Message from New Seniors Advocate Dan Levitt

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 with the Office of the Seniors Advocate staff, I will report out on what I’m hearing and these discussions will help shape the focus of our systemic reviews and monitoring in the coming years.

My goal is for every senior and their family or caregiver to be able to exercise their agency to access the supports and services they need. As seniors advocate, I will work collaboratively with seniors, government officials and service providers to promote healthy ageing and pave the path to a better future for B.C. seniors.

As part of my orientation to this role, I have been reviewing the volumes of work produced during the first decade of the office. The extraordinary dedication of former BC Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie has laid the foundation for her successors, and more importantly, shone a spotlight on how to improve the lives of older adults and raised awareness on many pressing issues. She gave seniors and their loved ones a voice and advocated effectively for positive change.    

I will build on Isobel’s work, continue monitoring seniors’ services and conduct reviews of systemic issues that affect older people in health care, housing, transportation, income support and community services. There is still much to be done and I look forward to working with British Columbians to advocate for B.C. seniors.