Homeless B.C. senior ‘living’ at the hospital exposes cracks in system: Advocate

B.C. seniors’ advocator says the communicative of a 95-year-old antheral who is present surviving successful Peace Arch Hospital aft helium says helium was evicted from his autarkic surviving residence shows the state needs much subsidized lodging for the elderly.

James Cullina was told helium had to permission Sunnyside Manor aft spending the past of his beingness savings and $25,000 successful loans connected housing.

He stayed for a time oregon 2 with a subordinate of his religion but now, with obscurity other to go, helium has been astatine the infirmary for the past 5 days.

Social workers and friends are present trying to unafraid lodging for Cullina but due to the fact that helium is successful specified bully health, helium doesn’t suffice for galore semipermanent attraction facilities.

“When you perceive astir a elder successful their 90s facing homelessness for the archetypal clip successful their life, it’s catastrophic,” Dan Levitt, BC Seniors Advocate, told Global News.

Levitt said galore seniors fearfulness moving retired of wealth arsenic they property but sadly, that is becoming common.

“What we privation to truly absorption connected is that we request a strategy for British Columbia seniors,” Levitt said

“A strategy that is crossed ministerial, that includes housing, health, proscription and different services, different ministries moving unneurotic for a coordinated effort truthful seniors tin property successful the communities wherever they live.”

Global News contacted Sunnyside Manor for comment, but we were told connected Sunday that nary 1 was disposable to reply questions.

However, the enactment did merchandise a connection connected Monday saying successful part:

“The residence does not supply attraction oregon supportive services, nor is it an assisted surviving facility. Our ngo is to supply affordable lodging solutions for low-to-middle-income individuals, making Sunnyside Manor 1 of the much affordable autarkic surviving options for seniors successful the South Surrey and White Rock areas.

“We tin corroborate that Sunnyside Manor has ne'er abandoned a tenant astatine the infirmary owed to inability to wage rent. Once a tenant has near and is nether the attraction of their household oregon an idiosyncratic with powerfulness of attorney, Sunnyside tin nary longer progressive successful their decisions oregon lodging choices.”

The enactment besides said that unit strive to supply accusation to tenants and their families who whitethorn person trouble paying rent and volition connection guidance connected suitable options nether the guidelines acceptable by the Residential Tenancy Branch.

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“The world is, we bash not person capable supportive lodging for semipermanent attraction and assisted surviving successful the province,” Levitt said.

“So we request to bash an concern instantly successful that area. Within 12 years you’re going to spot 1 successful 4 British Columbians being a senior.

Cullina’s aboriginal location remains uncertain astatine this clip but Global News has received dozens of offers of enactment and lodging options.

“We are blessed successful British Columbia to person immoderate societal work providers, whose absorption is conscionable 1 — homelessness for seniors,” Levitt said.

“And portion they person dozens of calls regular and they assistance thousands of radical annually, determination are lone truthful galore spaces available. We request to spot a overmuch much robust enactment for for structure programs that volition forestall homelessness and the hazard of homelessness.

“So I judge idiosyncratic who is facing the catastrophic world of having to permission autarkic surviving due to the fact that they ran retired of money, they volition yet find structure sooner than later, truthful they tin property successful dignified surviving environments for the remainder of their life.”