The Better at Home Program in BC: A Guide for Families
Reviewed July 29, 2026 against current Better at Home and BC Government sources.
Better at Home is a BC community program for older adults from priority populations, offering non-medical help such as light housekeeping, transportation, friendly visiting, grocery shopping, yard work, snow shovelling, and minor home repairs. Services and fees vary by local provider; some may be free or use an income-based sliding scale. Here's how to find the right local program and how it fits with home support, respite, and private care.
What Better at Home is — and what it is not
Better at Home is administered by United Way British Columbia and delivered by local non-profit organizations. Volunteers, contractors, and paid staff may provide the services, depending on the community.
The program is designed to help older adults remain independent and connected to their communities. It focuses on day-to-day tasks rather than medical treatment or hands-on personal care.
That means Better at Home is different from:
- Health-authority home support, which can include assessed personal care and other publicly funded services.
- Private home care, which families arrange directly with an agency for services such as personal care, companionship, or more regular coverage.
- Respite care, which gives a family caregiver planned time away. Our respite care guide explains the main options.
Better at Home can sit alongside those supports. It does not replace a clinical assessment or a care plan when your parent needs bathing, dressing, medication help, nursing, or supervision.
What services can Better at Home provide?
The official Better at Home service basket includes:
- Friendly visiting — regular social contact for an older adult who is isolated.
- Transportation to appointments — help getting to medical appointments or other essential trips.
- Light yard work — seasonal outdoor tasks.
- Minor home repairs — small jobs that make the home easier to manage.
- Snow shovelling — seasonal snow clearing.
- Light housekeeping — basic household tasks.
- Grocery shopping — shopping help or support getting groceries.
The important qualifier is that services vary from community to community. The local program decides what it can offer based on its funding, volunteers, contractors, and the needs of local seniors. Do not assume that every service is available everywhere; ask the local provider what it currently offers and whether there is a wait list.
The provincial expansion is also adding or strengthening social connection, peer support, group activities, and more flexible transportation in some communities. Those changes are part of a wider community-seniors-services agreement, so the exact offer still depends on the local organization.
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Who is Better at Home for?
Better at Home's official guidance is not a blanket “everyone over 65” rule. It describes older adults from priority populations, including people with:
- Low to modest income.
- Social isolation.
- Low to moderate frailty.
- A connection to an underserved population, including immigrant and ethnocultural minority seniors, Indigenous elders, caregivers, 2SLGBTQIA+ seniors, and people living with a disability.
The local Better at Home provider will explain how the program works in your community and whether the available services fit your situation. If you are unsure, it is still reasonable to call and ask. You do not need to diagnose the right program before making that first contact.
What does Better at Home cost?
There is no single province-wide price list. Better at Home's FAQ says that fees may be free or based on income, using a sliding scale. The local program sets the practical fee for each service and can explain what it charges.
In general:
- Some services may be free for older adults with low incomes.
- Other services may have an income-based fee.
- The available services, fee, and wait time can all vary by community.
Ask three questions when you call:
- Is the service available in my neighbourhood?
- What fee applies to our household?
- Is there a wait list, and what can we do while we wait?
The goal is to make community support more accessible, not to create one identical service package across BC. If the fee or wait time does not work for your family, ask the provider what other local supports it recommends.
What the $304-million expansion changes
In April 2025, the Province announced a five-year, $304-million agreement with United Way BC for community-based seniors' services. Better at Home is one of the programs covered by that agreement.
The announced improvements include:
- Reduced wait lists for light housekeeping, the program's most popular service.
- More social connection and peer support.
- Expanded group activities.
- More flexible transportation options.
- More one-on-one navigation through community connector positions, growing from 19 in 2023-24 to approximately 90 by 2025-26.
The same provincial announcement says Family and Friend Caregiver Support and the Therapeutic Activation Program for Seniors are expected to expand to approximately six or seven locations in 2025 and 2026. Those are related community programs, not a promise that every Better at Home provider offers every service.
This is useful context, but it is not a guarantee of immediate availability in your city. Local organizations still have their own staffing, service areas, intake steps, and wait lists.
How to find Better at Home in your community
Start with the Better at Home organization directory. Look for the local provider serving your community, then contact it directly.
When you call or email, have a short description ready:
- Where the older adult lives.
- Which task is becoming difficult.
- Whether the need is occasional or ongoing.
- Whether there is a safety concern or a time-sensitive appointment.
The local coordinator can tell you which services are actually offered, how the fee is calculated, whether there is a wait list, and what information is needed for intake. A family member can help make the first call when the older adult wants that help; ask the local provider what consent or information it needs to continue the conversation.
If your community does not appear in the directory, call 8-1-1 (HealthLink BC) and ask where to find home and community-care support in your area. You can also use CareCompare's help-at-home options to see what other kinds of support may be available in your city.
How Better at Home fits with the rest of a care plan
Think of Better at Home as practical community support. It may help with groceries, light housekeeping, transportation, or social connection, while other services handle needs that require more care.
If your parent needs bathing, dressing, toileting, medication support, wound care, or nursing, contact the regional health authority about a Home and Community Care assessment. If the publicly funded hours are not enough, private home care may fill the gap. If you need protected time away from caregiving, look at adult day programs or respite.
Families often use more than one layer. For example, Better at Home may help with transportation or friendly visiting, health-authority home support may handle assessed personal care, and a private agency or respite service may cover the remaining hours. The right combination depends on the senior's needs, the caregiver's capacity, local availability, and the budget.
If you are trying to keep a parent at home and the pressure is starting to affect your sleep, health, or patience, see our guide to caregiver burnout in BC. Getting a small amount of practical help early can make it easier to keep the larger care plan sustainable.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Is Better at Home only for low-income seniors?
No. The official program describes priority populations rather than a simple income-only rule. Priority populations include older adults with low to modest income, social isolation, low to moderate frailty, or a connection to an underserved group. Some services may use an income-based sliding scale, so ask the local provider how eligibility and fees work in your community.
Is Better at Home available in every BC community?
No. United Way BC says the program is delivered by more than 85 non-profit organizations in more than 260 communities, but services still vary by location. Use the local directory and ask what is currently available where your parent lives.
Is Better at Home free?
Some services may be free, while others use an income-based sliding scale. The local organization sets the practical fee, so ask before arranging the first service.
Do I need a doctor's referral?
Start by contacting the local Better at Home provider directly. The provider can explain its intake process and whether it needs any additional information. Better at Home is a community program, not a health-authority clinical service.
Can Better at Home help with bathing or medication?
No. Better at Home is for simple non-medical tasks. For bathing, dressing, medication support, nursing, or other personal-care needs, contact your regional health authority or a private home-care agency.
What if the service I need has a wait list?
Ask the local provider when it expects to have capacity and whether another community organization offers a similar service. You can also call 8-1-1 for help finding other home and community-care options. If the need is urgent or involves immediate safety risk, use the appropriate emergency or health-care channel rather than waiting for a community service.
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