Seniors First BC is not a government organization. We are a registered charitable, non-profit organization that serves older adults and those who care about them across BC. To learn more about our organization and services, click here.
Yes, all of our services are free. If we cannot provide the service that you are seeking, we will always try to refer you to appropriate resources.
For more information about our Legal Programs, including who would be eligible, click here.
Our Seniors Abuse and Information Line (SAIL) provides multilingual services across BC. Call 604-437-1940 (Lower Mainland) or Toll Free at 1-866-437-1940. Additionally, interpretation services are available for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech impediments.
Our upcoming learning events can be found on our events page here.
We deliver our learning events both to the public and to organizations by request. To arrange a learning event, visit our Public Education and Outreach Program page.
We do not provide direct financial funding to seniors. Seniors may be eligible for benefits and services from provincial and federal governments. For more information, use the “Benefits Finder” tool online, or call our Seniors Abuse and Information Line (SAIL) to speak with an intake worker about community supports: 604-437-1940 (Lower Mainland) or Toll Free at 1-866-437-1940, available 8am to 8pm on weekdays, excluding statutory holidays.
We do not provide dental, medical, and vision care to seniors. The Medical Services Plan (MSP) is a health insurance plan that pays for medically required services for residents of British Columbia.
For more information, call our Seniors Abuse and Information Line (SAIL) at 604-437-1940 (Lower Mainland) or Toll Free at 1-866-437-1940, available 8am to 8pm on weekdays and 10am to 5:30pm on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.
Seniors First BC is not an investigative agency.
In British Columbia, Designated Agencies have the authority and responsibility to receive and act on reports of abuse, neglect or self-neglect of vulnerable adults who are unable to seek support and assistance on their own due to restraint, physical handicap, illness, disease, injury, or any other condition that affects the adult’s ability to make decisions. All health authorities in British Columbia and Community Living BC are Designated Agencies under the Adult Guardianship Act.
Any resident of British Columbia may report concerns about adult abuse or neglect of a vulnerable adult to a Designated Agency when the adult cannot seek help on their own.
If you are unsure who/where to contact about mistreatment of an older adult or whether you have been abused or neglected, we invite you to call our Seniors Abuse and Information Line (SAIL) at 604-437-1940 (Lower Mainland) or Toll Free at 1-866-437-1940, available 8am to 8pm on weekdays and 10am to 5:30pm on weekends, excluding statutory holidays.
An income threshold applies only to our Legal Programs.
We do not report crimes on client's behalf to law enforcement authorities. However, if you need assistance with reporting, we can help you navigate and direct you to the appropriate reporting agencies. If you wish to report a crime anonymously, please contact BC Crime Stoppers.
Donations serve an important role in keeping our programs operating. We wish to thank all donors for their donations to our organization. All donations over $25.00 will be recognized by an issued tax receipt. We do not return donations that we have received.
To donate to Seniors First BC securely online, visit our Canada Helps page here.
Our legal programs provide a wide range of services for eligible low-income seniors, including:
For more information, call our Seniors Abuse and Information Line (SAIL) at 604-437-1940 (Lower Mainland) or Toll Free at 1-866-437-1940 weekdays 8 am to 8 pm and weekends 10 am to 5:30 pm, excluding statutory holidays.
Our Legal Advocacy Program and Elder Law Clinic may represent you in court. We assess clients for eligibility for our services, determine if assisting you would fit within our mandate (for example, we do not represent clients in family or criminal matters), then conduct a merit assessment of the file (if it has a reasonably likelihood of success), and see if we have capacity to assist. If we cannot help, we will always try to refer callers to appropriate resources.
There are many forms of abuse and not all of them trigger criminal consequences. If you believe a crime has been committed, please contact your local police department. If you need assistance locating your local law enforcement, we invite you to call our Seniors Abuse and Information Line (SAIL) at 604-437-1940 (Lower Mainland) or Toll Free at 1-866-437-1940.
Seniors First BC is a charitable, non-profit society that provides information, advocacy, and support to seniors across BC who are dealing with issues affecting their well-being.
