Seniors First BC is a charitable organization that provides support to older adults across BC who are vulnerable to abuse or mistreatment, as well as anyone assisting older adults. We also help older adults navigate the legal system and ensure their legal rights are protected. Our services are delivered through our Seniors Abuse and Information Line, Victim Services, Legal Programs, and Public Education and Outreach Program.
In partnership with the Nanaimo Family Life Association (NFLA), we are hosting free Advance Planning Clinics for low-income seniors aged 55+ at the NFLA office at 1070 Townsite Road. Our staff lawyers and volunteer legal professionals can help with drafting and executing Wills, Powers of Attorneys, and Representation Agreements by appointment.
To be eligible for our clinics, clients must have:
A gross annual income that is less than $40,000 for a 1 person household
+ $10,000 per additional household member (e.g. $50,000 for 2, $60,000 for 3, $70,000 for 4);
A household’s total net assets that are no greater than $150,000.
In addition to Nanaimo, we host Advance Planning Clinics in Prince George, as well as legal clinics in communities across the Lower Mainland.
For more information about the Nanaimo clinic schedule and how to book an appointment, visit the SFBC website here. To receive copies of our Advance Planning Clinic posters and brochure, or to attend an upcoming Advance Planning information session (online or in-person), email APclinics@seniorsfirstbc.ca.
BCCRN Provincial Learning Event – An Update on Seniors First BC’s Services
As a part of the BC Community Response Network's last Provincial Learning Event for the year, our Executive Director and Staff Lawyer, Marie-Noël Campbell, will be presenting over Zoom on November 15 from 10:30am to 12:00 PST about recent updates to Seniors First BC's programs and services.
Join to learn more about the latest updates to the Seniors Abuse and Information Line (SAIL), Public Education and Outreach webinars, new advance planning clinics, and current projects!
Register here, and for more information visit here.
Advance Planning Workshop with the Wavefront Centre for Communication Accessibility and the Vancouver Coastal Health Deaf Well-Being Program
In partnership with the Wavefront Centre for Communication Accessibility and Vancouver Coastal Health's Deaf Well-Being Program, we are hosting a hybrid workshop on Advance Planning on November 16th from 2pm to 4pm! Join to learn about Advanced Planning tools including Wills, Power of Attorneys, and Representation Agreements.
This free workshop will take place over Zoom and in person at the Wavefront Centre located at 2005 Quebec St in Vancouver. ASL interpretation will be provided!
To register to join over Zoom, visit here.
To register for the in-person session, visit here.
International Fraud Awareness Week: Frauds and Scams Webinar with the Nanaimo Family Life Association!
International Fraud Awareness Week—a global effort to reduce the impact of fraud by raising awareness about anti-fraud strategies—is taking place this year from November 13-19.
Join us for a free Zoom webinar on Frauds and Scams with the Nanaimo Family Life Association on November 14th, 1:00PM – 2:30PM PST! Learn about what frauds and scams are, common scams targeting Canadian and BC seniors, safety strategies, and resources to consult if someone you know has been scammed.
Office of the Seniors Advocate Update: Assisted Living Addition to Long-Term Care Directory
The Office of the Seniors Advocate has released its updated Long-Term Care Home Directory for 2021/22, which now includes information on all 132 publicly funded assisted living facilities in BC in addition to the 294 long-term care facilities.
The directory contains an interactive map of facilities across the province, and includes options to narrow searches by health authority, municipality, facility names, and room configurations. After selecting a facility, the directory provides basic information such as room configuration, languages spoken by staff, and meal preparation.
In addition, the directory provides an insight into how the residence is doing based on care quality guidelines, such as reports on the use of medications, types of care provided to each resident, complaints, and inspection results.
To view the directory, visit here. To read the Office of the Seniors Advocate announcement and the full summary report of the directory, visit here.
Department of Justice Canada Report Release: "Enhancement of Canadian Data on the Abuse of Older Persons: An Exploratory Study"
The Research and Statistics Division of the Department of Justice Canada released its report, "Enhancement of Canadian Data on the Abuse of Older Persons: An Exploratory Study." This study explores the avenues for improving data collection on elder abuse.
The main goals are to obtain information regarding the challenges and gaps in collecting data on elder abuse, identify differences between the data collected for abuse and neglect, design successful processes for research and data collection, and identify important data to collect on elder abuse.
The study will increase the knowledge and understanding of the data gaps involved in the production of data on elder abuse, and provide an up-to-date scientific basis for decision making.
To read the summary, visit here, and to read to the full report, visit here.
Contact Us!
Seniors Abuse and Information Line (SAIL) Our province-wide confidential Seniors Abuse and Information Line (SAIL) is a safe place for older adults and those who care about them to talk to a trained intake worker about their needs, as well as abuse or mistreatment and receive information and support about issues that impact the health and well-being of older adults. For more information, contact us at 604-437-1940 or Toll-Free 1-866-437-1940, weekdays 8 am to 8 pm and weekends 10 am to 5:30 pm (except statutory holidays).
