Family Council

A Family Council is a group of family members and friends of the residents of a long-term care home (LTC) who gather together for peer support, education, and to improve the experiences of all people in long-term care.

You Are Invited

The Family Council provides an opportunity for family and friends of residents to meet, discuss pertinent issues and support each other. The Family Council is self-governed and works in partnership with the home to improve quality of care and quality of life for the residents. 

Council characteristics

A Family Council is defined as an organized, self-led, self-determining, democratic group composed of the family members and friends of a long-term care home. Breaking that down, this means that Councils have the following characteristics:

• Have structure, rules, and methods of operation that organize the group’s work and processes (Terms of Reference, Code of Conduct, leadership model with role descriptions, meeting guidelines, etc.)
• Councils are led by members, not home staff
• Councils determine their own processes, goals, and activities (within the parameters of The Long-Term Care Homes Act) without interference by home staff
• Councils abide by the principles of democracy by favouring social equality and giving every member a voice in decisions (e.g., all members vote for Council leaders and on all motions)
• It is a group: members come together regularly, share a sense of purpose, and have common goals and objectives

Council goals

The four main Family Council goals below:

• Support: A Family Council can be a great source of mutual support to family members and offer guidance to new families during their transition to long-term care. No one knows what a family member is going through like another family member! By being involved in a Family Council, you can give and receive emotional, informational, and practical support.
• Education: Family Councils provide a mechanism for family members to learn and gain an understanding of the home and how it operates. Many Councils also invite guest speakers from the community and from within the long-term care home to present information/resources on various topics (for example, how to have meaningful visits with residents who have dementia, Power of Attorney, End of Life Care).
• Problem-solving: Also called advocacy, Family Councils advocate regarding collective concerns to improve residents’ quality of life. Councils can bring concerns to the administration of the home and make suggestions for improvements. These could be improvements to the physical layout of the home (example: creating a safe walkway around the property); suggestions for new programs and activities for residents (example: new weekend programs or activity boxes available for families to use with their resident); collective concerns about menus, laundry service, or staffing levels); and ways to connect the home to the broader community (for example, working with the local transit authority to have the community bus service the long-term care home).
• Communication: Family Councils provide an opportunity for families to be informed about what is happening in the home. Councils can use their meetings and other communication tools (website, emails) to share information from the home to family members. Councils can also solicit ideas, feedback, and suggestions from members and share that with the home.

Meetings

All meetings take place monthly.

Resident Advisory Council

 Our Mandate

The Resident Council provides a two-way communication link between residents and the Rosedale administration. The council receives information, provides input and makes recommendations on activities, programs, products and services directed at providing quality of life for the residents. The RC advocates for resident and their rights.

What is a Resident Council?

Self-led	Democratic
Information sharing	Key decision makers
Fundraising	Provide feedback
Discuss concerns	Discuss solutions
Education	Guest speakers

Our Meetings

General meetings are organized to promote resident participation and effective communication between the residents and the administration of Rosedale Home. Our meetings are held monthly.

Membership

All residents can attend Resident Council meetings.

Resident Suggestions

Resident ideas are invited. Suggestions will be raised at the Council meeting for discussion. Recommendations are forwarded to the Rosedale Executive Director on a concern/recommendation form. Please leave a note for the Resident Council via the Suggestion Box, located to the left of the front entrance or click here to send a message directly to the Council Assistant.

Learn More

Support for the Resident Council is provided by the Director of Therapeutic Services. Please contact her for more information about the Resident Council at 902-644-2008, extension 226 or e-mail program@rosedalehome.ca