Navigating Home Care and Senior Housing: An Advocacy Guide

Cover of Navigating Home Care and Senior Housing: An Advocacy Guide

Navigating Home Care and Senior Housing: An Advocacy Guide wikibook is from Seniors First BC. Learn more about Clicklaw Wikibooks.

Contents

• Acknowledgements
• Introduction to this Guide

Chapter One - Supports within the Community

• Introduction
• Supports for Independent Living
  • How to Find Supports · Better at Home Program · Adult Day Programs · Medical Travel Assistance

• Home Care
  • Overview of Home Care · Eligibility for Subsidized Home Care · Applying for Subsidized Home Care · Private Home Care · Palliative Care · Concerns, Complaints, and Accountability ·

• Supports for Caregivers
  • Caregiver Support Line · Respite Services

Chapter Two - Entering and Leaving Assisted Living

• Introduction

• Services in Assisted Living
  • Accommodation · Hospitality Services · Assisted Living Services

• Eligibility

• Subsidized Assisted Living

• Residency Agreements and Assisted Living

• Evictions and Assisted Living

• Concerns, Complaints, and Accountability and Assisted Living

Chapter Three - Entering and Leaving Long-Term Care

• Overview of Long-Term Care

• Eligibility for Long-Term Care

• Long-Term Care Services

• Cost of Publicly Funded Long-Term Care

• Choosing a Long-Term Care Facility

• Long-Term Care Placements
  • Placement Decisions · Placement Offers · Interim Placement Offers

• Consent to Admission

• Ending Residency
  • General Rule · Voluntary Leaving Long-Term Care · Eviction · Palliative Care

Chapter Four - Living in Long-Term Care

• Care Plans in Long-Term Care
  • MOST Forms and Advance Directives

• Overuse of Antipsychotic and Sedative Medications in Long-Term Care

• Use of Restraints

• Temporary Leaves of Absences in Long-Term Care
  • General Rule · Daily Outings · Short Term Absences

Chapter Five - Rights

• Introduction

• Residents' Bill of Rights
  • Commitment to Care (section 1) · Rights to Health, Safety, and Dignity (section 2) · Transparency and Accountability (section 4)  · Limits to Residents’ Rights (section 5)

• Decision-Making Rights
  • Informed Consent · Capacity · Substitute Decision-Makers · Duties of a Substitute Decision-Maker · Exceptions to Informed Consent

• Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)

Chapter Six - Resolving Problems in Home Care and Senior Housing

• Advocating for Older Adults

• Whistleblower Protections

• Advocacy in Services and Care Facilities
  • Approach the Caregiver · Speak to the Supervisor, Case Manager, or Other Person in Charge · Advocate through Resident and Family Councils · Make a Formal Complaint Using the Service or Facility’s Complaint Procedures · Call for a Care Planning Conference

• When Internal Advocacy Does Not Solve the Issue
  • Home and Community Care Office · Regional Health Authority (Financial & Eligibility Issues · Patient Care Quality Office · Director of Licensing, Medical Health Officer, or Registrar · Professional Oversight Bodies · Mental Health Review Board

• Seeking Systemic Change
  • Seniors Advocate · BC Office of the Ombudsperson · Human Rights Tribunal

Chapter Seven - Abuse and Neglect

• Where to Start

• What is Elder Abuse and Neglect

• Where to Start

• Abuse or Neglect by Paid Caregivers

• Abuse or Neglect by a Friend or Relative

• Designated Agencies

• Public Guardian and Trustee

• Police

• Victim Services

Appendices

• Appendix A - Resources

• Appendix B - Glossary

• Appendix C - Useful Forms

About Seniors First BC

Seniors First BC is a charitable, non-profit society that provides information, advocacy, and support to seniors across BC who are dealing with issues affecting their well-being.

502 - 1281 West Georgia St

Vancouver, BC V6E 3J7

Seniors Abuse & Information Line (SAIL): 604-437-1940 or Toll-Free at 1-866-437-1940

Website: seniorsfirstbc.ca

Navigating Home Care and Senior Housing: An Advocacy Guide © Seniors First BC is, except for the images, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 Canada Licence.