SUSAN JARVIS OF NANAIMO OAP RECOGNIZED FOR ALZHEIMER FUNDRAISER
An annual advocacy walk in Nanaimo for people impacted by declines in cognitive function holds a special meaning this year for a lifelong local resident.
Susan Jarvis said her husband’s dementia worsened to the point where he was recently transferred to a Qualicum Beach facility so he could receive around-the-clock care.
“It’s taken a big load off of me in one sense, but in another sense, it’s just really hard to explain — sadness is a good word. I know it’s something that nobody is going to get better from, and he won’t be coming home ever again. It’s a horrible, horrible disease I’ll tell ya.”
Stan Jarvis was diagnosed 12 years ago.
Jarvis said it’s been exceptionally hard not having her husband around, but she knows he’s in good hands with the care facility staff equipped to provide the professional support she wasn’t able to.
“Its been since November of last year that things have really gone downhill, and it became really difficult. Up until then, it was doable…but it’s not doable now.”
Jarvis was among more than 50,000 care partners in B.C. providing an estimated 1.3 million hours of unpaid caregiving for people living with dementia, according to the Alzheimer Society of B.C.
Her husband is on a waiting list for residential care in Nanaimo, and she hopes he can move back to the community by the winter.
Jarvis is unable to make the trek to Qualicum Beach to visit him as often as she’d like.
She credits her children and her support group for helping her through this difficult journey.
“I have so many people that are stepping up to the plate and helping me with so many things, I’m really very very fortunate. Those people have stepped up again, and managed to raise that much money, so that’s a good thing.”
While the Jarvis’ have the means to pay for the proper care facility to meet their needs, Susan worries about others who aren’t so fortunate.
When her husband had to be admitted to Nanaimo hospital prior to his continuing care admission, Jarvis was shocked at the conditions he was lodged in, due to a lack of appropriate beds and the shortage of trained workers.
“It’s nobody’s fault, but we don’t have enough beds for these people. He had to go down to the dungeon of the hospital, seriously, it was a dungeon. There were six people in the room, they had no sink, no toilet in the room. They had no windows, it was the most horrible, horrible place, but that’s the only place they have to put these people.”
She said more care facilities are desperately needed to help treat this disease which affects over 747,000 Canadians, and 85,000 B.C. residents and their caregivers.
Jarvis has raised about $1,200 so far for this year’s Walk for Alzheimer’s event in Nanaimo.
ABOUT US
It presents resolutions to various levels of government and its agencies on issues that have been voted on and passed by members at the annual convention.
This organization is concerned with all aspects of seniors’ lives, including, pensions, taxation, finances, health issues, home support, medicare and Pharmacare, housing and rental issues, social safety, abuse, neglect, fair treatment and loneliness.
In 1982 the B.C. Old Age Pensioners’ Organization established a Scholarship Society which provides scholarships to students in gerontology.
12 Things We Do
1. We offer members the opportunity to network with other members around the province through our Annual Convention.
2. We bring in speakers on a wide variety of topics to address issues of interest and importance to seniors at our Annual Convention.
3. We are affiliated to the Council of Senior Citizens’ Organization of BC (COSCO) – membership in excess of 80,000 – to give us a stronger voice on seniors’ issues provincially.
4. We are affiliated to the National Pensioners’ Federation (NPF) – membership over 1,000,000 – to give us a stronger voice on seniors’ issues federally.
5. We give our members a voice federally by forwarding our federal resolutions passed at Convention to Ministers of the ruling Government, as well as to members of the opposition parties.
6. We give our members a voice provincially by forwarding our provincial resolutions passed at Convention to Ministers of the ruling Government, as well as to members of the opposition parties.
7. We urge the federal and provincial governments to have meaningful dialogue to renew health accord agreements and to establish a National Pharmacare Program so that all Canadians have access to health care and access to prescription drugs at a reduced cost.
8. We work with various organizations to promote the concerns of seniors.
9. We work with community partners to promote the concerns of seniors.
10. We work with local elected representatives to promote the concerns of seniors.
11. We are continually working on improving our website to give members additional opportunities to network.
12. We hold democratic meetings – Branches are autonomous and make their own decisions on finances and activities.
Notes:The federal resolutions noted in 4 above cover numerous topics: Pensions, Health Issues, Residential Care Facilities, Home Care, etc. The provincial resolutions noted in 5 above cover even more issues: Health (Local Hospital Issues, Residential Care Facilities, Home Care, Medical Services Plan Premiums, Shingles Immunization, the cost of PSA tests, etc.); Transportation issues (ferries, handyDART)
OUR PURPOSE
B.C. Old Age Pensioners’ Organization is a non-partisan organization instituted in 1932 for the purpose of identifying and supporting issues of importance to seniors.
We work with various organizations and community partners to promote the concerns of seniors.
Branches
Branches are organized throughout the province of British Columbia. Each Branch sets its own agenda for activities and establishes its own programs. Guest speakers are invited to help keep seniors informed about current events that affect their lives.
Click below to see a list of all our branches.
Scholarship Society
We award scholarships to students who are enrolled in post-secondary programs related to the health and well being of senior citizens in the province of British Columbia, be it hands-on care, research or in an administrative capacity.
Click below for More information about our scholarships.
