https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2025/03/17/conseils-de-residents-et-familles-partie-3
Q&A series examines how councils help those who are unable to participate in them
By Sheila Novek
March 17, 2025
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There are resident and family councils in many LTC homes across the country. In fact, these kinds of councils have a long history in Canada’s LTC sector.
Editor’s note: This article is an instalment of a four-part Q&A series that examines the role and function of resident and family councils in long-term care homes. Part 1 was published on March 3. Part 2 was published on March 10. Part 4 will be published on March 24.
How do resident and family councils help people living in long-term care facilities that are unable to participate in council meetings?
This is an important question, and there’s no simple answer. Many residents can and do actively contribute to council meetings and bring diverse experiences, insights and expertise. At the same time, people living in long-term care (LTC) homes have increasingly complex care needs, and the majority have moderate to advanced dementia. Many are not able to participate in a formal council meeting, and others may not be interested. This poses a challenge for recruitment and limits the representation of certain groups. Still, there are several ways that resident and family councils can contribute to the lives of those who are unable to participate in council meetings.
First, resident and family councils tend to focus on collective issues that benefit the wider home community. For example, they work to improve the dining experience, outdoor spaces, and social activities can benefit many others in the home.
Second, residents live in LTC homes 24 hours a day and interact with other residents, families and staff. Through their interactions and observations, they may bring forward concerns on behalf of residents who are unable to attend meetings.
Last, having a family council, in addition to a resident council, can help ensure that the experiences and needs of residents who are unable to participate are still included.
Do resident and family councils exist in other provinces and territories?
Yes, there are resident and family councils in many LTC homes across the country. In fact, these kinds of councils have a long history in Canada’s LTC sector. The practice can be traced back to patient rights and consumer rights movements in the 1970s and 1980s and the notion that health- and social care users should have more say in the services that affect their lives. In response, patient and resident councils were formed in hospitals, psychiatric institutions and LTC homes. The practice became more commonplace in Canadian LTC homes over the last two decades after provinces began to introduce legislation to support resident councils in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Long-term care is provincially regulated, so there are different legal and policy frameworks governing resident and family councils in each province and territory. In Ontario, LTC homes are required to establish resident councils, whereas in other jurisdictions, residents have the right to form a council if they choose to do so. Only certain provinces (i.e., Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan and Ontario) have laws in place that establish the right to form a family council. Family councils exist in other provinces and territories too, but operate without the same legal protections and supports.
So, resident and family councils have been in place in Canadian LTC homes for decades, yet they are still largely invisible outside of each facility’s walls. This means that councils tend to operate with limited information about different council models or best practices. One way to address this is through organizations dedicated to resident and family councils. In Ontario and B.C., for example, organizations such as the Ontario Association of Resident Councils, Family Councils Ontario, and the Independent Long-Term Care Association of BC provide information and support to resident and family councils and bring awareness and attention to council issues and concerns.
Are there any limitations of resident and family councils that you are working to overcome?
Absolutely, there are many challenges that councils face. First, residents and their family members are diverse, with differing experiences, needs and preferences. In this context, building consensus can be challenging. Many ideas and concerns are brought forward but do not result in meaningful changes. Some concerns and suggestions are not shared by other council members; others may be deemed infeasible by management due to staffing or other resource limitations.
In our research, we found that resident councils, in particular, face barriers to accessing pertinent information. Resident council members were not aware of current regulations or related resources posted on government websites. They wanted more information about their rights, the purpose of councils, how other councils are organized, and opportunities to connect with councils from other LTC homes. With limited access to computers and the internet, residents emphasized how important it is to have in-person support and printed information. Developing resources specifically geared toward residents and connecting councils with outside advocacy groups (e.g., the Ontario Association of Resident Councils or the Independent Long-Term Care Councils Association of BC) may help address some of these challenges.
Just as resident councils found it difficult to access information and resources, it is also difficult for the broader community to learn about resident and family councils and their priorities and contributions to their communities. In many LTC homes, residents, families and staff devote considerable time to councils, but their work is largely invisible. Showcasing information about resident and family councils on LTC home websites may help raise awareness of resident and family councils and build connections among councils, outside organizations and the broader community.
Last, we need governments to collect and share information about councils so that we can build a more comprehensive picture of how councils operate in our LTC sector.
Dr. Sheila Novek, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatric Nursing at Brandon University, Winnipeg. She is leading a federal Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Insight Development Grant on resident and family engagement in long-term care. She was a postdoctoral fellow in the University of British Columbia’s School of Nursing at the time of this research.
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#community-health
#dementia
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