North Shore seniors face a variety of challenges, ranging from loneliness and financial problems to a scarcity of parking spots, according to a survey released last month by the Lionsview Seniors' Planning Society.
"We don't plan to let this gather dust," said Jane Osborne, a project leader with Lionsview who presented the findings to the District of West Vancouver council Monday night. "We want to take a plan to council and drive some action," she said.
Osborne said she plans to return to council following an April 26 meeting at the West Vancouver Memorial Library that should help determine top priorities for North Shore seniors.
"We will develop a three-year implementation plan," she said.
Lionsview collected responses from 1,123 North Shore residents over the age of 55 in May and June of 2011.
"We're swimming in data," Osborne said. Approximately 74 per cent of respondents were female, and nearly half the respondents were from the District of North Vancouver.
While the vast majority of seniors have no plans to move from the North Shore, affordable housing remains a point of contention.
More than 60 per cent of seniors stated there is not enough affordable housing on the North Shore. Conversely, only 16 per cent of seniors believe there are enough affordable housing options on the North Shore, according to the survey.
While 67 per cent of seniors own their own home, nearly one-quarter wrote that they were not well-informed of their housing options, according to the survey.
Close to one-fifth of seniors are struggling financially on the North Shore, with 17 per cent of respondents stating they frequently have trouble paying monthly bills.
Prescription medicine is also difficult for nearly one-third of seniors, with 21 per cent stating they can "mostly" afford their prescriptions, and another 10 per cent stating they struggle or can't afford prescription drugs.
Nearly half of seniors are unaware of all of their prescription drug options, with 48 per cent stating they know either very little or nothing about PharmaCare, a provincial program that helps with prescription drug costs.
Isolation could also be a problem for elderly North Shore residents.
Approximately 45 per cent of the 49,000 seniors on the North Shore live alone, according to the survey. More than 60 per cent of seniors living alone are 85-years-old or older.
With 85 per cent unemployment among North Shore seniors, many are looking for new ways to serve their communities.
Nearly 30 per cent of seniors are seeking volunteer opportunities in addition to the one-third of seniors already volunteering.
More than 40 per cent of seniors feel they are often prevented from socializing, although in some cases the lack of socializing stems from a busy schedule.
Scarcity of parking spaces and the lack of public restrooms were also common complaints, according to the survey.
Nearly 60 per cent of seniors with a lack of mobility have had trouble finding adequate parking, according to the survey.
When it comes to deciding where to live, 71 per cent of respondents listed access to transit as important, while 67 per cent listed proximity to family and friends as important.
One-quarter of seniors surveyed stated they did not have enough time to complete crossing the street at pedestrian controlled crosswalks.
Bus drivers got high marks in the survey, with 95 per cent of respondents stating they were satisfied with the considerate nature of bus drivers.
