Care to Chat wrap up: Family and resident councils

On February 17th, BCCPA hosted a special Care to Chat titled Family Ties: Meaningfully Engaging Family and Resident Councils as part of a suite of initiatives relating to our first ever February is Families Month campaign. The discussion was moderated by Alzheimer’s Society of B.C. CEO Jennifer Lyle, and informative experiences were shared between panelists Vancouver Association of Family Councils Chair Lisa Dawson, Broadmead Care Society CEO Derrick Bernardo, and UBC School of Nursing Associate Professor Jennifer Baumbusch.

While infection control has been prioritized during this COVID-19 pandemic, many health care experts are now advocating to enhance social connection for residents living in care, and one of the most powerful advocates for seniors in care are family and resident councils. The dialogue of this session emphasized the importance of engagement with these councils as this challenging period has caused heart-rending impacts to long-term care residents due to separation from families and friends.

Topics covered during discussion included benefits of family and resident councils, best practices to support effective councils, approaches that can be used to facilitate productive communication, regional councils, and systemic changes required to unlock the potential of family and resident councils.

The session was well received by attendees and lively discussions were generated in both the chat and Q&A functions during the event.