Better at Home program helps seniors age in place gracefully

Imagine not being physically able to clean your own home for two and a half years with no one to turn to for help.

Now think about what it means to have someone come in to clean post pandemic as restrictions were lifted.

“This might be an individual who couldn’t bend over,” Terry Runions, Prince George Council of Seniors’ Better at Home program coordinator, gave as an example.

“They get very resourceful by trying to use a mop to clean the bathtub but if you can’t bend over to clean your toilet for two years - if you could even begin to imagine what that looks like, what that smells like, and then think about their pride – they don’t even want anyone in to help them then because they are embarrassed that they haven’t been able to take care of these things on their own for so long.”

It’s a snowball effect that’s all rolled into their inability to clean and the shame that comes with that, Runions said.

Housekeeping is an important service provided by the Better at Home program, which is key to keeping seniors where they would most like to stay – at home.

“The Better at Home program helps seniors to continue to live in their homes by providing non-medical services,” Runions said.

Currently, there are 68 clients receiving housekeeping service on a regular basis, with 48 more clients on the wait list.

To get those seniors off the wait list, the Better at Home program needs funding to be able to pay for the wages of another full-time housekeeper and a part-timer, Runions added.

“The housekeepers we have are phenomenal,” Runions said. “They care and are concerned so much for the clients so it’s not even just about the housekeeping, it’s about the relationships they have built with their clients.”

Another service Better at Home provides is online shopping assistance that includes a home delivery driver that goes that extra step to help bring in the groceries and even put them away if needed.

There are 55 seniors who use this service currently and volunteers are needed to help with that.

Better at Home also does in-person Friendly Visits where volunteers are matched up to visit with a like-minded senior for one to two hours on a regular basis. That could be once a week or once every two weeks, added Runions. There’s always a need for volunteers for Friendly Visits as well.

The Council of Seniors has also collaborated with the Prince George Men’s Shed whose members volunteer to provide light handyman services to seniors in need.

The Better at Home program started in April 2022 with 49 clients and currently serves 215 clients.

For more information about Better at Home or to volunteer email [email protected] or call 250-564-5888.