Activities of the Office of the Seniors Advocate
Caregiver Survey Deadline Extended
Attention family caregivers! If you are supporting someone who is on the waitlist for publicly subsidized long-term care, or has entered care within the last year, OSA wants to hear from you.
Take our short online survey to share your experiences about wait times, placement processes and supports for seniors and families. Your valuable feedback will be part of an upcoming systemic review on long-term care supply and demand.
The survey deadline has been extended to March 18, 2025.
Seniors Advocates Engage on National Issues
At the end of February, BC Seniors Advocate Dan Levitt joined Susan Walsh, Newfoundland and Labrador Seniors’ Advocate, in Toronto to meet with organizations advocating for seniors at the national level, such as the Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence and National Institute on Ageing. The two advocates also spoke on age discrimination at the national Canadian Association of Retired Persons Annual General Meeting.
March Message from the Seniors Advocate
Seniors Advocate Dan Levitt shares updates about recent activities and initiatives of the Office of the Seniors Advocate.
Current Issues and Resources
Stronger Consumer Protections Coming for B.C.
OSA hears from many older adults who have agreed to unfair contract terms or purchased items or services they didn’t need due to high-pressure sales tactics. New proposed amendments to B.C. consumer protection laws will better protect seniors and others when making new purchases and signing service contracts.
Fraud Prevention Month
Each March, OSA works to raise awareness of fraud prevention and encourage B.C. seniors to learn to recognize, reject and report scams. According to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, Canadians lost a whopping $638 million to fraud last year and a disproportionate number of people defrauded were seniors. In fact, older adults are often targeted by increasingly sophisticated scams. Please take this opportunity to review our collection of resources on fraud recognition and prevention.
Free Digital Literacy Workshops
TELUS Wise for Adults offers free online workshops for older people to learn digital skills and navigate technology safely to avoid online scams and fraud attempts. The workshops include helpful tips on spotting scam emails, creating strong passwords and optimizing privacy settings.
New National Caregiving Strategy Released
The Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence has released a National Caregiving Strategy which calls on the federal government to address Canada’s growing caregiving crisis. The strategy recommends policy solutions to support caregivers that include providing opportunities for education, financial supports and building a sustainable care provider workforce.
Provincial News
Recent Announcements from the B.C. Government Impacting Seniors
| February 28, 2025 | New urgent and primary care centre open in Williams Lake |
| February 20, 2025 | Do your taxes, get benefits |
| February 18, 2025 | Made-in-B.C.: Throne speech focuses on economic security in face of Trump tariffs |
| February 12, 2025 | New Lions Gate Hospital tower opens next month |
National News
Recent Announcements from the Federal Government Impacting Seniors
| February 24, 2025 | Minister Thompson and Minister Holland announce new National Seniors Council Members |
| February 17, 2025 | Helping Canadians be retirement ready |
Recent Research
Perspectives on Growing Older in Canada: The 2024 NIA Ageing in Canada Survey
(National Institute on Ageing)
The National Institute on Ageing (NIA) published the findings of its 2024 Ageing in Canada Survey, the country’s largest ongoing research initiative focused on the perspectives and experiences of Canadians aged 50 and older. Now in its third year, the survey, in partnership with the Environics Institute for Survey Research, sheds light on the evolving realities of ageing in Canada, offering critical insights into the social well-being, financial security, and health of older adults.
Factors associated with high nutrition risk by 10-year age group: Data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging
(Sage Journals)
Nutrition at midlife and beyond influences how an individual ages. Nutrition risk, the risk of poor nutritional health, is highly prevalent in community-dwelling adults in these age groups. As the factors associated with nutrition risk may vary between different age groups, research is needed on the differences in nutrition risk between age groups.
The mind and motion: exploring the interplay between physical activity and Mild Behavioral Impairment in dementia-free older adults
(International Review of Psychiatry)
Physical inactivity in mid-life is a modifiable risk factor for dementia. Mild behavioral impairment (MBi) is a marker of potential neurodegenerative disease. We investigated the association between physical activity and Mbi, using baseline data from the Canadian Platform for Research Online to investigate health, Quality of life, cognition, Behaviour, Function, and caregiving in ageing.
Outreach by the OSA
If you would like to invite BC Seniors Advocate Dan Levitt to speak to your organization or attend an event, please email info@seniorsadvocatebc.ca
The Office of the Seniors Advocate has an information and referral line that is available 24 hours a day, every day. Our senior service specialists will work with you during our office hours to provide resources and help resolve issues. Staff at BC211 will assist after hours