B.C. falls behind in meeting needs of seniors: advocate [Video]

British Columbia’s seniors advocate says the province is falling behind in meeting the basic needs of its older residents, a growing population that is forecast to make up a quarter of the population by 2035.

Dan Levitt said Wednesday that his report on seniors services in B.C. found that despite some investments in services, there are troubling statistics surrounding health care, long-term care, home care, housing, transportation and community services,

While there are some positives in the report, such as seniors living longer and staying healthy longer, the numbers tell a story of a system failing to meet seniors’ needs, he said.

“Even though the seniors’ population is increasing, we are not even maintaining service levels year over year,” said Levitt. “In fact, they are getting worse. We are going backward in several very important areas.”

He said the concerns mount as the number of seniors in B.C. grows, rising …