There’s No Place Like Home

James Bay Community Project

By Janice Sacks, Victoria Better at Home Coordinator

"Mom called, and she seems to be feeling a little down. She loves her apartment, and I know she gets a real sense of peace surrounded by all of her special things in her own place. She knows the neighbourhood, and she has some great friends in her building. But she is finding it more and more difficult to get some of her light housekeeping chores done, and manage a trip to the grocery store. If I didn't live so far away, I'd be able to help her. Are there any programs out there to help someone like my mom so she can remain at home as long as she can?" The answer is, Yes! Victoria Better at Home.

This is a common story for a lot of seniors as they strive to keep their independence while staying on top of their day-to-day chores. "Seniors are an important and growing part of our communities, and their active involvement enriches everyone's lives. To ensure that seniors continue to play an active role in our communities, they often need support to live independently in their own homes, surrounded by family, friends, and neighbours. United Way of the Lower Mainland supports seniors to age with dignity, and with funding provided by the BC government, will manage the Better at Home program in up to 68 communities across BC." Sourced from the Victoria Better at Home Final Consultation Report, December 2013

The Province of British Columbia provided funding through the United Way of the Lower Mainland to establish Better at Home as part of "Improving Care for BC Seniors: an Action Plan" that looks at the needs of seniors and an aging population in our province.

The James Bay Community Project and Capital City Volunteers are pleased to have been chosen to deliver the Victoria Better at Home program to the City of Victoria for 2014. Victoria Better at Home will help seniors with simple chores so they can continue to live in their homes independently and remain connected to their community by offering light housekeeping, minor home repairs and non-medical transportation. Pre-registration is required, and fees may be assessed on a sliding scale based on the senior's household income.

The Victoria Better at Home Program will offer specific non-medical services to seniors who are:

• 65 years old or older
• Residents of the City of Victoria
• Living independently

The non-medical services that Victoria Better at Home will offer are:

• Light housekeeping, which may include chores like dusting, sweeping, vacuuming, bed making, washroom cleaning, floor cleaning, kitchen appliance cleaning, garbage and recycling, interior windows and watering indoor plants. Victoria Better at Home will not provide any personal hygiene assistance such as bathing and grooming, or prepare food or meals
• Non-medical transportation services, which may include trips for shopping, banking, groceries or other non-medical appointments.
• Minor home repair, which may include changing light bulbs or batteries in smoke detectors, hanging pictures, replacing broken handles or other light repairs that don't require a building permit or a licensed tradesperson.

Seniors inquiring about receiving Victoria Better at Home services will need to register and go through an intake process with an Outreach Worker. The Outreach Worker will visit the senior and assess their needs to determine if they would benefit from Victoria Better at Home services and/or other community services that support seniors. A sliding scale will be used to calculate what the senior will have to pay for the service based on their household income.

As of 2011, Statistics Canada reports that the 19.47 square kilometres that make up the City of Victoria are home to 80,170 residents. Of those residents, 14,715 seniors make up just over 18 per-cent of the population. While the majority of seniors live with a spouse, partner and/or their children and other relatives, the City of Victoria has a large number of seniors (38 per-cent) who live alone. The City of Victoria's Official Community Plan suggests that several neighbourhoods are attracting seniors in high numbers - so much so that approximately 40 per-cent of all Victoria's seniors live in just three neighbourhoods: Victoria West (1,000 seniors), Fairfield (2,200 seniors) and James Bay (2,800 seniors).

Victoria Better at Home's goal is to connect with seniors in the City of Victoria who might benefit from this program, and then deliver this important support to as many seniors as possible.

To find out more about the Victoria Better at Home Program, please visit the James Bay Community Project website at www.jbcp.bc.ca or the Capital City Volunteers website at www.capitalcityvolunteers.org.You can also call the James Bay Community Project at 250-388-7844 Ext. 334 to - speak with the Victoria Better at Home Coordinator.

After all - there is no place like home!