The office of the Seniors Advocate is still looking for volunteers from Williams Lake to help survey seniors living in publicly-funded residential care facilities.
Regional engagement lead Jessica Kleissen encouraged anyone interested in volunteering with the survey to look for more information on the website www.surveybcseniors.org or e-mail her directly at jkleissen@providencehealth.bc.ca.
“When Isobel Mackenzie stepped in as the Seniors Advocate in 2014, she knew residential care needed attention in B.C.”, Kleissen said of the reason for the survey project. “She realized only by listening to the residents themselves could we create a path forward to make some changes.”
“We will do a day of training with the volunteers, hopefully in Williams Lake, early to mid-January, before the volunteers conduct the interviews,” Kleissen said, noting it is expected that each volunteer will give a total of 30 hours of their time if possible. Most of the interviews will take place Monday to Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., but it will depend on the particular facility.
The interviews can take 20 minutes or up to two hours, depending on the interviewee, Kleissen added.
Through the project it is hoped the more than 27,000 people living in publicly-funded long-term care beds in 303 facilities in B.C. will have the opportunity to give input.
“Not every resident will say yes to an interview or can, but volunteers will receive training and guidance on that aspect,” Kleissen said.