To the editor:
Seniors abuse by government institutions is one angle for a story such as this but I would like to put forth a second angle.
Standards of Maintenance bylaws at the municipal level that seniors could use in cases such as this, especially effective for lack of heat. Turn around time is hours.
The question then becomes: Why didn't the seniors use it?
As a director of COSCO (Council of Senior Citizen's Organizations) and chair of COSCO's Housing Committee, I can attest to the dearth of seniors' organizations in this province that are funded to provide individual advocacy services to complement the growing information and referral programs that are slowly growing within seniors' centre in Metro Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³», especially.
In Vancouver, we have multiple organizations providing recreational and social experiences for seniors. None offer quality reliable advocacy service. Many seniors can't advocate for themselves even when they know about the services available. A good example of this is the arbitration process required under the B.C. Residential Tenancy legislation.
Seniors' service providers and seniors need to organize a campaign to correct this serious gap in service. There is simply no funding for advocacy that would leave fewer seniors in the "victim" role that readers and journalists seem to exploit.
Gail Harmer, COSCO director, Vancouver
