Resident and Family Councils
A Resident and/or Family Council is a group of persons who either live in a long-term care (LTC) home, their families, and/or the residents’ representative, who meet regularly to maintain and enhance the quality of life of residents in LTC. Councils exist to engage the resident community and to improve the experiences of all residents, by providing their insights and advice and represent the collective interests of residents.
What to expect
One of the key roles that a Resident and/or Family Council can play is to promote improved communication and collaboration between residents, family members, LTC staff, and management. This may involve working collaboratively on projects that enrich the lives of residents, making recommendations to decision-makers, and communicating common concerns and ideas for improvements.
VCH Regional Resident and Family Council
Each long-term care home has the opportunity to send a resident and/or family member to attend the regional council. Generally, this is the chair of the site resident or family council. The regional resident and family council meets at least twice a year via Zoom to discuss systemic issues and share information. Council members may have the option to participate in separate working groups.
Provincial Resident and Family Council
The Provincial Forum for Resident and Family Councils, hosted by the Ministry of Health, will include representation from the Regional Councils to focus on addressing provincial-level issues.
Resources
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Family and Resident Councils
Province of British Columbia
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Supporting an Active Partnership
A Service Provider’s Guide to Family & Resident Councils
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Vancouver Coastal Association of Family Councils
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Fraser Association of Family Councils
Email
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Interior Association of Family Councils
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Northern Association of Family Councils
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Vancouver Coastal Association of Family Councils
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Vancouver Island Association of Family Councils
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Get involved
If you would like to learn more about the councils available at a long-term care home, please reach out to the staff at the home. If your site doesn’t have a resident or family council, you can talk to them about what support they can provide to get one started.