Representation Agreements

Representation Agreemnts are British Columbia's version of the living will, and the only legal form of such in British Columbia. They are an amazing document which help people assure their future wishes are carried out how they want and by whom they want.

There are some free seminars coming up. Take one if you don't have a one.

Seminars: Overview on Representation Agreements, Enduring Powers of Attorney and living wills.

VANCOUVER
411 Dunsmuir Street (at Homer Street)

Tuesday, May 16 2 pm - 3 pm
Tuesday, June 13 10 am - 11 am

BURNABY - Edmonds Community Centre,
7282 Kingsway

Thursday, May 25 10 am - 11 am
Tuesday, June 20 10 am - 11 am

Burnaby Seniors Outreach Society,
34-250 Willingdon Avenue

Tuesday, May 30 2 pm - 3:30 pm
Tuesday, June 27 2 pm - 3:30 pm

Please RSVP to 604-408-7414 or email info@rarc.ca.

Centre for Quality of Life Planning
Representation Agreement Resource CentreAND the Nidus eRegistry
www.rarc.ca

411 Dunsmuir St.Vancouver V6B 1X4
Phone: 604-408-7414Fax: 604-801-5506
E-mail: info@rarc.ca

The Representation Agreement Resource Centre is a non-government, charitable society.

Alcan Cares :Bringing Family Together

Well, this feels either like a page one photo piece, or something, but, it is wonderful to find caring people hidden amoung large, impersonal corporations---people who bring alive values that companies profess to have...

Anyway, an 85 year old man I know was admitted to a care facility, after suffering a major stroke. "Joe's" memory is poor, he has trouble reasoning, he is weak in one hand. He doesn't understand who is taking care of his finances, or who put him there. It is a struggle for him to trust that his things and his money are all right; he needs lots of reassurance and kindness. And time.

Joe has no family here ; he left his native Balkan country after the war. He had been forcibly conscripted into the German army when they invaded. He escaped, was hauled back, and fought right up to the fall of Berlin. He had lost contact with most of the family in the old country except for a brother. Even the brother had not heard from him for several years.

He told me he had once worked for Alcan, up in Kitimat. He had come down to Vancouver many years ago but on a whim, I called Kitimat Alcan, and asked if they had a record of him with a next of kin.

I was put onto a woman in H.R. . She investigated, and found that they did still have a record, and an old address. She invited me to send her the letter, and she would send it on to the brother.

I wrote the letter and send it to her, enclosed in another envelope. Several weeks later, I got an email from the brother in ---. It had his address and phone number. I emailed the return., I printed out a copy for Joe. Since then, there have been phone calls and more emails, and offers of help and love from a family which still exists.
So, thanks, Alcan.

About Scabies, Underwear, and Quality Care

I was speaking to the owner of a nursing home the other day, who told me that her facility had just had to do a complete protocol of care for all residents and staff, due to several residents having had scabies. It consisted of giving a lotion treatment to all residents, thoroughly cleaning their rooms, and washing or isolating all of their clothing. She pitched right in, working in the laundry.

For those of you who don't know what scabies are, they are a nasty little mite that burrows into the skin and causes an itch, and can spread person to person, or clothing to person, etc. It is not unusual in schools or nursing homes.

Anyway, so this person was telling me that one thing that came out of this was that she noticed, as she was helping out in the laundry, how many residents had underwear and other clothing that was falling apaprt.

"I'm on a mission," she told me. " It is not right that people would have to have underwear that is like that, or clothing in such poor condition. I told the Social Worker I want a list of all people who are not clothed with dignity, and I want to know why, and I want something done about it."

What is wonderful is that this is a private facility with a hands-on owner who shows compassion and caring for the people who live in her residence. Often, we think of for-profit facilities as being only bottom line oriented, and good care comes in second place. This woman is not getting rich off this facility, but you still see extra touches when you walk in; extra touches that turn a place into a home--flowers or plants on tables, new painting and upgrading or equipment, firing care providers who are not putting resident care first.

So, how do you recognize quality? By figuring out who is running a place, and who owns it, and seeing if you can meet or find out about them. It is not through the smiling marketer, or the glossy brochures, or the expensive, designer furnishings.

Three Top Questions

I think these are three of the most important questions to ask when looking at housing:

1. What are the basic costs, what are the add on costs for extra services? This question is important because you can often start off at a low price or what seems affordable, nd then you find out the extra costs--for another meal, for medication reminders, for helping with bathing, for bringing Dad to the dining room. They can add up pretty quickly.

2. When will you kick my mother out? This is not a nice way of asking, under what circumstances will you tell me that you can no longer have my mother there? Related to that you can ask, do you give me a month's notice? or one day? I had a place give a client two days notice.

A sub-question to this is: Under what circumstances will you make my mother move to another floor/room/building?

3. How do you handle the needs of people with dementia and how do you handle them in relation to residents who do not have dementia? This includes things like recreational activities, dining room services, security, medical needs, and staffing ratios.