Across Vancouver Island, aging residents are struggling to remain in the homes and communities where they’ve spent their lives.
As the senior population grows rapidly, the systems meant to help them age with dignity are faltering — leaving many to face rising costs, health-care delays, and deepening isolation on their own.
In Parksville, 84-year-old Julia Rose waited weeks for help after a fall, relying on neighbours to bring groceries and drive her 35 minutes to a specialist in Nanaimo. In Cowichan Bay, seniors Evan and Patty Begbie scramble to access affordable dental care while battling federal bureaucracy tied to the new Canadian Dental Care Plan. And in Chemainus, 87-year-old Georgina Knight paid a massive water bill from a hidden leak her municipality refused to forgive.
These stories pose a pressing question: Are Island communities prepared to support their aging populations—or are they quietly turning away?
A Growing Crisis
Vancouver Island has one of the oldest populations in Canada. One in four residents is over the age of 65, a figure projected to rise sharply over the next two decades, especially in rural and coastal areas.
However, support systems aren’t keeping pace.
In the Island Health region, non-urgent wait times for long-term care now average nearly 10 months. More than 6,500 people are on wait lists for long-term care across B.C., a 150 per cent increase in five years. Meanwhile, home support services north of Nanaimo are under severe strain due to ongoing staffing shortages.
“Health-care worker shortages are affecting communities across the province and Canada, and this challenge is not unique to Island Health,” said the health authority in a statement. “Recruitment and retention of health-care workers and physicians is a key priority.”
The Cost of Aging
Affordability is another mounting concern. Many seniors rely on fixed incomes that haven’t kept pace with rising living costs. In Victoria, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment now exceeds $2,000—a figure far beyond what Old Age Security and the Canada Pension Plan provide.
Even homeowners feel the pressure. Property taxes, utilities, and home maintenance costs can stretch already limited budgets. Knight’s story illustrates how a single unexpected expense like a water line break can become financially devastating.
Mobility and Isolation
Transportation is a major challenge, particularly in rural communities like Sooke, Sayward, and Lake Cowichan. A lack of public transit, aging infrastructure, and geographic isolation make it difficult for many seniors to access essential services. Some are no longer able to drive, and medical specialists are often located in urban centres.
Sooke Mayor Maja Tait has repeatedly called for better transportation support—not just for seniors, but for the broader community.
“We request meetings (from the B.C. Highway Ministry). They’re unwilling to meet, or when we do meet, we get 20 minutes,” said the three-term mayor, expressing frustration over limited provincial engagement.
Island Health says it has recently expanded non-urgent patient transportation in response to such needs. Since January 2024, more than 3,550 rides have been provided in previously underserved areas, including First Nations communities and the West Coast. Clients have praised the comprehensive door-to-door service.
Still, for people like Rose, isolation remains an ever-present concern.
“My son visits when he can, but he works in Alberta,” she says. “I go days without speaking to anyone.”
Health professionals warn that social isolation can have serious mental health consequences, contributing to depression, anxiety, and even early-onset dementia.
Fraying Systems
Some communities are experimenting with creative solutions. In Ladysmith, a seniors’ co-housing project offers shared gardens, communal kitchens, and built-in social support. In Gold River and Port Alberni, mobile health units bring care directly to patients. Volunteer programs like the United Way’s Better at Home initiative pair seniors with helpers who assist with errands and social check-ins.
Island Health also highlights its growing Community Virtual Care program, which offers free remote support in chronic disease management, palliative care, caregiver coaching, and post-hospital discharge. Care teams include nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, and social workers, available seven days a week.
Despite these innovations, gaps persist.
B.C. Seniors Advocate Dan Levitt, speaking at the release of his office’s 2024 Monitoring Senior Services report, said the province is falling behind.
“Despite government investment, we continue to fall short in meeting basic needs,” he said. “There is less home care, fewer long-term care beds, rent subsidies, and subsidized housing — per capita — than there were five years ago.”
While hospitalizations and ER visits among seniors have declined slightly, wait times for surgeries like knee and hip replacements have surged — up 53 per cent and 59 per cent, respectively, for patients over 65.
Levitt has called on the province to create a measurable, cross-ministry action plan to address the growing and complex needs of B.C.’s older adults.
The Human Toll
More than 200,000 seniors currently live on Vancouver Island, a number that continues to rise. Without swift, coordinated action, experts warn the region could face a full-blown senior care crisis, driven not only by overburdened services but by deepening systemic inequities.
For Knight, the crisis isn’t on the horizon—it’s already here.
“I’m not asking for much,” she wrote. “Just a bit of help to stay in the home I love.”
•••
New programs offer support for seniors
As Vancouver Island’s senior population grows, a handful of new programs are offering signs of progress in supporting older adults living in rural and remote areas.
Island Health says its expanded non-urgent patient transportation service has provided more than 3,550 rides since January 2024—many to seniors in previously unserved areas, including Indigenous communities and the West Coast. The free, door-to-door service is helping patients reach essential medical appointments.
The health authority is also scaling up its Community Virtual Care program, which offers free virtual support in areas like chronic disease management, palliative care, and caregiver coaching. Multidisciplinary teams — nurses, social workers, dietitians, and others — are available seven days a week.
Meanwhile, community groups are filling key gaps. In Ladysmith, a seniors’ co-housing development promotes social connection through shared spaces. And mobile health units in Gold River and Port Alberni are bringing care directly to patients.
Still, advocates say these initiatives must grow rapidly to meet rising demand. More than 200,000 seniors already live on the Island—a number that continues to climb.
