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.
Eligibility
You may be eligible if you are:
- 55 years of age or older
- Currently living in the West End or Coal Harbour neighbourhood of Vancouver (west of Burrard Street to Stanley Park)
- Needing assistance to complete day-to-day tasks safely and effectively
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.
- NOTE: This service is on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Transportation to and from Medical Appointments
- This service provides transportation to and from medical appointments within the City of Vancouver.
- Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are currently unable to offer volunteer-supported transportation to and from medical appointments. Instead, we are utilizing Black Top & Checker Cabs and Driving Miss Daisy to meet client transportation needs.
- 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 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.
- NOTE: We are unable to support transportation to or from recurring medical appointments at this time. If you have recurring medical appointment needs, please consider other options.
- This service is provided by donation.
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 | Below $18,360 | Below $27,960 | 100% | $0.00
Donations accepted |
| B | $18,361 – $25,847 | $27,961 – $46,108 | 70% | $10.00 |
| C | $25,848 – $33,673 | $46,109 – $64,754 | 50% | $15.00 |
| D | $33,674 – $41,499 | $64,755 – $83,399 | 30% | $20.00 |
| E | Over $41,500 | Over $83,400 | 0% | $29.00 |
Rates are effective January 1, 2021.
- Up to four hours of service is provided by contracted agencies at a subsidized rate every four 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 betterathome@wesn.ca).
- NOTE: There is currently a waitlist for subsidized light housekeeping services. Unfortunately, we are unable to provide an estimated timeline for the waitlist for subsidized light housekeeping services.
NOTE: We are accepting referrals for light housekeeping services. However, home visit assessments are temporarily paused due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and we are not processing requests for light housekeeping services at this time. If you require light housekeeping services in the near future, please consider other options.
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 Joe Humphries (Community Services Coordinator) at our Barclay Manor location at servicescoordinator@wesn.ca or 604-669-5051 x2.
To download a service application form, please click here. To download this form, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. If you don’t have this program, you can get it here: http://www.adobe.com/
Better at Home is funded by the Government of B.C. and managed by the United Way of the Lower Mainland.
Last Updated: 18-Jun-2021