A Message from Robert Gadsby,
Chair Family Council Network 4
As you may know, our FCN-4 Advocacy Committee has been pushing for a minimum care standard to provide an average of 4 hours of direct hands-on care per resident per day. This initiative received all-party support in the previous Ontario Parliament ... and it has been reintroduced as Bill 13 in this Parliament by Teresa Armstrong (MPP for London – Fanshawe).
Thank-you to the many Family Councils that have already submitted hundreds of signatures in support of Bill 13, but our efforts are not over. Your Petition submissions will continue to be very useful in supporting Bill 13, as it proceeds through Committee to Second and Third Readings in the future.
How can you help?
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On the Home Page, you will find our Petition (both and English version and a separate French version) in support of Bill 13. Since this is a new Bill, we need new signatures to support this initiative. Click on the Petition Bill 13 final English .pdf or Petition Bill 13 Final French.pdf to download the Petition for printing.
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Please circulate this Petition at your LTC home, church, synagogue, gym, neighbourhood meetings, etc. and invite all of your family and friends (including LTC staff and residents) to sign it.
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EVERYONE can sign our Petition which is to be returned by regular mail to Teresa Armstrong (see address at the bottom of the form). Original signatures are required for the Petition to be tabled in the Legislature.

A Time For You to Act in Support of
Bill 13 - Time to Care Act
Need something to do while staying at home? Print the petition for The Time to Care Act found on this web page, ask your adult family members confined in the house with you to sign it and then mail it to MPP Teresa Armstrong (address is on the form).
Then, help us spread the word in this time of social distancing. Forward a copy of the petition to your contacts, friends and family and ask them to sign it , mail that petition to Queens Park and then ask them to distribute the blank petition to more people. Remember, petitions going to the legislature, must have the original signature; emailed / photocopied documents are not accepted.
We appreciate your assistance to achieve a standard of care for residents in long term care (LTC). Staff are currently under increased workloads and stress with all LTC homes now restricting family visits - their work must be recognized and supported.


November 16, 2016 Article in The Hamilton Spectator



Family Councils Network 4, 7th Annual Fall Forum
The 7th Annual Fall Form was held Wednesday, October 11, 2017 at the Royal Botanical Gardens. This year’s workshop addressed the complex topic of Breaking Barriers of Communication. Participants came from Burlington, Niagara, Welland, Hamilton, London, Cambridge, Brantford, Six Nations Reserve, and Simcoe.
During the morning session, a diverse panel offered expertise from the view point of Administration, Management, Nursing, Personal Support Workers (PSW) and Families to stimulate discussion and problem solving in communication issues that Long Term Care homes face daily. The panelists, Dr. Marie Savundranayagam, Gerontologist, shared the current research in Person Centred Care, where training PSWs to personalize communication has had a positive result with residents; Heather Neiser, Personal Support Worker, shared viewpoints of how Barriers of Communication with families, co-workers and management affected their work and health; Joanne Cartmer, shared how important listening to all sides of an issue from her experiences as Director of Programme and Support Services; Jim Lamont, shared his personal journey as a Family Member and Chair of a Family Council and Kate MacDonald, Administrator, presented information pertaining to how important proper communication and maintaining lines of communication are instrumental in reducing miscommunication and keeping front line staff, management, families and residents happy. David Montgomery, who was the moderator for the Family Councils Forum, 7th Annual Fall Forum for the third year, kept the event interactive and added some insightful comments.
In the afternoon session, six Scenarios of common communication challenges were tackled in a round table format. Administrators, managers, care-givers and family members worked together to determine the root cause of barriers of communication and offered suggestions for improvement.
I would like to thank all of the panelists, the moderator and the Family Councils Forums Team: Carol Dueck, Recording Secretary; Carol Adamson, Treasurer; Henry Rapzcewicz, Registration and Claudine Van-Every Albert, Programmes/Printing for making this event happen and running smoothly.
Thank you to the Multi-Service Providers: Seniors for Seniors, Hausers Home Health Care; Banyan,
GrocerEase; Connect Hearing; Bay Gardens Funeral Home; and the Network 4 Long Term Care
Advocacy Committee for providing valuable information to the attendees. Thank you to Terri Jenner
and staff of the Royal Botanical Gardens for the wonderful venue and great food. Sponsors for
this event were Shoppers Drug Store, Mohawk Road West, Hamilton; Swiss Chalet, Upper James Street,
Hamilton; Seniors for Seniors, Parkdale Ave. , Hamilton, Ontario and Hausers Home Health Care,
Dunnville and The Albert Group of Six Nations Reserve.
Helga Henson,
Chair
Family Councils Forum, 7th Annual Fall Forum

