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Who We Are

Vancouver Coastal Association of Family Councils (VCAFC) is made up of self directed Family Councils in the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority region. Each Family Council comprises families, friends and representatives (companions and legal representatives) of residents. All Family Council members are volunteers who have or have had lived experience with a loved one in long-term care (LTC).

VCAFC exists to support all Family Councils for the sake of the collective voice of all residents. We raise resident issues and family concerns and offer ideas to contribute to the conversation for quality improvement of the resident experience. We educate Family Councils on relevant topics and discuss new advances with the shared goal of improving quality of life in LTC. 

VCAFC promotes Family Councils as well as Resident Councils. We support the LTC Regulations and educate LTC home operators and their staff about both types of councils and the important role that each can play.

VCAFC promotes Independent Family Councils (members are family members and other representatives who act on behalf of residents in long term care homes). Members meet to identify and promote practices that have proven to be valuable for residents in their long-term care home. They make important suggestions and recommendations to facility management to promote quality of life for all residents in their own care home based on direct observation of the experiences commonly shared by persons living in long term care.

VCAFC facilitates education sessions to inform next steps in the successful start up of councils, as well as offers support on council maintenance and sustainability. VCAFC is an ongoing resource for councils.

VCAFC also serves to elevate the voices of resident and family councils through information sharing at regional and provincial forums. There is one regional association of family councils in each of the five health authorities. Together, the five regional authorities make up the registered non-profit society, Independent Long-Term Care Councils Association of BC (ILTCCABC). ILTCCABC is the provincial association of family councils who advocate at the highest level, in meetings with the Ministry of Health (MoH) as well as through written reports to the MoH. VCAFC’s goal is to ensure every LTC home in the VCH region is offered the opportunity to offer their council a voice at the regional and provincial level.

Our People

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Robyn McCorquodale - VCAFC Chair

Robyn McCorquodale has post-secondary education in communications, marketing, and broadcast journalism, and a University Degree in Music.

Robyn McCorquodale has post-secondary education in communications, marketing, and broadcast journalism, and a University Degree in Music. Her career began in corporate communications before she embarked on an international performance career. Her music provided an opportunity to grow, not only as an artist and performer, but also as a communications specialist with skills in project planning, marketing, public and media relations.

In 2015, recognizing a decline in her parents’ health, Robyn shifted her work from international performance to take on a local career as Executive Director of the Vancouver and District Dental Society. Her role in this “one-woman office” further expanded her skills to manage the membership, administration, conferences, travel events, sponsorship and marketing – skills and experience she aims to apply to her advocacy work, championing for residents in care.

Robyn’s journey advocating for her parents began in 2008, navigating the health care systems within Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health. As an engaged family member and regular host of Sunday’s Singspiration Sing-a-long at her parents’ care home since 2017, her lived experience includes providing daily support alongside the care team, as well as being a volunteer entertainer alongside the recreation staff. Her lived experience has provided her with a broad insight into daily life in one care home, with a deepened understanding of the resident, family, management and staff perspectives.

As Chair of the Windermere Care Centre Family Council, Chair of Vancouver Coastal Association of Family Councils (VCAFC), and as the Vice President for Independent Long-Term Care Councils Association of BC (ILTCCABC)(opens in new tab), Robyn enjoys being engaged at all three levels, from supporting family councils, management and staff, to creating awareness to grow the family council movement, to advocating on systemic issues, and elevating the collective voice of residents with the shared goal to improve the quality of their experience in Long-Term Care (LTC).

Robyn embraces the vision of “Quality of Life Person-Centered Care” for people living in LTC and is inspired by the Family Council movement: a united bright light of hope for positive change!

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Janice DesJardins – VCAFC Vice Chair

Janice DesJardins is one of the founding Directors of the Vancouver Coastal Association of Family Councils (VCAFC), and at the provincial level, continues to serve as

Janice DesJardins is one of the founding Directors of the Vancouver Coastal Association of Family Councils (VCAFC), and at the provincial level, continues to serve as one of the original representatives of the  Independent Long-Term Care Councils Association of BC (ILTCCABC)(opens in new tab).

Janice has years of lived experience, advocating for her Mom, with a deep desire to make a difference for families and residents experiencing life in Long Term Care.

After the restrictions of COVID ended, Janice spearheaded the establishment of an independent Hilltop House Family Council in Squamish, BC. She also gives her time and passion, serving as a Vice Chair of the Vancouver Coastal Health RRFCN, and participates in many other research projects and seniorsʼ’ advocacy groups and meetings.

