Services for Seniors

Services for Seniors

Helping seniors live healthy and independent lives

At DIVERSEcity, we help seniors, including immigrant seniors with language barriers, live healthier, independent lives.  In addition to one-on-one settlement support services, we offer the following programs for seniors in Surrey and surrounding areas.

Better At Home program in Surrey, BC

The Better at Home Program provides non-medical services to any senior in Surrey, BC, who wants to live independently in their home and community, while enjoying a healthy, active lifestyle.

Many fee-based service options are available to support seniors to continue to live independently, including:

• Transportation services — Screened volunteers use their own vehicles to drive clients to and from their homes to various appointments or community events.
• Household help — Volunteers or contractors help clients with light housekeeping tasks including changing light bulbs, doing dishes, mowing lawns, house cleaning and dusting, etc.
• Accompaniment — Volunteers accompany seniors in their daily activities, such as taking a walk or completing crosswords.
• Information and referral — Better at Home staff can provide information and referrals to community services and supports.
• Social activities — To connect seniors to the community.

Better at Home COVID-19 Response Hub

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some seniors who normally live independently with the help of family and friends are now finding those supports unavailable and may require more community supports to remain connected and engaged.

DIVERSEcity is proud to be one of 24 Better at Home COVID-19 Response Hubs of service in BC, to help any senior aged 65+ in Surrey, BC, with simple day-to-day tasks during this crisis including:

• Grocery shopping
• Check-in calls
• Meal preparation and delivery
• Prescription pickup and drop off

Emergency COVID-19 response services are free of charge to seniors or by donation.

To register for Better at Home services in Surrey, BC, please contact 604-507-2266 or betterathomenewton@dcrs.ca.  Seniors outside Surrey may register for Better at Home services by calling 2-1-1 or visiting the website: www.bc211.ca.

To volunteer with our Better at Home or other seniors services, please contact volunteer@dcrs.ca or see current volunteer positions here.

Newcomer Family and Friend Caregiver Support Program

Are you a newcomer caring for a senior (55+) friend or family member?  Let’s talk one-on-one about your needs as a family caregiver for a senior. We are here to help:

• Provide information about the care system in Canada
• Connect you with services that help you care for the seniors in your life
• Help you make appointments to access services in the care sector
• Connect you with respite services
• Provide ongoing emotional support

The program also offers:

• Information workshops on caregiving topics such as senior-friendly home modifications, care services, health concerns, legal issues, end-of-life support and non-medical support services
• Skills training workshops including First Aid and Food Safe
• Community kitchen sessions where you’ll learn how to make healthy and budget-friendly meals
• Support groups led by a clinical counsellor (available in English, Punjabi and Mandarin)

For more information, call 778-549-2863 or email seniors@dcrs.ca

Know someone who fits this description?
Make a referral

Funded by the United Way, the Government of British Columbia and Family Caregivers of British Columbia.

Therapeutic Activation Program for Seniors (TAPS)

Stay independent and active with our wellness program for isolated seniors! TAPS supports seniors experiencing barriers in accessing community resources with:

• One-on-one intake assessment and support
• Wellness calls by volunteers
• Group phone calls with other seniors to chat, play games and share music
• Virtual group exercise classes such as yoga, chair yoga, tai chi and more

Join us for bi-weekly recreation sessions every other Tuesday, 10–11:30 am, online via Zoom and group phone calls.

Who’s eligible? Adults aged 55+ who live in Surrey and are experiencing barriers due to physical or mental health and/or are isolated or lonely due to limited community or family supports.

Learn more by email seniors@dcrs.ca

In partnership with Fraser Health. Funded by United Way and the Government of British Columbia.

Social Prescribing program for senior patients

Are you a health care professional? Let our Seniors’ Community Connector connect your senior patients to non-clinical
community programs and services to:

• Improve their mental health
• Reduce isolation
• Help them stay independent for longer

Who’s eligible? Seniors 60+ in the Surrey area who may be experiencing poor physical or emotional health; are socially vulnerable, marginalized or experiencing isolation; and are frequent visitors to the ER or primary care.

Have a patient to refer? Contact 604-507- 2266, email seniors@dcrs.ca  or fill out the referral form:

Social Prescribing Referral Form

Seniors TechConnect tablet loaning library 

While many community-based seniors services and programs are being held online through the likes of Zoom, vulnerable seniors may have difficulty in accessing those programs due to not having a device, WIFI or the skills to navigate the online programs. DIVERSEcity’s Seniors TechConnect is a tablet loaning library plus one-on-one technology training for seniors.

DIVERSEcity can offer senior clients a tablet, enabled with data if required, on loan so they can participate in our seniors programs.  The tablets come ready to use and formatted simply with seniors’ needs in mind.

Learn more by email seniors@dcrs.ca.

Funded in part by the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program. Additional funding and support from United Way and Surrey Libraries.

Active Aging: Staying Active Seniors Social Club (on pause due to COVID-19)

Stay fit and healthy in our program for Punjabi-speaking senior women at Bear Creek Pavilion every Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. Staff and volunteers will guide you through easy physical exercises like yoga, English conversation, healthy cooking and nutrition classes, and information sessions about seniors services and supports.

Contact the Active Aging program coordinator at betterathomenewton@dcrs.ca for more information.