked “How can we do better?” Some suggestions were:

• Continue to support key local services like Community Services’ Housing First (https://saltspringcommunityservices.ca/housing-first-and-shelter/housing-first/) program, Better at Home (https://saltspringcommunityservices.ca/seniors-services/better-at-home/), and its Senior Navigator.
• Develop a seniors’ action plan.
• Use this plan to get the funding needed, either following successful models or creating a “Made on Salt Spring” model. 
• Advocate for regulation to allow group homes and/or communities in which seniors can live together and support one another. 
• Look creatively for needed capital and operating costs rather than depending totally upon government. Consider local community bonds. What about the model that requires large sums to move in when this money is not needed, but returned to heirs or when the senior leaves? There are plentiful successful models out there. It’s time for Salt Spring to consider them.

As our time together ended, Dan was inspired by a participant’s suggestion to implement 30 km/hour Senior Zones. If the UK cares enough about the safety of their seniors, why can’t we? 

We all thanked Dan for leading this fascinating conversation, his clear passion for increasing support for B.C. seniors, tenacity in the face of overwhelming challenges, and enthusiasm for discovering successful models that will work in B.C. As he left, he said that, of course, he would return next year, stating how lucky he feels to be able to come to Salt Spring as a part of his job! (Thanks, Dan and Jocelyne!) 

NOTE: As everyone was leaving, a participant shared her enthusiasm for creating this suggested seniors’ action plan – as well as her willingness to lead this initiative! If you are interested in helping to develop a Seniors’ Action Plan for Salt Spring, please contact ask@asksaltspring.com by Monday, September 1. 

(Just in case you are interested. . . .This report has been written by Gayle Baker, founder of ASK Salt Spring, currently also a Salt Spring Local Community Commissioner. It has been reviewed and edited by Dan and his Team.