As we transition into September and the last weeks of summer, I hope this message finds you well and ready for the changes that autumn brings. The Office of the Seniors Advocate (OSA) has had a busy summer connecting with stakeholders near and far, as well as making time to reflect on our work and … Read More
Read the OSA 2022-2023 Annual Report for highlights of our activities in the past year and details about projects that are currently underway. https://www.seniorsadvocatebc.ca/app/uploads/sites/4/2024/07/OSA-Annual-Report-2023_24_FINAL.pdf Message from the BC Seniors Advocate The 2023/24 fiscal year has been one of transition for the Office of the Seniors Advocate as Canada’s first seniors advocate, Isobel Mackenzie, retired after … Read More
Seniors independent living residences are subject to the Residential Tenancy Act. This means that rent and/or service fee increases are capped each year. The maximum allowable annual rent increase for 2024 is 3.5%. If your rent and/or service charges have increased more than this amount, call the Residential Tenancy Branch to report your concerns. For … Read More
“On July 4, my office released a report calling on the provincial government to enforce the rent and service cost protections in the Residential Tenancy Act (RTA) for seniors in independent living facing often exorbitant fee increases. “I am very pleased to have received written confirmation that the B.C. government agrees seniors independent living units … Read More
Heat warnings are in effect across the province and rising temperatures may put vulnerable seniors at risk. With higher temperatures expected, it is recommended that seniors take some additional precautions. Family, friends and neighbours are encouraged to check in on older people to ensure they are keeping cool and well hydrated. The dual focus during … Read More
The July issue of our monthly newsletter is available now! The OSA Update includes news and issues that matter to B.C. seniors: Read our newsletter Subscribe to our email list to receive our newsletter in your inbox.
Last month I had the privilege of celebrating my first BC Seniors’ Week as the Seniors Advocate. I attended several amazing events in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island and Northern B.C. and was heartened to see the ways that people came together to honour the seniors who are the backbone of their communities. I was … Read More
June 15th is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day Abuse of elderly people is one of the most underreported crimes in Canada, and the World Health Organization has estimated one in every six seniors over the age of 60 experiences abuse or neglect. June 15th is Elder Abuse Awareness Day in B.C. and around the globe, … Read More
VICTORIA – “Since becoming B.C.’s second Seniors Advocate in March, I’ve been travelling throughout the province and had the privilege of meeting with hundreds of seniors in both rural and urban communities. I’ve been amazed at the amount of volunteerism and support seniors provide for other seniors. “Whether it’s cooking and delivering meals, driving to … Read More
VICTORIA – “Since becoming B.C.’s seniors advocate in March 2024, I’ve been travelling the province meeting with seniors in communities big and small. Overwhelmingly, the number one issue I’ve heard from older people is their struggle with affordability. “In B.C., 80% of seniors own their own homes, compared to 70% of the overall population. The … Read More
The May issue of our monthly newsletter is available now! The OSA Update includes news and issues that matter to B.C. seniors: Read our newsletter Subscribe to our email list to receive our newsletter in your inbox.
Last month I mentioned I have been touring the province to meet with seniors and hear their ideas for improving programs and services as well as learning first hand about the challenges and issues they’re facing. I have been to Port Hardy, Dawson Creek, Cranbrook, Abbotsford, Pemberton, Chase, Pender Island and many communities in between. … Read More
Since I joined the office in March, my priority has been to meet with seniors, service providers and others throughout the province. I am spending most of April on the road in urban and rural areas hearing firsthand about the issues and challenges facing seniors and their ideas for improving programs, supports and services. Working … Read More
April 2nd is National Caregiver Day and an opportunity to recognize the role of family caregivers in supporting the health and well-being of seniors in B.C.
