The recipients of the Ed Helfrich Long Service Excellence Award were announced during the BC Care Providers Association’s virtual Annual General Meeting on December 1st, 2020.
The Ed Helfrich Long-Service Excellence Award is awarded to a member owner/operator/employee/contractor who has a 15+ year industry track record of developing and delivering quality care for seniors and has demonstrated a commitment to supporting the continuing care sector.
Karen & Otto Froelich and Judy Reefschlager are the joint recipients for the 2020 Ed Helfrich Long-Service Excellence Award. Sadly, Otto passed away earlier this year. Karen and Judy will be formally presented with their awards at the 2021 BC Care Awards ceremony.
This year’s recipients have been members of the BC Care Providers Association, and the predecessor organization PriCare, since the 1980’s. Their long service in seniors care began with the building of Peace Portal Lodge in White Rock in 1987 followed by the construction of Northcrest Care Centre in Delta in 1994. They have provided quality care, service and support to well over 1000 residents from the Lower Mainland.
In many ways, they have been pioneers in seniors care. Northcrest Care Centre opened its doors in 1994 as one of the first homes in the Fraser Valley built to multi-level care standards. In 2002, Northcrest also became one of the first care homes in BC to be granted full Accreditation status with Accreditation Canada, an award that demonstrated an intentional commitment to quality standards of care long before Accreditation became a Health Authority requirement. In 2011, Northcrest Care Centre was, and still is, accredited with Exemplary Standing. Located in the heart of Delta, Northcrest also pioneered a multi-cultural approach to seniors care by introducing culturally sensitive menu items and celebrating special occasions focused around the cultural background of residents.
Throughout their long service in seniors care, Judy, Karen & Otto have served BCCPA (PriCare) through personal involvement as members and by supporting and encouraging their executive staff to become actively involved in BCCPA’s province-wide advocacy for seniors’ care.
It is in recognition of this long service to the seniors care industry that Karen & Otto Froelich and Judy Reefschlager are the joint recipients of the Ed Helfrich Long-Service Excellence Award.