Family Councils 7th Annual Fall Forum 2017
"Breaking Barriers of Communication Between Residents, Family and Staff"
at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Burlington
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
8:30 am - 4:30 pm

PLEASE FILL OUT ONE FORM FOR EACH REGISTRANT AND PRINT CLEARLY
Registration must be received by September 20, 2017
REGISTRATION FORM
Family Councils Forums, 7th Annual Fall Forum
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
8:30 am to 4:30 pm
BREAKING BARRIERS OF COMMUNICATION
BETWEEN FAMILY MEMBERS, STAFF & RESIDENTS
First and Last Name: __________________________________________________
Address: __________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
City: __________________________________On. Postal Code_________________
Affiliation (Council, Organization, etc.)_______________________________
Title: ______________________________________________________________________
EMAIL: ___________________________________________________________________
TO BE USED FOR COMMUNICATION AND UPDATES ONLY
Special Requirements, i.e. dietary, other: _________________________
AMOUNT: $______ Cheque e-transfer Cash
Payable ONLY to Family Councils Forum
$40 per person; including lunch, nutrition breaks & Multi-Service Provider Resource Fair
Mail to
Helga Henson
424 Mohawk Road West
Hamilton, Ontario L9C 1W9
Contact: Helga Henson, Chair at fcn4fallforum@gmail.com or 289-253-8220
David Montgomery Kate MacDonald Heather Neiser Joanne Caratmer Dr.Marie Savundranayagam Jim Lamont
The Panelists
Registration Cancellation and Refund
You must contact Family Councils Forums no later than September 28, 2017, to cancel your registration for the Family Councils Forums 7th Annual Fall Forum. For cancellations made by September 28, 2017, your registration fee will be refunded after the FORUM. No refunds will be given for cancellations made after October 1, 2017.
Cancellation requests must identify the registrant’s name, email address and type of payment (cheque# or cash) to fcn4fallforum@gmail.com.
Receipts
Receipts will be emailed once payment is received. For individuals who do not have email, a receipt will be provided the day of the event.
See Details of the 2016 Fall Forum Below
Presenters At 2016 Fall Forum

The Advocacy Committee of the Family Council Network 4
is pleased to support the Fall Forum 2016
"ENRICHING THE LIVES OF RESIDENTS IN LONG TERM CARE"
that is being organized by the Family Councils Forums group. To register simply click on the Registration Form and copy it to your computer, complete and submit it to Helga Henson as noted on the form. Seating is limited so register early.
Karen Robins, Deb Bryson and Grace Belliveau



See Details of the 2015 Fall Forum Below
Family Council Network 4 Fall Forum 2015
A special Sub-Committee of the Family Councils Network 4 Advocacy Committee will host the 5th Annual Fall Forum, a series first initiated by St. Joseph's Villa, Dundas. Below is a flyer and registration form which will encourage you to join us on October 21st in St. Catharines at Linhaven Home. The topic is Pathways for Resident Emergency Care - a topic unanimously endorsed by our committee as of critical importance.
This is a topic to help family members prepare for an emergency hospital visit by their loved one in long-term care. A morning panel discussion by health care professionals on The Emergency Hospital Visit will be followed in the afternoon with a discussion between a long-term care physician and an attorney/advocate for the elderly on the associated Challenges.
Please take a few minutes to read over the flyer. To register for the Forum right-click on the Registration Form below, copy and paste it into a Word document and print it; complete the form and return to the address shown with your cheque or money order. We urge you to register early to avoid disappointment. For further information, if you require it, contact Helga Henson, Chair at or 289-253-8220.
