Better At Home

Better at Home assists older adults with simple, day-to-day non-medical tasks so that they can continue to live as independently as possible in their own homes. Download our brochure here.

Eligibility

You may be eligible if you are:

• 55 years of age or older
• Currently living in the West End or Coal Harbour neighborhood of Vancouver (west of Burrard Street to Stanley Park)
• Needing assistance to complete day-to-day tasks safely and effectively
• Must have received all of your COVID-19 vaccinations

For a map of the geographic boundaries of other Better at Home service areas, please click here.

Services

Minor Home Repairs

• Volunteers assist with basic home repairs such as replacing light bulbs, fixing leaks, assembling furniture, etc.
• Volunteers will not do any work that would require a tradesperson or anything deemed to be unsafe.
• The maximum length of an appointment is two hours.
• Home visit assessments are required to determine eligibility for this service.
• This service is provided by donation, and clients are responsible for providing all necessary tools and supplies if possible.
• Clients must have received all their COVID-19 vaccinations to be eligible for this service

Transportation to and from Medical Appointments

• This service provides transportation to and from medical appointments within the City of Vancouver.
• Volunteers support transportation to and from medical appointments.
• As this service is limited, we ask clients to explore other available options (family, friends, neighbours, public transit including city buses and SkyTrain, HandyDART, etc.) prior to requesting transportation assistance.
• If you require assistance with your physical mobility needs (i.e., if you use a wheelchair or need support with transferring into or out of a vehicle), we recommend that you use HandyDART.
• A minimum of five business days’ notice is required for transportation requests. This deadline does not guarantee that a transportation request will be met, but it does increase the likelihood of arranging transportation. Transportation requests received less than five days in advance may be accepted at the discretion of WESN staff.
• This service is provided by donation.
• Clients must have received all their COVID-19 vaccinations to be eligible

Light Housekeeping

• This service can include laundry, vacuuming, dusting, cleaning the bathroom, etc.
• Home visit assessments are required to determine eligibility for this service.
• This service is offered on a sliding scale determined by Line 15000 (Total Income) on your Canada Revenue Agency income tax Notice of Assessment.

Fee Category	Annual Income (Single)	Annual Income (Household)	Subsidy Level	Hourly Rate
A	At or below $18,415	At or below $28,050	100%	$0.00 Donations accepted
B	$18,416-$26,035	$28,051-$48,099	70%	$10.00
C	$26,036-$33,673	$48,100-$68,149	50%	$16.50
D	$33,674-$43,299	$68,150-$88,199	30%	$23.00
E	Over $43,300	Over $88,200	0%	$33.00

Rates are effective April 1, 2022.

• Up to two hours of service is provided by contracted agencies at a subsidized rate every two weeks. Additional hours of service can be purchased at the full rate.
• Clients are invoiced monthly by the West End Seniors’ Network. Payment options include cash, cheque and e-transfer (to [email protected]).

All fees and donations collected for Better at Home services help ensure we can support as many clients as possible.

For more information, please contact Indira Raidi (Community Services Coordinator) at our Barclay Manor location at [email protected] or 604-669-5051 x2.