Another Successful Family Council Week!
Par Family Councils Ontario
Another successful Family Council Week has come and gone. Family Council Week is held each year to celebrate the contributions of Family Councils across the province and this year was no exception. We know that Councils and Homes across Ontario celebrated this year’s theme of “creating vibrant Long-Term Care Homes through family involvement!”
As per our tradition, FCO holds its events the week after Family Council Week. This year, we celebrated in a new way: we held our first ever Family Council Week Webinar Series! This set of two webinars provided attendees from all areas of Ontario to learn more about music and self-care, and Powers of Attorney. Sarah Pearson, program development coordinator for the Room 217 Foundation, spoke on how to use music to connect with our loved one and care for ourselves. One of her excellent ideas was for Council members to take turns playing a favourite or meaningful song at meeting and talking about why it was important to them. Doing this can help build connections between Council members and is a unique way to start a meeting. Give it a try and let us know what you think! You can learn more about music care at www.room217.ca and contact Sarah at spearson@room217.ca for more information.
Paul Taylor, wills and estates lawyer, presented on Powers of Attorney and the Role of the Substitute Decision Maker. Paul’s presentation was a fantastic overview of what we need to know about Powers of Attorney and the responsibilities of a Substitute Decision Maker. One important take-away from Paul’s presentation was that we all- regardless of age, health condition, or current life circumstances- need to plan for our futures. By thinking now about what we want for ourselves in the future and being informed about matters such as Powers of Attorney, we can help ensure that our wishes are known and carried out when needed. You can download and review the slide deck from Paul’s presentation here and email Paul at contact@legadolaw.com.
Family Council Week is all about celebration so tell us how your Council marked Family Council Week! We’re currently accepting submissions for the Family Council Week 2016 issue of our newsletter, Family Council Dispatch. Send your articles and photos to info@fco.ngo. Full Newsletter Submission Guidelines can be found here.