BC Treatment of Victoria Senior

Is Treatment of Victoria Senior Helping or Harming?

Brian, a senior with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities (MCS) and exceptional special needs, is one of Victoria's most vulnerable residents who continues to be neglected by province and federal disability claims adjustment after the covid pandemic. So what can be done and who can do it.

When Brian was first diagnosed 30 years ago, he looked for top medical professionals to diagnose and teach him how to treat the wide range of symptoms associated with MCS. The fundamental distinction between then and now is that Brian, who had spent years learning how to create and manage his healing zone, had hope for a complete but controlled recovery.

Brian was forced to live in his car, where exposures occur, after being evicted. The fact that he doesn't have a kitchen or enough storage to handle all the food he made himself, along with other necessities like water filters and air purifiers, makes recovery take longer.

Then there's the issue of the consequences of consuming large quantities of mass-produced food that has been chemically preserved, cured, and prepared using dubious chemical preservatives that have been shown to poison even municipal water supplies.

Because Brian is unable to provide the necessary conditions for a controlled healing environment, his illness has progressed more rapidly.

He has done his research and is aware of all the resources that can currently be used to satisfy the bulk of his specific requirements. Paradoxically, he can no longer support himself financially or physically, so he is seeking help to build an eco-friendly home so he can create a new, controlled recovery zone, return to work at home, and help others do the same.

He is reluctant to hunt for a job because the effects of MCS are too unpredictable due to exposure episodes when traveling and working in uncontrolled conditions.

He is unable to work from home because he can't find a house that can be modified once more to meet his special requirements or fits within his CPP and OAS budget, and because he's been applying for disability benefits and the guaranteed income supplement (GIS) for over a year but hasn't received a decision as of yet despite making numerous applications.

What else could be done to assist Brian in demonstrating to the government how to achieve goals like providing him with food, shelter, and—most importantly—a healthy environment to live while managing his MCS as efficiently as possible?

What more may be done if the government rejects funding for Habitat for Health or is unable to honour agreements to provide guaranteed income or disability benefits for senior individuals with MCS?

He simply wants to be able to afford housing, go back to work, and assist those with MCS, all of which would benefit governments at all levels. He also wants to be able to work from home.