Sheila Reiger is a long-time resident of Vancouver’s West End. In her free time she enjoys listening to radios and audio books, going out for walks with friends, and “eating other people’s food”. With a gleeful smile and infectious chuckle, Sheila is warm, pleasant, and a joy to be around. That’s probably why she’s so popular around here. Like many seniors, Sheila is an avid volunteer and has recently joined the WESN Better at Home Advisory Committee as a committee member.

 » Read more about: Provincial Successes – West End Better at Home  »

Penticton Better at Home orienting volunteers on ‘self-care’

Better at Home is a program that values independence and healthy aging.  In Penticton, as in the rest of the province, Better at Home is helping seniors to maintain the delicate balance of remaining independent, while accepting a helping hand.

Often, sites are providing support to caregivers with high stress levels, who are simply coping with life circumstances.  The need for Better at Home services is great, and sites’ ability to deliver services is limited by their capacity to attract enough volunteers. 

 » Read more about: Penticton Better at Home orienting volunteers on ‘self-care’  »

Provincial Successes – Dawson Creek Better at Home

The much anticipated “Ticket to Ride” bus tour program, organized through Dawson Creek Better at Home, kicked off this June to tremendous community response. The transit bus tours are sponsored by the City of Dawson Creek and BC Transit, who generously provide the use of the bus and the driver.

The goal of the program is for the seniors of Dawson Creek to get familiar with the transit system, all the transit stops throughout the city,

 » Read more about: Provincial Successes – Dawson Creek Better at Home  »

Breaking Down Barriers in First Nations Communities

We are all looking forward to Better at Home’s inaugural First Nations site in Squamish Nation-Tsleil-Waututh Nation.

The Better at Home program is available to all First Nations Elders (seniors) living in Tsleil-Waututh Nation (North Vancouver), and Squamish Nation sites including Squamish Valley (Brackendale, Cheekeye, Stawamus, Yeakwaupsum) and North and West Vancouver (Capilano, Eslh’7an, Seymour).

“Elders hold the knowledge of our ancient and recent past, written and unwritten, and most are happy to share their knowledge of the time before colonization as shared by their Elders,

 » Read more about: Breaking Down Barriers in First Nations Communities  »

Elsie’s story

Eighty-year-old Elsie lives alone in a one-bedroom apartment in Dawson Creek, BC. And that’s where she’d like to stay.

“I like my freedom,” Elsie says. But the fact that she doesn’t drive and doesn’t want to bother her children made leaving home difficult especially during the bitterly cold Peace River winters.

That changed in February 2011 when she became involved in the Community Action for Seniors’ Independence (CASI) program. Since then,

 » Read more about: Elsie’s story  »