Janice is committed to a future of ‘reform’ in Long Term Care, advocating for “Quality of Life and Person-Centred Care” for all residents.

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Lisa Dawson – VCAFC Past Chair and Executive Advisor

Lisa Dawson, inspired by her personal experience with her father in long-term care, Lisa is a dedicated volunteer to the continuous quality improvement

Lisa Dawson, inspired by her personal experience with her father in long-term care, Lisa is a dedicated volunteer to the continuous quality improvement of resident experience in long-term care (LTC). Providing all residents with a voice, elevated through resident and/or family councils, Lisa strives to ensure the growth and sustainability of councils in every LTC home throughout BC.

Building relationships in long-term care is essential for effective Family Councils. With the communication tools that ILTCCABC shares with families, conversations can focus on their common ground: the residents. Family Councils contribute to the recognition of what is working well, and with over 15 years in hospitality management and over 25 years in the legal industry as a Firm Administrator, Lisa has shifted her energies and skills into the Long-Term Care (LTC) space, specifically, the advocacy for quality of life and quality of care of its residents.

There is untapped value in family caregivers and the mechanism of Family Councils. Lisa encourages every person closest to a resident in long-term care to exercise their opportunity to seek out the Family Council in their care home. If there is no council, contact your regional association of family councils to help support the process of forming one.

Current Roles:

  • Family Caregiver: Father in long-term care.
  • Chair of a Family Council: Louis Brier Home & Hospital.
  • Past Chair and Executive Advisor of Vancouver Coastal Association of Family Councils (VCAFC).
  • President: Independent Long-Term Care Councils Association BC (ILTCCABC).
  • Family Councils Advocate: Be the change you want to see. Join the Long-Term Care Conversation for all Residents in Care.
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Eric Li – VCAFC Director

Eric Li offers a unique contribution through his own journey, as well as his experiences as a caregiver for his mother, who lives with dementia in a Special Care Plus Facility.

Eric Li offers a unique contribution through his own journey, as well as his experiences as a caregiver for his mother, who lives with dementia in a Special Care Plus Facility. His combined journeys have led him to become a Family Council Chair, previously for Broadway Lodge, and more recently for Fair Haven Homes Society.

In addition to Eric’s volunteer work as a VCAFC Director, some of Eric’s other non-profit past and present involvement includes:

  • VCH RRFCN Representative.
  • Vice President of Asian Canadian Writers Workshop (ACWW) – Affiliate Member – GARP (Global Association of Risk Management Professionals).
  • Ambassador – Model Systems Translation Knowledge Center (MSKTC) Connects American and Canadian Stakeholders for Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI).
  • Contributor – BC Provincial Suicide Risk Reduction Framework.
  • BC Suicide Prevention Care Team.
  • BC Patient Safety & Quality Council.
  • Alzheimer Society Chinese Advisory Committee.
  • Seniors First Member (SAIL – Seniors Abuse Information Line). In 2023, the Alzheimer Society of B.C. acknowledged Eric and his Mother as Honorees for the Richmond IG Walk for Alzheimer’s.

Eric continues to acquire resources to gain knowledge in how the health care system works so he can ease challenges for others and elevate the lives of those living in Long-Term Care. He believes that his diverse experience, combined with his desire to participate in improving systems and policies through discussion, investigation and collaborations, that together we can find innovative solutions to deliver value to residents in Long Term Care via the Family Council movement.

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VCAFC - Vancouver Coastal Association of Family Councils

For inquiries please contact vcafc.regional@gmail.com
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Barbara Kirby – VCAFC Advisor

Barbara Kirby knows firsthand the challenges and rewards of serving as an advocate for those needing a voice in our service systems. With 15 years of navigating

Barbara Kirby knows firsthand the challenges and rewards of serving as an advocate for those needing a voice in our service systems. With 15 years of navigating the health care system on behalf of her parents, Barbara came face to face with the complexity, richness, gaps and sometimes confusion within our health and service systems, and the resulting impact this has on caregivers and care receivers. This experience inspired Barbara to leave her successful long-term career as an investment advisor in order to share her direct knowledge and skills and to offer her private services as a senior advocate. With in-depth knowledge and extensive history in the Long-Term Care sector, as both caregiver and advocate, we are grateful for Barb’s passion and lived experience, and for her volunteer support of VCAFC.

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TERMS OF REFERENCE(opens in new tab)

CODE OF CONDUCT(opens in new tab)

VCAFC PAMPHLET(opens in new tab)