What We Do
The Short answer: Advocacy, Inspiration, Networking, Information-Sharing and Education.
VIAFC advocates for quality care and quality of life for all residents in long-term care.
VIAFC provides a forum for networking family councils of long-term care homes within the Island Health Region, to discuss common issues, work to find solutions and, ultimately, to share our concerns and ideas with our provincial association of family councils, a registered non-profit society named Independent Long-Term Care Councils Association BC (ILTCCABC).
VIAFC is one of 5 regional associations whose 3 elected representatives meet at the provincial level, collectively bringing systemic issues and potential solutions to the attention of the ILTCCABC whose Executive then take these issues forward to the Ministry of Health and other organizations who support quality of life for residents in long-term care.
What specific work does VIAFC do?
VIAFC guides and supports
existing family councils in governance: to be self-led, self-directed and democratic; working respectfully and collaboratively with the senior leadership team on issues directly impacting the quality of life of residents.
We encourage and inspire
Residents’ families, friends and caregivers in long-term care homes where a family council may not exist but there is a desire to establish one.
We engage with residents and their families
where long-term care homes would like advice and ideas around starting up a resident council and its maintenance and effectiveness.
We offer support to transition family groups
which are staff-led to family councils which are self-led. This transition is necessary to support the self-determining nature of family councils, which enables unfiltered but systemic issues to rise to the attention of the long-term care home administration in a respectful and collaborative manner.
We work with long-term care Operators
to discuss their family and resident engagement and explore possibilities for improvement in their staff/family/resident relationship building.
We provide Family Council members educational opportunities
so they can better understand Residential Care Regulations, the Community Care and Assisted Living Act and other relevant statutes, regulations, policies, and practices, as they pertain to implementing family and or resident councils in long-term care as well as with regard to their particular circumstances and experiences. We also guide them to the relevant government entity where they can seek information and/or resolution for their unresolved issues.
We share the educational and patient partner opportunities
which exist in Island Health and BC for family involvement and input to help facilitate the understanding of the roles and responsibilities that Island Health and their private and contracted service providers have in provision of long-term care services.
We also seek to take part in research opportunities
relevant to long-term care.