Donna Barnett on the Seniors' Advocate

From the Rush:

Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett is pumping the tires of the newly introduced seniors’ advocate legislation.

Donna Barnett says the third party person will make independent recommendations to government alongside an appointed group of advisors.

She goes on to describe what some might refer to as a call centre which would be set up for the benefit of seniors who have questions that need answering when there’s no one else to talk to.

“You know there are a lot of seniors out there who really don’t have a place to call if they need help. As you get older, you get timid and as you get older, you don’t have accessibility. You’d be amazed at the number of seniors that are out there living forty miles back in the bush (around 100 Mile House) who maybe need a phone number to call to ask for some assistance, whether it be for healthcare or financial or for a will. Right now they don’t have anywhere they can actually call.”

Barnett says she hopes that whoever becomes the actual advocate will be a person who travels around the province to see what the needs of seniors are.

The legislation is currently awaiting Second Reading in the Provincial Legislature.