Questions and Answers for Seniors on Vancouver Island
The contents of this section are meant as broad based information and suggestions only. For specific health issues you must contact your own Health Care professionals for advice.
Whilst we will not answer specific questions from our users, one on one, we welcome questions from and for seniors on Vancouver Island. Please submit questions by email only to Seniors101@shaw.ca
————————————————-
Q – We are a non profit organization that is constantly looking for meeting rooms to do education programs for caregivers. Do you know of any such rooms that are available for free or minimal cost in Cowichan, Nanaimo, Oceanside, Port Alberni, Comox Valley, Campbell River and the north Island? J.H. Nanaimo.
A – I don’t, but I am sure there must be some, but we’ll need the help of our users to find them. If anyone knows of any facilities that might be suitable for this type of use i.e. church halls, service clubs etc. please let me know and I will pass the information on.
—————————————————
Q – I was wondering if there was a Seniors Club in the Victoria or Westshore Area. All the interesting things to do is in Nanaimo or area. Something a little closer to home would be appreciated. We just don’t drive as far as we used to, especially in the evenings. Enjoy very much your newsletters and all your events. G & F. Westshore, (Victoria).
A – Yes there are many Seniors Clubs and Recreation Centres, which also have programs for Seniors, in the Greater Victoria area. Some of these are listed in our “Community Resource Guide” under the sub-headings of ‘Recreation Centres’ and ‘Seniors Centres’. Most have their web page links beside their listing. If any clubs, associations, churches etc. on any part of the Island have events that they would like the general public to know about all they have to do is email me the details and I will post them on 101’s Notice Board.
—————————————————
A- I am a widow and I realize that I must sell my house, it’s too big for me. But I find that the thought of dealing with this scary. Are there people who will help seniors selling their homes? J.A. Victoria.
Q – Yes there are. Some realtors now take a course and qualify as ‘Seniors Real Estate Specialist’. They are then able to display the qualification ‘SRES’ after their name. So I suggest that you look for 2 or 3 realtors with this certification, arrange a meeting with them, and pick one that you feel comfortable to deal with. Take your time and don’t rush.
————————————————–
Q – When I retired from the provincial government my retirement funds were placed into a LIF Fund as government employees cannot obtain their pensions outright. I was told that at age 65 I would receive consistent payments of about $1,500 every three months, which I did, until January of this year 2011 when it was cut to $500. I called “Primerica” and they told me the BC government had requested that pensions be figured out in a different way. I called the Financial Institutions Commission for the BC government who told me they had not sent out a different method of calculating LIF funds. This went back forth for some time, each blaming thither, without explaining fully to me what happened. Do you know of any other pensioners whose pension has been cut this year? J.H. Nanaimo.
A – No I don’t. If anyone can explain this scenario, or have been subjected to the same cuts, please let Seniors 101 know and we will share the information.
——————————————
Q – What are liver spots and why do we get them as we get older? D.C. Qualicum Beach.
A – Age spots — also called liver spots and solar lentigines — are flat gray, brown or black spots. They vary in size and usually appear on the face, hands, shoulders and arms — areas most exposed to the sun. Though age spots are very common in adults older than age 40, they can affect younger people as well. True age spots are harmless and don’t need treatment, but they can look like cancerous growths. For cosmetic reasons, age spots can be lightened with skin-bleaching products or removed. However, preventing age spots — by avoiding the sun and using sunscreen — may be the easiest way to maintain your skin’s youthful appearance and to avoid these dark skin spots. This defination was taken from the Mayo Clinic’s web site which can be accessed from this link: – http://www.mayoclinic.com