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Senior Citizen Counsellors

Most communities in British Columbia have appointed volunteers who will assist seniors in working their way through the mazes of bureaucracy to find the benefits and services needed by them.

Senior Citizen Counsellors, themselves seniors, are volunteers appointed by the Minister of Children and Families to provide this assistance and advocacy. Most Counsellors are Commissioners for affidavits and have had Criminal Record Checks. They receive training on Provincial and Federal seniors' programs and are encouraged to network with community service providers to learn of local resources.

The most common referral a counsellor receives is for assistance with pensions - either applications or dealing with the agency. February to May is the busiest season as this is GIS (Guaranteed Income Supplement) and Income Tax time. Often this support leads to the development of a more trusting relationship so the senior feels more comfortable and will begin to express other concerns. It is in this way that Seniors' Counsellors may become involved with victims of abuse.

Counsellors provide many other types of assistance - from friendly visiting to providing needed transportation to medical appointments or working with others to develop needed services for seniors. They are also often called upon to provide information on services for seniors either by public speaking, newspaper columns, or television programs.

The 175 Counsellors throughout the province average more than 6000 contacts with seniors every month.

Barbara Makepeace Wilson, Co-ordinator