[Report] Monitoring Seniors Services 2025

The Monitoring Seniors Services report focuses on key services in the province that fall under the Advocate’s legislated mandate. It highlights where seniors’ needs are being met and where improvements are most needed. Access to health care, appropriate housing, adequate transportation, enough income to meet basic needs such as food, shelter and medicines and protection from abuse and neglect are key to the health and well-being of seniors.

This report, first published in 2015, is updated each year reflecting the latest information available. Monitoring Seniors Services 2025 is the 11^th edition and focuses on 2024/25 data.

New data in the 2025 monitoring report found that over the past five years:

• The number of seniors on waitlists has increased over the last six years for four of the top five surgeries: knee replacements up 61%; hip replacements up 72%; abdominal hernia repairs up 16%; prostate up 29%.
• In 2024/25, there were 20,449 alternate level of care (ALC) patients (65+) occupying a hospital bed, a 14% increase from 2019/20; the average ALC stay was 24 days.
• There were 7,029 people waiting for a long-term care bed in 2025, a nearly 200% increase compared to 2019/20. Wait times have also grown, from an average of 144 to 287 days over six years.
• The number of home support clients increased 16%, and the rate of clients per 1,000 seniors (75+) decreased 7% over six years.
• In 2024/25, 83,124 seniors deferred their property taxes, however, 14% fewer people joined the program compared to six years ago. The average property tax amount deferred was $5,369, a 23% increase from 2019/20.
• There were 13,216 approved applications for BC Housing Seniors’ Subsidized Housing (SSH) as of March 31, 2025, 50% more than six years ago; only 7% of applicants (894) received a unit in 2025.
• The number of HandyDart rides decreased 13% for BC Transit and 6% for TransLink over the past six years.

Read the 2025 report below, or visit website for current and past reports, data tables, presentations and recordings.