Supports for Independent Living

Supports for Independent Living

A range of supports are available for older adults to enable them to live in their own home longer. These can include help with house maintenance, housekeeping, transportation, shopping, meal preparation, and companionship.

This section will describe how to fund supports, the Better at Home program, adult day programs, and medical travel assistance.

How to Find Supports

Supports are provided by provincial programs, community agencies, volunteer organizations, and religious organizations.

Seniors First BC(1) operates the Seniors Abuse and Information Line (SAIL), where seniors and their caregivers can get help addressing issues that affect the senior’s well-being. Professional intake workers are available every day, except statutory holidays. SAIL staff offer information, referrals, emotional support, and safety planning. Language interpretation and American Sign Language interpretation via videoconference, for clients who are deaf or hard of hearing are available with advance notice. Contact SAIL at 604-437-1940 or toll-free at 1-866-437-1940.

bc211 is a free, confidential, and multilingual provincial information and referral service to a wide range of community, social, and government services. The phone line is available 24/7 by calling or texting 211.(2).

To learn more about the programs in your community you can contact your local government and ask whether they have a directory of seniors’ services. You can also contact your local Community Response Network, which has a list of community services for older adults in communities across the province.(3).

If you are Indigenous, you may be able to get services through the First Nations Health Authority. More information about their programs can be found on their website.(4).

Better at Home Program

Better at Home is a program managed by the United Way, with funding provided by the provincial government. Better at Home provides a range of services to seniors living independently throughout the province. These services are delivered by local non-profit organizations and may be provided by volunteers or paid staff.(5)

The services vary by community and may include:

• friendly visits;
• rides to appointments;
• light yard work;
• minor home repairs;
• light housekeeping;
• grocery shopping; and
• snow shoveling.(6).

A fee for some services may be charged based on the recipient’s income, but services are usually free for low-income seniors.

You can find out what services are available in your community by calling the main line at 604-268-1312 or visiting the website.(7).

Adult Day Programs

Adult day programs offer supportive group programs and recreational activities to older adults and adults living with disabilities. These programs are offered one to two days a week at a location in the community.

To get into an adult day program, a person must apply to their local Home and Community Care Office. This office will assess the person’s eligibility and determine what services the person can receive.

For more information on adult day programs, visit the province’s website.(8)

Medical Travel Assistance

In addition to the local transportation help offered by Better at Home, there are two provincial programs that help B.C. residents travel to non-emergency medical services outside their home community: the Travel Assistance Program, and Health Connections.

For emergency transportation to medical services, call 911.

The Travel Assistance Program (TAP) provides travel vouchers for specific transportation services, such as BC Ferries and Harbour Air. You must apply for TAP before you travel. Apply early to allow enough time for the application to be processed before the intended travel date. If you require an escort for medical reasons, the escort may also qualify for TAP.

The TAP program does not cover all medical travel. It does not make direct payments to people, it only provides travel vouchers. It does not reimburse people for travel expenses (such as mileage, fuel, local transportation expenses, meals or accommodation). It does not pay for travel already taken.

There are eligibility requirements for TAP. Only certain kinds of medical services are eligible for travel coverage. For details about who is eligible, what is covered, and how to apply, see the province’s webpage.(9).

Health Connections is a partnership between health authorities and transportation providers to increase access to non-emergency medical appointments for residents in rural or remote areas of BC. The program offers subsidized transportation for rural residents who require non-emergency, physician-referred medical care outside their home community. Services vary by community. Details can be found on local health authority websites or the province’s website.(10).

If you are First Nations (with Indian status) travelling for non-emergency medical specialist services, you may be eligible for a benefit through the First Nations Health Authority. Specific information regarding these benefits can be found by contacting your local First Nations Health Authority office or visiting the website.(11).

References

1. Seniors First BC, “Seniors Abuse and Information Line” (last reviewed April 2023), online: <www.seniorsfirstbc.ca>.
2. United Way British Columbia, “Helpline Services: Connecting People to Community Resources” (last visited 29 August 2023), online: <www.bc211.ca>.
3. BC Association of Community Response Networks, "Find a CRN” (last visited 29 August 2023), online: <bccrns.ca/search>.
4. First Nations Health Authority, “What We Do”, online: <www.fnha.ca/what-we-do>.
5. Better at Home, ”About Us”, online: <betterathome.ca/better-home-program/>.
6. Better at Home, ”Services Available”, online: <betterathome.ca/services-available/>.
7. Better at Home, “Map Search” (last visited 29 August 2023), online: <betterathome.ca/map-search>.
8. British Columbia, “Adult Day Services” (last visited 29 August 2023), online: <www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/accessing-health-care/home-community-care/care-options-and-cost/adult-day-services>.
9. British Columbia, “Travel Assistance Program (TAP BC)“ (last visited 29 August 2023), online: <www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/accessing-health-care/tap-bc/travel-assistance-program-tap-bc>.
10. British Columbia, “Health Connections” (last visited 30 August 2023), online: <www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/accessing-health-care/tap-bc/health-connections>.
11. First Nations Health Authority, “Medical Transportation Benefit” (last visited 30 August 2023), online: <www.fnha.ca/benefits/medical-transportation>.

This information applies to British Columbia, Canada. Last reviewed for legal accuracy by Seniors First BC, February 2024.