7 Must Have Numbers Every Senior Needs
1. Health information
When: 24 hours/day, 7 days/week
8-1-1 (healthlinkbc.ca)
Call if you’re feeling unwell or have a minor injury and are unsure about what to do. Or if you just have a health question or need advice about a health issue.
Here’s what you get with this free service any time of the day or night:
- Health advice from a nurse
- Nutrition information from a dietitian
- Advice about drugs and pills from a pharmacist
- Where to find health services in your community
- Translation services
2. Personal health
When: office/clinic hours
YOUR DOCTOR’s # ______________
WALK IN CLINIC # _______________
Your doctor is your health expert. Call him or her if you have an urgent
concern you think needs to be seen to soon. If you don’t have a GP, a
walk-in clinic may be a good option so have a number handy for the
closest one.
3. Home help
When: office hours vary by community
604-268-1312 (betterathome.ca)
Better at Home
Call this number to get help with home tasks like housekeeping and transportation to appointments.
Here’s what you might get with this service:
- Friendly visiting
- Transportation to appointments
- Light yard work
- Minor home repairs
- Snow shoveling
- Light housekeeping
- Grocery shopping (Services vary by community)
- Seniors pay a fee for some services, based on their income. Some services may be free.
4. Home health
When: 8:30-4:30 7 days/week
1-855-412-2121
Fraser Health Service Line
Call this number to find out whether you qualify for home support for
personal care, home care nursing, palliative care, day programs for
adults or respite services for caregivers.
- Trained phone staff will identify your needs and refer you to the services you need
- Open 7 days/week, 8:30-4:30
- Confidential, translation services
- Seniors will pay a fee for some services, based on their income. Services of health care professionals are free.
5. Mental Health
Call if there's anything that’s causing you concern, worry or distress, for example suicide thoughts or feelings, mental health problems, addictions, family violence, abuse, relationship conflicts, loss, or just plain loneliness.
6. Community Services
When: 24 hours/day, 7 days/week
2-1-1 (bc211.ca)
Call this number if you need a service and aren’t sure what it’s called or where to find it.
Here’s what you get with this free service:
- One call connects you to an information and referral specialist with numbers for all community, social and government services including Fraser Health’s Public Health offices
- Available 24 hours/day, 7 days/week
- Confidential, multilingual
- Services for Fraser Valley, Metro Vancouver and Squamish-Lillooet Regional Districts, Sunshine Coast
7. Emergency Services
When: 24 hours/day, 7 days/week
9-1-1
Call 911 for any serious emergency any time of
the day or night. An ambulance will arrive with attendants to assess
whether you need to be transported to the local Emergency department
Categorization
This program was last updated on 05 Apr 2017.