United Way B.C. has launched a program that will help seniors age in place on off-grid Lasqueti Island.
The organization says the island is home to the 100th Better at Home program, which provides non-medical supports including housekeeping, transportation and grocery shopping.
“Living off-grid on Lasqueti takes an incredible amount of grit and the physical workload doesn’t slow down just because you’re getting older. Out here aging in place means hauling water, stacking cords of firewood and keeping solar arrays clear,” said Lisa Peterson, co-co-ordinator of Lasqueti Better at Home. “By adopting the Better at Home model for our island, we are finally providing that crucial bit of extra muscle. It means our elders don’t have to give up the independent, self-sufficient lifestyle they love just because they need a hand with the heavy lifting.”
United Way said community-based supports help seniors who face barriers including limited mobility, social isolation and rising costs of living. It added that support can look different depending on the community.
“Better at Home programs are designed to respond to these realities at the community level. What is offered to a senior living in a cabin in Lasqueti may be very different from what is required to support a senior living in a 25th-floor condo in Burnaby. But to both, aging at home is the goal,” United Way said.
