2026 Community-Based Seniors Services (CBSS) Summit Virtual Attendance Summary for Family Councils and Care Partners (June 8- 9, 2026)
By Lisa Dawson, Virtual attendee at the conference
Building a Better Future for Aging in Canada
The 2026 Community-Based Seniors Services (CBSS) Summit brought together leaders, volunteers, researchers, governments, and community organizations from across Canada to explore how seniors can be supported to age well, remain connected, and live meaningful lives in their homes and communities.
Define CBSS
A CBSS organization stands for a Community-Based Seniors’ Services organization. It is a local non-profit, municipal, or volunteer-led agency dedicated to providing essential non-medical support for older adults. Their primary goal is to help seniors maintain their independence, avoid premature institutional care, and successfully “age in place” within their own communities
ILTCCABC is a CBSS organization. That’s why it was so critical that we had a voice at this conference.
For family councils, one message stood out clearly: quality of life does not happen by accident. It happens when communities, volunteers, families, and organizations work together to create supports that help people remain connected, valued, and
engaged.
The summit highlighted that many of the challenges faced by older adults are not medical problems. They are issues of loneliness, transportation, caregiver support, housing, social connection, navigation of services, and community belonging. These are the very areas where community-based organizations often make the greatest difference.
British Columbia Leadership Highlighted
While most speakers were from other provinces, there were 2 who shared how the province has invested in building a coordinated network of organizations focused on healthy aging and community support.
Notable BC presenters included:
- Bobbi Symos, Director of Health Aging, United Way British Columbia
- Claudine Matlo, Executive Director, West End Seniors’ Network and member of the BC Provincial CBSS Leadership Council
Their presentations described how BC has spent nearly two decades building partnerships, infrastructure, and networks that connect organizations working with seniors. The message was simple but powerful:
System change begins with relationships.
Speakers emphasized that government, community organizations, and local leaders can accomplish far more when they work together than when they work in isolation. The BC experience demonstrated how sustained collaboration can create stronger services and greater impact for older adults.
Common Challenges Across Canada
Despite regional differences, consultations conducted across Canada revealed
remarkably similar concerns:
- Inadequate and unstable funding
- Volunteer and workforce shortages
- Difficulty accessing services, particularly in rural communities
- Fragmented systems and poor navigation
- Financial insecurity among older adults
- Ageism and invisibility
- Lack of recognition for community-based services
Family councils will recognize many of these same issues within long-term care. Whether in the community or in residential care, seniors and caregivers often struggle to find their way through complex systems, while organizations operate with limited
resources.
Measuring What Matters
One of the most thought-provoking themes of the summit was the call to measure what matters.
Many organizations can count activities, volunteers, meetings, or participants. However, summit speakers challenged attendees to focus on outcomes:
- Are people less isolated?
- Are caregivers better supported?
- Are seniors able to remain independent longer?
- Has the quality of life improved?
For family councils, this message has important implications. While tracking the number of councils or members is valuable, the real story may be found in the improvements councils help create:
- Better communication
- Increased resident engagement
- Enhanced quality of life
- Stronger relationships between families and care teams
- Meaningful system improvements
Stories are important, but data that demonstrates impact helps influence policy and funding decisions.
A National Movement is Emerging
The summit also focused on the creation of a national strategy for Community-Based Seniors Services.
Building a Pan-Canadian Community-Based Seniors Services Sector Summary of Provincial & Territorial Consultations
2024-2025 May 25, 2026
Critical takeaway from this report, I feel, is:
“ Lack of recognition in health and social systems
Despite being essential to prevention and well-being, CBSS organizations are often excluded from formal planning and resourcing conversations at provincial or territorial levels. For example, in Nova Scotia, the Ministry of Seniors is combined with long-term care, and provincial investments are therefore disproportionately focused on facilities rather than CBSS organizations. This lack of recognition limits opportunities for integration and collaboration across systems. “
Whether online attending virtually, as I did, or in Winnipeg, participants heard about the development of a permanent National Community Leadership Council and a strategic plan focused on three priorities:
- Advancing sector issues
- Increasing understanding of the sector
- Strengthening collaboration across Canada
A recurring theme was that national efforts should support and amplify local leadership—not replace it. Strong local organizations remain essential because they understand the unique needs of their communities (sound familiar – that’s us!). National coordination can help share knowledge, reduce duplication, strengthen advocacy, and create a stronger collective voice.
Reflections for Family Councils
Several ideas from the summit resonate strongly with the work of resident and family councils:
- Relationships are the foundation of meaningful change.
- Quality of life deserves the same attention as clinical care.
- LTC community voices must be included in planning and decision-making.
- Data and lived experience are both essential.
- Collaboration creates stronger outcomes than working alone.
- Volunteers remain one of the greatest strengths in supporting older adults.
Family councils across British Columbia are already contributing to many of these goals. Through advocacy, education, relationship building, and quality-of-life initiatives, councils help ensure that residents are not simply cared for, but continue to
live meaningful lives.
Looking Ahead
The summit ended with an invitation to continue the conversation through national and provincial networks. The work ahead is ambitious, but the message was hopeful.
Across Canada, organizations are increasingly recognizing that healthy aging requires more than healthcare. It requires community, connection, purpose, and support.
For family councils, this reinforces an important truth: our voices matter. When families, residents, volunteers, and community organizations work together, they help shape a future where aging is supported with dignity, inclusion, and quality of life at its
center.
Stay tuned for engagement opportunities. ILTCCABC and its regional association members are needed as a voice for those who have lost theirs.
