Reminder !
We now have our 2019 membership application online.
Goto to our "Join" button for instructions.
Highlights March 2020
Message from Sheila Pither, COSCO President:
I know that each of us has our own set of circumstances to consider as we cope with this totally strange experience. Many of us, perhaps most of us, are of an age group that is most threatened by this horrible little monster. Who would have thought that we would ever need to sing “We Shall Overcome” to a virus?
Best Regards
Sheila
Highlights include:
The COSCO Communications Committee will be sending out a monthly Highlights document to associates, affiliates and delegates. If you have any suggestions for future content please send to .
In the hope that the COVID 19 crisis will be over by October we are still proceeding with plans for COSCO Conference 2020.
All ‘COSCO Stay on the Road: A Practical Guide for Senior Drivers’
Workshops are on hold until further notice.
Meetings:
The COSCO Executive has passed a motion to meet by conference call. The delegates meetings will be postponed until we get the all clear by the Health Department and until we have a room available. Committee meetings will be held by electronic means
Summary of letter to Minister Deb Schulte:
We wrote a letter to the Minister of Seniors (Ottawa) about the following:
1) a request for a list of benefits for seniors to be enclosed in the T4 OAS and CPP letters;
2) a request that Caregiver and disability tax credits be refundable so as to aid low income seniors;
3) a request that the 10% increase in OAS be made available to everyone over age 65, not the 75 that is the current offering;
4) request that the CPP Death benefit be increased from $2500 to $5000. We will let you know the response from government.
Click Here To see a copy of the letter, and to use it for your own group’s purposes.
Stay safe:
For the latest information on your health and safety check out:
BC Centre for Disease Control: bccdc.ca
Health link BC: healthlinkbc.ca/health-feature/coronavirus-disease- covid-19
BC Self Assessment Tool for covid-19: covid 19.thrive healthy
BC Seniors Advocate: seniorsadvocatebc.ca/COVID-19
The public Health Agency of Canada has set up a telephone information line about COVID-19. It can be reached by calling 1 833 784 4397
.
In BC dial 811 for health advice in 130 languages.
ADVANCE NOTICE #1
COSCO CONFERENCE 2020
Click Here for Advanced Notice #1
The Monitoring Seniors Services report focuses on key services in the province that fall under the Advocate’s legislated mandate. It highlights where seniors’ needs are being met and where improvements are most needed. Access to health care, appropriate housing, adequate transportation, enough income to meet basic needs such as food, shelter and medicines and protection from abuse and neglect are key to the health and well-being of seniors.
The Monitoring Seniors Services report, first published in 2015, is updated each year reflecting the latest information available. This fifth edition focuses on 2018/19 data.
Report highlights include:
• The seniors population is generally healthy; 19% are living with high complexity chronic conditions, and only 6% are diagnosed with dementia.
• The number of home support clients increased 1.7%, however this is due solely to short-term home support clients who increased 5% while long-term clients decreased by less than 1%.
• Average and median wait times for clients admitted to long-term care increased slightly, but the number of people still waiting for admission at the end of 2018/19 grew by 28%.
• The property tax deferment program has been growing each year, but in 2018/19 there were fewer new clients for the first time in many years.
• There were 24,233 SAFER recipients, 6% more than last year; 4,458 clients were new recipients.
• 78% of seniors in B.C. maintained an active driver’s license. This was 4% more than last year and is consistent with the growth of the seniors population.
• Low income seniors could receive up to $1,579.21 per month in federal and provincial income supports, an increase of 2% over last year.
• The Seniors Abuse and Information Line (SAIL) received 4,372 calls of which 31% were related to abuse, 47% related to non-abuse and 23% were for general information.
View the current report: seniors monitoring report
Monitoring Seniors Services PowerPoint presentation: seniors monitoring report (powerpoint)
READ OUR LATEST NEWSLETTER
IN THIS EDITION
UN International Day of Older Persons
World Human Rights Day [UN]
From the President's Desk
The Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act
BC Summit for Older Adults on Safe Medication Use
COSCO In The Community
The Best of Care: Getting it Right for Seniors in BC
Lobbying for Reasonable Parking at BC Hospitals
Climate Change / Surviving Information Overload
Ride-Hailing: Not a Solution
Be Prepared for Darker Winter Days
'COSCO In The Community' - Enjoy the Images'
Newsletter (pdf): COSCO Newsletter Oct 2019
BC Government to produce accessibility legislation
"The BC Government just announced an intention to produce accessibility legislation. There are many ways for individuals and organizations to participate: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/accessibility/
HAVE YOUR SAY
Press release with relevant background documents: https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2019SDPR0059-001780 "
COSCO CONFERENCE 2020
“A SENIORS’ STRATEGY FOR LIVING IN THE 21ST CENTURY”
A DEDICATION TO ART KUBE AND LORRAINE LOGAN, PAST PRESIDENTS OF COSCO
OCTOBER 4 AND 5, 2020
Stay on the Road Guide
The Council of Senior Citizens’ Organizations of British Columbia is conducting a one-day workshop for people who are interested in learning more about driver assessment, particularly when they are nearing the age of 80. However, drivers of any age are welcome to attend and the presentation will be useful for anybody.
Full details for each workshop location will be added as they be available and can be accessed by visting the appropriate link for your location.
Coquitlam May 24 2019 follow this link (pdf)
Richmond June 13 2019 follow this link (pdf)
Quesnel June 19 2019 follow this link (pdf)
Gabriola June 26 2019 follow this link (pdf)
Mission June 27 2019 follow this link (pdf)
The federal government didn’t deliver a national pharmacare plan in last month’s budget. Why?
Read how How Billionaires and Big Pharma Battled Canada’s National Drug Plan : By Sharon Batt | TheTyee.ca
Arthur Kube January 09, 1935 – February 10, 2019
Art Kube died this morning – February 10, 2019
The Council of Senior Citizens' Organizations of BC – COSCO acknowledges Art Kube's contributions and celebrates his service with and for seniors in the Province.
We have much to be thankful for!
Following his retirement in 1995, Art's volunteer work with seniors spanned almost 30 years! A remarkable record that included presidency of the New Vista Society, Seniors On Guard for Medicare and various executive positions culminating in his presidency of COSCO.
In all of Art did, he worked in collaboration with others, both in his own organization and other organizations. His capacity for seeing the larger context - the big picture was an essential quality.
Seniors housing, health care, transportation, pensions and advocacy were all issues of concern to Art and the object of his work. Principles of equality and fairness guided his work.
He was pivotal in helping to develop COSCO’s Health and Wellness Society, the organization that delivers workshops to/with seniors all over the province, free of charge.
In 2015 Art received the Order of Canada in recognition his many good works.
"Details about any arrangements will be shared as they become available"
Seniors Residences Improvements
Link to the February 24, 2018 Vancouver Sun newspaper article about the provincial budget promise to make seniors residences improvements
“The Counsel of Senior Citizens Organizations of B.C. (COSCO) is encouraged that our collaboration with RoadSafetyBC assisted with the new direction of the driver fitness program,” said Gudrun Langolf, acting president, COSCO. “No one wants unsafe drivers on the road, regardless of age. The changes will be welcome news to many of our members who have heard of, or experienced challenges with computer-based testing.
CLICK HERE, For the Release
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April Issue
Our Motto
Plan with Seniors
not for them
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