Delta is creating a civic position aimed at assisting seniors.
Delta council has approved using currently vacant auxiliary hours in the parks, recreation and culture department's budget to create a parttime position to interact directly with seniors looking for information and assistance. The employee is to help guide them toward social programs and support services that are available municipally, provincially and federally.
Deltassist has already developed a Seniors Services Handbook that provides information on available counselling services, continuing education, funeral planning, home support, legal services, government and other services, while bc211 is a confidential, multilingual Metro Vancouver telephone and texting service that also provides free informational and referral to a range of community, social and government services.
However, civic staff noted that feedback received from a pair seniors' expos held in Delta last fall, followed by a pair of "think tanks" hosted by Delta at the McKee Seniors' Recreation Centre and Kennedy Seniors' Recreation Centre late last year, found a need to provide more concrete support for local seniors. From that came the recommendation for the new auxiliary position, which will work out of seniors' recreation facilities.
Delta CAO George Harvie noted the auxiliary position is aimed at helping steer seniors that have questions to the right places, but it will be different than a corporate social planner, another new municipal position. The social planner will do even more, including networking with agencies, Harvie said.
