Thursday August 12, 2021 | VICTORIA, BC
by Molly Pearce | Island Social Trends
The new BC Seniors’ Guide is now available and presents a fresh attitude towards healthy aging for British Columbians.
The updated and comprehensive 12th version of the BC Seniors’ Guide is accessible in print and online in seven languages. The PDF and ebook formats can be found in the BC Seniors’ Guide section of the BC Government web portal.
Free print copies can be ordered by contacting the Office of the Seniors Advocate, open Monday to Friday from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm by phone at 1-877-952-3181 (toll-free) or in Victoria at 250-952-3181.
While the book is just over 100 pages, it provides a great deal of basic information on healthy aging, in addition to being a jumping off point to health and community resources for seniors in British Columbia. The Ministry of Health explains that “the BC Seniors’ Guide is a comprehensive tool that can help British Columbians with the information they need as they age.”
BC Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie promptly addressed the publication of the new guide. She stressed: “This guide is important, as it provides seniors and Elders with information and resources they can use to make informed health and care decisions, and to remain active and engaged in their communities.”
Six years since the last guide:
The new edition of the guide comes six years after the release of the 11th BC Seniors’ Guide in 2015. The guide redefines what it means to age, explaining that only a very small percentage of how a person ages comes from their genetics and biology. Adults can take control of how they age by healthy lifestyle choices and having a positive attitude towards aging.
Resources such as digital literacy tools, volunteering opportunities, and further education programs are included in the guide. The guide also contains information and support for grandparents raising grandchildren and those aging as part of the LGBTQ2S+ community.
Light on COVID:
There is a brief reference to the COVID-19 pandemic, with a link towards the BC Centre for Disease Control website, but otherwise BC’s response to and seniors’ experiences with the pandemic is not a focus of the guide. This makes the book more immune to becoming outdated, but perhaps leaves seniors wanting more with regards to pandemic that has affected their demographic most acutely.
Independent Living:
More seniors are aging independently in their homes than in previous generations. The BC Seniors’ Guide recognizes this and encourages seniors to make healthy choices that can prolong independent living. The guide does also provide information for seniors who live in or who are seeking support from an assisted living environment.
Age profile:
Seniors are generally considered an age group that starts at age 60 year. But many seniors nowadays work until they are 70 before taking their pension. The age 60 to 79 cohort in BC is about 1,171,066 people, which comprises 25.2% of the total BC population.
Generally speaking, the term ‘elder’ might apply at age 80 and above, of which there are 259,930 people in BC, which is about 5.6% of the total population of the province.
| Age Group | Target Population |
| 95+ | 15,389 |
| 90-94 | 40,008 |
| 85-89 | 78,699 |
| 80-84 | 125,834 |
| 75-79 | 196,619 |
| 70-74 | 279,792 |
| 65-69 | 330,212 |
| 60-64 | 364,443 |
| 55-59 | 363,492 |
| 50-54 | 341,309 |
| 45-49 | 320,697 |
| 40-44 | 340,021 |
| 35-39 | 376,266 |
| 30-34 | 383,104 |
| 25-29 | 356,536 |
| 18-24 | 412,805 |
| 12-17 | 310,032 |
| Total | 4,635,258 |
A Vancouver Island focus:
Vancouver Island seniors might be especially interested in the University of Victoria’s Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health mentioned in the guide, which provides free educational and coaching programs for those aging with chronic disease. The programs are offered in several languages and in First Nations communities on the island. (www.selfmanagementbc.ca)
Resources readily available:
Minister of Health Adrian Dix summarized the purpose of the BC Seniors’ Guide as “making sure information and resources about services are readily available for seniors, Elders, their families and caregivers is important to help individuals make informed health decisions and live happy, fulfilling lives.”
Designed to last:
The guide is not designed to collect dust on a bookshelf, but to provide guidance as British Columbians age and encounter challenges in their daily lives as they do so. While it provides a small crutch relative to today’s challenges, the BC Seniors’ Guide will be a go-to resource for many seniors across the province because of the topical information it contains.
===== RELATED:
Some seniors losing their Guaranteed Income Supplement for having taken CERB/CRB benefits (August 12, 2021)
Age-based immunization plan & Delta variant contributing to COVID case surge in BC (August 5, 2021)
Vaccination milestone 100,000 in Island Health (March 26, 2021)
Premier’s office outlines 2020 COVID pandemic record on seniors & health care (December 20, 2021)
BC Seniors Advocate goes to bat for family visits in long-term care (November 3, 2020)
