Northwest seniors had the opportunity to speak their mind series of town halls, addressing their concerns about health care access and housing directly to B.C. Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie.
At the Smithers town hall, hosted by the Smithers Senior Citizens Association on May 3, Mackenzie said she heard a lot of concerns about the Bulkley Lodge.
“I noted that they have a very high rate of antipsychotic use, and that was one of the concerns that family members had,” Mackenzie said.
There was an overarching theme across her tour of the Northwest with stops in Vanderhoof, Burns Lake, Smithers, Terrace, Kitimat and Prince Rupert.
“Frustration with access to health services through Northern Health, such as home and community care,” she said.
READ MORE: BC Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie to host town hall meeting in Terrace
Even though Mackenzie acknowledged the challenges in health care are more pronounced in rural areas compared to cities, such as Vancouver and Victoria, she emphasized the importance of having enough staff with the right attitude to care for seniors in health-care facilities.
Within Northern Health, wait times for long-term care are the longest in the province. However, the province isn’t necessarily tailoring services to the “uniqueness of the north,” Mackenzie said.
“While we will talk about how we do things a bit differently in the north, we are still taking a traditional approach — and we have to look at something a little bit different because every community is a bit different.”
She also said she hopes new federal standards for long-term care will be adopted in B.C.
The town hall also touched on the issue of affordable housing for seniors in the region.
Mackenzie mentioned that the government has a role to play in providing affordable housing options, such as co-ops for modest, moderate, and lower-income residents in rural B.C.
Northern Health’s bureaucracy was also heavily criticized by residents who claimed the organization does not prioritize seniors’ needs. Mackenzie encouraged residents to reach out to their MLAs and unite as a rural voice to exert pressure on Northern Health.
Various other issues discussed during the town halls included seniors’ transportation, the lack of wheelchair-accessible taxis and the growing problem of seniors fraud.
Mackenzie suggested implementing a seniors abuse or fraud phone line to report such cases and urged cellular providers to stop charging seniors for Caller ID, as it is an essential service to prevent fraud.
The role of the B.C. Seniors Advocate is to act independently of the provincial government, in the interest of seniors and their caregivers.
Her office can be reached via phone at (250) 952-3181 and via email at info@seniorsadvocatebc.ca.