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November 2024 Message from Seniors Advocate Dan Levitt

With the 2024 B.C. election coming to a close, I am again calling on the provincial government to develop and implement a cross-ministry seniors plan to help meet the needs of older adults in B.C.

We have known for decades that the seniors’ population is growing and more and more people will require government services. Unfortunately, we are not keeping pace with this growth.

B.C. seniors deserve to age with dignity, comfortably in their own homes in a manner of their choosing. Our new government will need to act quickly to ensure that supports, services and programs are available to help older people when they need it most.

We need a concrete plan with targets and performance measures that define how government will meet the needs of the growing seniors’ population.

I look forward to working with the new government on initiatives such as increasing seniors subsidized housing, improving access to health care, assisted living and long-term care, affordable transportation and home care, and better rental and income supports.

I also would like to share about an important initiative my office is taking on as a follow up to the first B.C. ageism awareness day which took place on October 9, 2024.

Starting mid-November, OSA will be conducting a short survey on the topic of ageism. Our aim is to open a public conversation on ageism and determine the extent to which it is an issue for British Columbians.

We will be inviting the general public to weigh in and share any personal experiences they may have had with ageism. The results of the survey will inform future work of my office.

Stay tuned to OSA social media and website for more information on the launch of the ageism survey later this month.

Finally, I’d like to thank everyone who has made my first eight months as Seniors Advocate a success. I have received a warm welcome from community organizations, industry, government and most importantly seniors and caregivers from communities across B.C.

I look forward to hearing more from you on ageism and seniors’ issues, as well as the many ways that B.C. seniors continue to make a difference in their communities.

Yours sincerely,

Dan Levitt
BC Seniors Advocate