A Remarkable Milestone for Family Councils in Long-Term Care Homes in BC

(written by Nola Galloway, president, Independent Long-Term Care Councils Association of BC (ILTCCABC)

Nov 3, 2022, in a public media release, the BC Ministry of Health (MoH) announced new residential care regulations re operations of family councils in long-term care (LTC) homes. A family council is made up of Residents’ family members and representatives.

THE NEW REGULATIONS

A LTC home operator must NOT:

Attend council meetings unless invited by the council.
Interfere with a council member’s participation or prevent them from entering the long term care home premises to attend a council meeting.

A LTC home operator MUST:

provide a private meeting room in the long term care home if requested by the council.
provide an administrative person who the council feels comfortable working with if requested by the council)
provide equipment in the meeting room to allow for hybrid meetings (in-person and virtual) if requested by the council.
circulate out the family council’s minutes to person in care and their families and representatives if so requested by the council.
allow the council to choose a time and frequency that works best for them and allow them to meet for up to 3 hours.
respond in writing to all recommendations brought forward by the council and provide rationale for any decision where the operator rejects a council’s recommendation.
share informational materials which the Health Authority asks to be directed to the council. The operator must forward the information to council members in electronic or paper form.
on request of the minister or the director of licensing inform them whether the council has a chair or co-chairs; the frequency of the council’s meetings; a description of the administrative support the licensee provides to the council.

ABOUT: INDEPENDENT LONG-TERM CARE COUNCILS ASSOCIATION OF BC (ILTCCABC)

ILTCCABC is a “Provincial Association of Family Councils” representing the important collective voice of residents, their families, and residents’ representatives. The ILTCCABC is viewed by the MoH as an important partner (stakeholder in the LTC sector) and a valuable resource for the development of “Family Councils” in Long-Term Care (LTC).

ILTCCABC has its member “Regional Associations of Family Councils” operating in every health authority across BC. Most are in their infancy as they were formed in 2021. These regional associations invite family councils operating in long-term care (LTC) homes to become members of its association to enable them to network with other family councils within the same region.

Additionally, individuals in the community are encouraged to reach out to their respective regional association of family councils to inquire about becoming a volunteer member to advocate for family councils in long-term care homes. (eg. individuals who may currently or in the past have been involved in advocating to enhance the quality of care and quality of life of residents in long term care; individuals who may have previously worked or volunteered in long term care; individuals who may have been a member of a LTC Family Council at some point in time or has lived experiences from when a loved one resided in LTC.). Each regional association determines its membership through its own terms of reference or bylaws.

These regional association volunteers assist LTC home operators and residents’ families and representatives to learn about, establish and maintain effective “Family Councils”. Experienced volunteers can share their knowledge of the LTC system. The regional associations of family councils offer resources to equip family councils with the tools they need to enable them to advocate effectively on behalf of all residents.

In a collective effort, ILTCCABC and it member associations gather perspectives and recommendations relevant to quality of life and quality of care for all residents. This collective voice is elevated to the Health Authorities and MoH.

PLEASE REACH OUT AND CONTACT:

Provincial Association of Family Councils:

Independent Long-Term Care Councils Association of BC (ILTCCABC) iltccabc@gmail.com

ILTCCABC’s member Regional Associations of Family Councils:

Fraser Association of Family Councils FAFC2021alicea@gmail.com

Interior Association of Family Councils interiorfamilycouncils@gmail.com

Northern Association of Family Councils nelsonmord@gmail.com

Vancouver Coastal Association of Family Councils vcafc.regional@gmail.com

Vancouver Island Association of Family Councils VIAFC@shaw.ca