BC Seniors Advocate releases report: Monitoring Seniors Services 2018

The Seniors Advocate today released Monitoring Seniors Services 2018. The annual report examines a range of services and supports and measures whether they are keeping pace with the increased demand of a growing seniors’ population.

Report highlights include:

• The number of home support clients decreased 1.4% to 43,831 in 2017/18 but the average hours of care delivered per client increased 2% to 268 hours per year.
• There was a 32% increase in the number of home care complaints in 2017/18 over and above the 23% increase that occurred the previous year.
• The number of clients attending Adult Day Programs decreased 3% in both 2016/17 and 2017/18 while the number of clients on the waitlist at March 31, 2018 increased 23% over the previous year.
• There was a 2% decrease in the number of subsidized registered assisted living units in 2017/18 and a 2% decrease in the number of clients in these units while the number of people on the waitlist and March 31, 2018 increased 7% over the previous year.
• The number of long-term care beds remained stable in 2018, but the number of clients decreased 2% in 2017/18 and the median length of stay decreased 9%.
• There were 13,719 new users of the Property Tax Deferment Program in 2017/18, a 27% increase from the previous year and a 155% increase from 2013/14.
• The Seniors Abuse and Information Line (SAIL) received 1,546 calls related to abuse in 2017, a 2% decrease from the previous year.
• The Public Guardian and Trustee saw fewer Committee of Estate orders with a 5% decline this past year.