Please join us in welcoming new BC Seniors Advocate Dan Levitt. He has been a tireless champion of seniors’ rights for over 30 years and will continue supporting seniors and their loved ones through his work at the Office of the Seniors Advocate. Click here to find out more about Dan Levitt Click here to … Read More
The deadline to file taxes is quickly approaching. This year’s tax-filing deadline is April 30, 2024. However, if you or your spouse or a common-law partner are self-employed, the deadline is June 15, 2024. Why should I file my taxes? It is vital to file your taxes on time, even if you don’t owe any … Read More
March is Fraud Prevention Month and with reported cases of fraud rising, seniors are encouraged to increase their awareness of current scams and learn how they can protect themselves. Every year, people of all ages fall victim to fraud. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC), 62,365 Canadians reported being targeted by scammers in 2023 … Read More
The Seniors Advocate will be visiting rural areas of B.C. throughout the month of February to engage with seniors, their loved ones and health care providers to discuss seniors’ issues in their communities and share the findings of her upcoming report on challenges specific to seniors living in rural areas. Town hall locations include: Learn … Read More
The February issue of our monthly newsletter is available now! The OSA Update includes news and issues that matter to B.C. seniors: Read our newsletter Subscribe to our email list now to receive our newsletter in your inbox.
The Province has appointed Dan Levitt as the new seniors advocate for British Columbia as government continues to support oversight and advocacy toward seniors care and the programs and services seniors need. Find out more
As temperatures are expected to drop across B.C. this week, seniors are encouraged to prepare for extreme cold and winter storms. Seniors have a much higher chance of being affected by cold weather. Changes that come with ageing can make it harder for older people to recognize their body is becoming too cold, which can … Read More
The January issue of our monthly newsletter is available now! The OSA Update includes news and issues that matter to B.C. seniors: Read our newsletter Subscribe to our email list now to receive our newsletter in your inbox.
The Office of the Seniors Advocate has released its updated Long-Term Care and Assisted Living Directory for 2022/23. The 2022/23 Long-Term Care and Assisted Living Directory notes improvement in long-term care staffing but raises concerns with medication use and food costs
Scams are particularly common over the holiday season as fraudsters take advantage of increased activity, stress, distraction and generosity. Many of these attempts are targeted specifically at seniors. Canadians lost more than $527 million through various scams over the first six months of 2023, according to figures reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Take extra … Read More
BC Seniors Advocate statement on Health Care Assistant Day – October 18, 2023 VICTORIA – “Today is Health Care Assistant Day in B.C and an opportunity to acknowledge the increasingly important role of these professionals in the well-being of seniors not only in our province but across the country. “Health care assistant is a broad … Read More
Wildfires are spreading in B.C. and some communities are under evacuation, evacuation alert or travel restrictions. Seniors can be more vulnerable to effects of wildfires and should take extra precautions at this time. Please monitor appropriate channels for the latest updates on wildfire activity and safety. Emergency Info BCFor the most current wildfire information including … Read More
Following a comprehensive review of the province’s assisted living services, the BC Seniors Advocate is calling on government to address the current confusing legislative landscape to protect seniors from significant rent and service fee increases, improve oversight and reporting, and address affordability challenges. Read the news releaseRead the full reportView the live stream presentationView the … Read More
BC Senior Advocate Isobel Mackenzie and Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin launched B.C. Seniors’ Week with a garden party at Government House to honour local senior volunteers on Monday. “Every day, seniors in this province give of their time and immense talents to make our communities better places to live. Whether it is delivering meals, raising … Read More
BC Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie is urging senior homeowners struggling with the rising costs of living and aging to consider deferring their 2023 property taxes. The BC Property Tax Deferral Program allows homeowners 55+ to defer all or some of their annual property taxes. The Province pays the tax to the local government on behalf … Read More
BC Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie will be connecting in person with seniors, loved ones, organizations and local government staff, mayors and councillors throughout B.C. during Seniors Week 2023. Learn more about public town halls being held in several communities June 5-11.
