- Edna first started advocating for residents in long-term care when her mother entered care in 2018, and her mother was faced with the prospect of losing all of the caregivers that had come to know her, Edna began lobbying the Provincial government with other families and care workers to change Bill 29/94 so that caregivers would not lose their job and seniority every time the Care Provider company was changed in a care facility. They were successful in their campaign and during that process met Kim Slater who was also advocating for improvement in long-term care. He had started a Vancouver Island Family Council Association and had written a manual for developing family councils. Kim encouraged Edna to start a Family Council in her mother’s care facility which was met with much opposition from the administration at the time, but Edna did establish an Independent Family Council that is still funtioning.
- Working with Kim Slater, and other advocates, they spent the next three years lobbying the Minister of Health and the Office of the Seniors Advocate to ensure that independent Family Councils had the right to exist in every facility in the province. Their work with the Ministry of Health resulted in new legislation being passed into law on November 3rd, 2022 and the endorsement of ILTCCABC and the regional associations as support organizations for these independent family councils.
Our People
Edna Sandoval – Chair
Kathleen Gormley – Vice Chair
Kathleen became involved in family councils when her mother had to enter long-term care in 2018. Of course, Covid-19 wreaked havoc on the long-term care system and caused family council meetings to be suspended.
Eventually, in the Spring of 2021, the Family Council was resurrected using Zoom with sporadic success. In the Spring of 2022, Kathleen offered to chair the meetings but was disappointed with the lack of information on just what a family council should be doing and was looking online for some sort of umbrella organization to help support family councils. Incredibly, on November 3rd, 2022 with the announcement of the new Provincial legislation she was able to make contact with Edna Sandoval and her involvement with FAFC began in January of 2023.
Since that time, she and Edna have been working to connect with individual family councils, help support formation of an independent family council and also support transition of staff led family councils to independent family councils.
Independent Family Council (FC) Members
- The Mayfair FC – Abbotsford
- AgeCare Carlton Gardens FC – Burnaby
- Dania Home FC – Burnaby
- New Vista Care Home FC – Burnaby
- Heritage Village FC – Chilliwack
- Lakeshore Care Centre FC – Coquitlam
- The Madison Care Centre FC – Coquitlam
- Kin Village FC – Delta
- Baillie House FC – Maple Ridge
- MR Seniors Village FC – Maple Ridge
- Age Care Royal City FC – New Westminster
- West Shore Laylum FC – Surrey