[2023-01-29] Supporting seniors: Follow-up

In my post Ask the reader: Supporting seniors, I invited readers to answer four questions:
  • Have you ever had to support a senior (or someone who struggles to understand complex information) in accessing services from the Government of Canada?
  • If so, did you encounter barriers, such as being told that you could not be on a call with the senior while they were seeking services?
  • Do you know of any Government of Canada departments or agencies that have protocols that help caregivers in supporting seniors when they seek services?
  • Have you figured out a consistently successful formula for interacting with the Government of Canada while supporting seniors?
I received some valuable perspectives in response. Also, since writing that post, I made some progress on the issue my mom and I were trying to resolve (more on that later).

System navigation
One Jenesis reader acknowledged that "System navigation is incredibly challenging." She wrote: "Based on my experience working in the community health sector...navigating the system isn’t easy to do. And it’s a gap that organizations as well as people using the system have often raised."

I really like the term "system navigation." This is often the first challenge in accessing government programs and services: knowing what search term to type into Google or what number to call and how to get through the various layers of automated phone systems to talk to the right person. As one friend said to me: "It shouldn’t require a PhD in Dungeons and Dragons to find an answer. It’s a question not a quest."

211 Ontario
The same reader shared a very valuable resource: 211 Ontario. According to the webpage, "211 is a helpline that easily connects people to the social services, programs and community supports they need." Their aim is to put the "human" back in human services. The site states:

Unlike search engines, 211 applies a human touch for personalized solutions. Our highly-trained and accredited Community Navigators know how to ask the right questions to get the full picture of a person’s needs. Navigators then provide referrals to services to connect them to the right supports. In addition, some partnerships include 211 registering individuals for services directly or providing a warm transfer to the program. 211 will also advocate on a contact’s behalf, at their request.

Users of 211 Ontario can speak to a community navigator by phone or they can choose text, online search, email or chat. As the site says, "This makes our service available to all people of Ontario regardless of their level of digital understanding or ability to access the internet."

I decided to put 211 Ontario to the test. At the top of the 211 Ontario page, users have four options: Dial 2-1-1, Text 2-1-1, Chat, or Email. I clicked on the Chat option. Seconds later, I got this response: "Hello, my name is Victoria. How can I help you today?"

I asked whether she knew if a certain federal government department had a navigator program that would help individuals supporting an elderly person in accessing their services. It might have been a stretch to ask a provincial program about a federal government service, but I thought it was worth a shot. She suggested I call the department to ask about becoming a legal representative for my mom and went on to provide information on setting up a power of attorney. She provided both a telephone number for the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General (1-800-518-7901) and a web address for the Ministry's Make a power of attorney page. (While this wasn't necessarily the best option for my specific case, the information at the Ministry's site was extremely interesting and helpful, providing a step-by-step guide for creating a power of attorney.)

Victoria went on to say: "You can also contact the Ontario Legal Information Centre. They provide legal information and referral services offered on a confidential basis in all areas of law. You can have a free 30 minute meeting with a lawyer. Their phone number is 1-844-343-7462. Website: https://legalinfocentre.ca/." When I asked Victoria whether the Ontario Legal Information Centre provides services only to low-income individuals, she replied: "Anyone can call them to obtain legal information." (This fact is backed up by the statement "Confidential and no eligibility criteria" on the homepage of the Ontario Legal Information Centre.)

As we concluded our conversation, Victoria wrote: "Thank you for contacting us today. After the chat ends, don't forget to download a copy of our conversation or email the transcript to yourself to save the information we've discussed. If you need help in the future, we are available 24/7 by phone at 211. Mon–Fri from 7am-9pm and Saturday and Sunday from 9AM to 5 PM we are available by text at 211 and by online chat."

I input my email address and, moments later, received a clear, beautifully formatted transcript of my online chat with Victoria. I was blown away by this service (and am very grateful to my friend for letting me know of its existence).

211.ca
211 services are available across Canada. 211.ca provides links to the 211 services in all 13 provinces and territories. Just select your province or territory from the drop-down menu in the red box on the top right-hand side of the homepage.

Community organizations
Another reader shared about organizations in her community that support seniors: a Seniors Club and the Lions Club. She explained: "Both are very active in helping seniors access government support, filling out applications and redirecting questions to government agencies to get support. Most seniors today have limited experience with accessing government documents online. Both the above named groups have members who were former government employees, administrators or teachers. They are more active in supporting seniors than actual government offices.... These folks will also go with a senior when they need to go for a government interview or make a personal application for support services."

Loss of independence
One of the most touching comments I received was from a friend who shared her experience of helping her father access a government service. Her father wanted to make a change in how he received a government benefit. He found the process complicated and the directions unclear. He had to turn to his daughter to find the information because he didn't have access to the internet. While it didn't take my friend long to find the information her father needed, she said, "he felt silly that he had to ask." She continued: "He loses his independence each time he can’t do something on his own. And he is capable, but the system is so complicated, inaccessible and with a lack of empathy for seniors." This was an important lesson for me. Rather than feel grateful for the help that loved ones provide in navigating a complex system, seniors can feel frustrated, angry and embarrassed that they can't get what they need on their own.

Members of Parliament and provincial and territorial elected officials
As I mentioned in my last post on supporting seniors, I contacted the Office of Kamal Khera, Canada's Minister of Seniors on a Friday. On Monday, I received a call back from a lovely woman in the Minister's office. She acknowledged that the Government of Canada does not have a Seniors' Bill of Rights, but did recommend that anyone having problems with accessing government services contact their member of Parliament (in the case of a federal government program or service) or their provincial or territorial elected official (in the case of a program or service at that level). She noted that Service Canada offices are good at accommodating seniors, and that the Minister of Seniors could help in specific circumstances.

To find your federal member of Parliament, you can enter your constituency or postal code in the search bar on the Current Members of Parliament page. Once you have the name of your member of Parliament, you can click on their Contact tab to find their email, website, telephone number and address.

To find your provincial or territorial elected representative, click on the appropriate link on this page: On Canada Project: Find Your Elected Officials. (Scroll to the bottom of the page to find the links.)

Complaint mechanism
As I indicated above, my mom and I have continued to make progress on her issue. We were able to find a telephone agent working for the federal organization in question who provided valuable information. We also were able to file a complaint with the department. Someone who handles complaints contacted my mom a few days later and told her that if the issue doesn't get resolved by following the latest set of instructions, my mom can call the agent back directly. For the first time, we felt heard. We have confidence that we have a way forward as well as a safety net if the issue continues. And if that fails, we can contact my mom's member of Parliament.

Conclusion
Helping my mom to navigate this issue has been a valuable experience, despite the occasional frustration, as has been hearing from people who have faced similar challenges. The 211 Ontario service was exceptionally good—something I didn't know existed before writing my earlier post. The advice to contact an elected official was helpful—I always thought of this as the nuclear option but was reassured that it's quite commonplace. The realization that seniors can feel a loss of independence when they have to turn to their adult children to navigate systems that should be more user friendly was eye-opening. Most importantly, I feel better prepared to tackle and escalate issues in the future. That's the value of sharing.