[NPS report] In Community - Information & Referral Services for Seniors in BC. Past learnings and Learnings since COVID-19

411 Seniors Centre Society in partnership with SFU STAR, has published a new report titled Information and Referral Services for Seniors in British Columbia | Past Learnings and Learnings since COVID-19. The development of the report was in direct response to the growing need for a comprehensive review of existing information and referral services for seniors in B.C. in an attempt to capture the state of senior-focused service provision in B.C. This B.C. based report explores the existing barriers that community-based service-providers face in the provision of Information and Referral (I&R) services as well as the existing challenges that older adults and caregivers face in accessing these services. The report aims to fill a knowledge gap as a means of assessing and evaluating current best practices and the future potential for providing I&R support to seniors. With the rapid advancement of technological change and the accelerated shift to online-based provision of services and information due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the report highlights the important role of digital tools and technology-based solutions. At the same time, the report explores the impact of the digital divide on seniors in B.C. and the significant challenges in access and uptake of technologies that threaten to replicate and widen inequalities if not properly addressed.