BC Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie has advised government that she will retire on March 31, 2024, and to begin the process of finding her successor. “While I could happily continue this richly rewarding work forever, I am aware that I cannot and should not go on indefinitely. With this in mind, I advised the Minister … Read More
BC Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie will be visiting communities in northern B.C. from May 1 to 5, 2023. Join her to discuss seniors’ issues at town halls in Vanderhoof, Burns Lake, Smithers, Terrace, Kitimat and Prince Rupert. Seniors, their loved ones and others who live in north-western B.C. are invited to share what is working … Read More
There are several upcoming public engagement opportunities for seniors to provide input and feedback about important issues in British Columbia. Join the OSA Council of Advisors The Office of the Seniors Advocate is seeking new members of its Council of Advisors. Council members represent their regions and provide important feedback to the Seniors Advocate about … Read More
March is Fraud Prevention Month, and with reported cases of fraud on the rise, all British Columbians are encouraged to increase their awareness of current scams and learn how they can protect themselves and their loved ones. Every year, people of all ages fall victim to fraud. In fact, 57,055 Canadians reported being targeted by … Read More
The deadline to file taxes is quickly approaching. This year’s tax-filing deadline for most individuals is April 30, 2022. However, if you are self-employed or have a spouse or a common-law partner who is self-employed, the deadline is June 15, 2022. Why should I file my taxes? It is vital to file your taxes on … Read More
In this new report entitled “We Must Do Better: Home Support Services for B.C. Seniors”, the BC Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie provides a comprehensive review of the province’s home support services and finds they are in need of fundamental restructuring. This second review demonstrates that the program is not keeping pace with the needs of … Read More
Isobel Mackenzie will visit the Sunshine Coast in February to meet with seniors, seniors organizations, advocates, local government representatives, residential care facilities and others to discuss issues affecting older British Columbians. She will be holding town halls in Sechelt on February 6th and Powell River on February 7th to hear from seniors, their loved ones … Read More
We’re surveying every long-term care resident in B.C. and we need your help. Join our team of volunteer surveyors to interview seniors about their quality of life in long-term care. No experience necessary. Apply now online.
The 2022 Monitoring Seniors Services report is now available! This year’s report reinforces the need to scale up B.C. seniors’ services to meet the growing demands of the aging population. Read the report to find out how seniors’ services and supports have performed over the last year and find out where seniors’ needs are being … Read More
The Office of the Seniors Advocate has released its updated long-term care home directory for 2021/22 which also now also includes information on all publicly-funded assisted living facilities in British Columbia. The 2021/22 Long-Term Care and Assisted Living Directory includes basic information such as room configuration, languages spoken by staff, food preparation and also offers … Read More
Yesterday the BC Seniors Advocate released “BC Seniors: Falling Further Behind”, a new OSA report outlining the income and affordability challenges seniors in our province are facing. The report highlights the impact of rising costs on B.C. seniors who depend on government pensions and ranks B.C. as the lowest in its financial support for seniors … Read More
The Office of the Seniors Advocate is launching the second province-wide survey of the experiences of residents living in all 294 publicly-subsidized long-term care homes in B.C. and is calling on all interested British Columbians to join the survey team. Members of the survey team will include British Columbians from a wide variety of backgrounds … Read More
Did you know you may be eligible to defer your property taxes? Property tax deferment is a provincial low-interest loan program that helps qualified homeowners pay their annual property taxes on their principal residence. Taxes can be deferred for any year the homeowner lives in the home and continues to qualify for the program. Who … Read More
This year, the CRA has issued T5007 tax slips to SAFER recipients who received more than $500 from the program within the last year. Find out about how this will impact your income tax.
The federal government will provide an automatic, one-time repayment to alleviate the financial hardship of seniors who saw a loss of GIS or Allowance.
The speculation and vacancy tax is an annual tax based on how owners use residential properties in major urban areas in B.C. Over 99% of British Columbians are exempt from the speculation and vacancy tax. Generally, a British Columbian owner is exempt from the tax if the home is their principal residence.
The Office of the Seniors Advocate is undertaking a survey of B.C. seniors living on low incomes to identify challenges and determine if the financial supports available to them meet their needs. The survey will be mailed out to randomly-selected recipients of the B.C. Senior’s Supplement. The survey deadline is April 8, 2022.
Home Support Survey Deadline Extended: March 4, 2022
The Office of the Seniors Advocate has launched the second province-wide survey of Home Support recipients and their families/caregivers. All home support clients and their family/caregivers are invited to participate in this survey.
