A message from Family Caregivers of BC:
Thank you for attending our recent webinar, Your Guide to Navigating Long-Term Care, on September 16. We truly appreciated the opportunity to connect with you in your role supporting family caregivers across the province.
As promised, here are some of the resources and information we shared during the session:
- Your Caregiver Journey – This resource serves as a guide for caregivers navigating the transition of a loved one into a long-term care facility. It details three phases of the caregiving journey, emphasizing self-care, future planning, and maintaining connections with the care recipient.
- Caregiving After Facility Placement – This document highlights the importance of collaboration with facility staff, setting realistic expectations, and finding ways to continue providing support while taking care of oneself.
- Making Visits Count – This document covers the importance of meaningful visits, strategies for effective communication, and tips for making the most of their time together.
- Building Community Connections for Caregivers – This blog covers the importance of social connections for caregivers, who often experience isolation due to their responsibilities and feel too exhausted to ask for help.
- Caregiver Support Groups – Join our province-wide support groups to share experiences and connect with others.
In addition, we want to remind you about two key supports available through Family Caregivers of BC:
- Caregiver Support Line: 1-877-520-3267 (toll-free, Monday–Friday, 8:30 am–4:00 pm). Caregivers can speak one-on-one with a trained caregiver support specialist.
- Caregiver Learning Centre – an online hub of articles, webinars, and tools designed to support caregivers in their role.
If you have any further questions or if you’d like to connect with us directly, please don’t hesitate to reach out at info@familycaregiversbc.ca
Thank you again for your time and participation. We look forward to staying in touch and continuing to support caregivers across BC.
Quick recap of the Family Caregivers of BC presentation to ILTCCABC
The presentation covered how family caregivers can navigate changes in their roles, common challenges, advocacy strategies, and emotional well-being support when transitioning loved ones to long-term care. The discussion included practical advice for caregivers, communication strategies with care facilities, and the organization’s wraparound approach to supporting family caregivers through various services and advocacy efforts.
Long-Term Care Caregiving Navigation
Marjan Biksadeh, Education & Learning Lead, presented alongside Wendy Johnstone, Director of Programs and Innovation and Gemma Torries, Caregiver Support Specialist, who discussed how family caregivers can navigate changes in their roles, common challenges, advocacy and communication strategies, and emotional well-being support. The session included a case study about Mary and Sam to illustrate the caregiving journey, highlighting the importance of identifying needs, staying calm, and being persistent when advocating for care.
Family Caregiver Transition Challenges
Wendy presented on the challenges and role changes faced by family caregivers when transitioning loved ones to long-term care. She discussed how caregivers often experience a shift from 24/7 hands-on care to more of an advocacy and support role, including managing care decisions and maintaining emotional connections. Wendy covered strategies for managing these changes, including using “All About Me” profiles, recreating home environments, maintaining journals for tracking concerns, and advocating for better communication with care facilities. Wendy also highlighted the importance of family caregivers being aware of and engaging with residents and family councils, noting that many families are unaware of these support systems.
Long-Term Care Advocacy Strategies
Wendy shared personal experiences and strategies for advocating quality care in long-term care facilities, emphasizing the importance of understanding the chain of communication and involving family councils. She discussed common emotional reactions among caregivers, including guilt, grief, and fear of judgment, and highlighted the need to strengthen support networks and practice self-care. The session also covered making visits to loved ones meaningful, with suggestions like using activity boxes and focusing on emotional connectedness.
Questions were raised about improving communication between caregivers, families, and care teams, with a mention of Vancouver Coastal Health Authority’s initiative to develop standard operating procedures for better communication in long-term care facilities. Specifically cited were concerns around:
– Consistency of care
– Lack of resident and family awareness of care home policies or procedures, particularly regarding communication
– Food – nutrition, hydration, meal experience and waste
– Engaging the primary contact in resident health and wellness conversations, particularly at admission
Caregiver Support Systems Discussion
The meeting focused on discussing communication and support systems for family caregivers in long-term care facilities. Wendy explained their organization’s wraparound approach, which includes a caregiver support line, coaching sessions, and navigation services. The discussion highlighted challenges in staff communication gaps and staffing ratios affecting resident care.
Wendy also described their advocacy efforts at different levels, from engaging with direct service providers to policy-level advocacy with the government.
Key takeaway is the Family Caregivers of BC website: https://www.familycaregiversbc.ca/about-us.
Search for Long-Term Care: https://www.familycaregiversbc.ca/?s=long-term+care.
👉Link to the slide deck: CLICK HERE
