https://www.infirmiere-canadienne.com/blogs/ic-contenu/2025/03/24/conseils-de-residents-et-familles-partie-4
Q&A series ends with a discussion on the benefits of councils
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Through addressing physical, emotional and social needs, councils can contribute to a more holistic approach to improving individual residents’ well-being, as well as the quality of life of the entire LTC resident community.
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 3 was published on March 17.
What are the biggest benefits of resident and family councils to the quality of life of those living in long-term care facilities?
Answer from Farinaz Havaei
By elevating the voice of residents and families in their own care, effective councils promote feelings of empowerment, self-determination and social connection, which can in turn improve the mental and emotional health of residents and their family caregivers.
Councils also often help identify collective issues or systemic gaps in care provision, leading to improvement in the overall quality of care delivered by the facility and its providers.
Our focus group participants shared many success stories from resident and family councils. One success story described by participants in our focus group is when a family council realized that several residents were experiencing delayed responses to call bells, which is a safety concern. The council shared this concern with the long-term care (LTC) home leadership and staff, who responded by developing and implementing a call bell policy on how long nursing staff and personal support workers should take to respond, and how best to respond.
Another example is when that same family council learned that many residents walking to/in the LTC home’s garden were falling and suffering hip fractures and other major injuries. Upon further investigation, they identified the uneven path to the garden as the underlying cause of these falls. After sharing this with the care home leadership, the issue was identified as a safety concern, and a contractor was hired to even out the pathway to the garden. Since this work, the facility has seen a significant drop in resident fall rates.
Through addressing physical, emotional and social needs, councils can contribute to a more holistic approach to improving individual residents’ well-being, as well as the quality of life of the entire LTC resident community.
Answer from Sheila Novek
In our research in two LTC homes (one in B.C. and one in Manitoba), we found that resident and family councils identified issues that may otherwise be overlooked and contributed to meaningful changes within each home. The resident councils, for example, worked to improve residents’ everyday experiences, focusing on issues such as food, the indoor and outdoor environment, and social activities. In the B.C. LTC home, the resident council successfully advocated to have the outdoor courtyard repaved so that residents with walkers and wheelchairs could access outdoor space. For resident council members, seeing their efforts result in tangible improvements to their community contributed to a sense of purpose and feeling valued. One resident commented, “It feels invigorating.”
Family council participants also worked toward improving residents’ quality of life. Compared to the resident councils, they tended to focus on issues related to care practices, staffing, policies and programs. At the same home in B.C., for example, the family council advocated for improvements to the admissions process and helped revise the information residents and families receive upon admission.
Often a council will identify issues and relay their concerns or proposed solutions to management. At other times, management may approach councils to get their feedback on certain policies or programs or to request their participation in quality improvement initiatives. At the LTC home in Manitoba, for example, residents were invited to participate in taste-testing new food products and menu items, using residents’ expertise to improve the dining experience.
Resident and family councils can serve as a platform to improve the quality of life of people living in LTC, but effecting change is complex work. It requires time and dedication on the part of residents and family members, as well as an ongoing commitment from management to respond to concerns and recommendations that are raised.
Dr. Farinaz (Naz) Havaei, PhD, is an associate professor in the University of British Columbia’s School of Nursing and the founder and director of the HOPE Lab. She has a passion for improving the quality and safety of health-care services.
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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