Family Council Membership: Having a Stake in the Home
Par Family Councils Ontario
Many Council members ask us if people who no longer have loved ones in a Home can stay on a family Council. The short answer to this is yes, however every Council may want to discuss a few considerations about continued membership.
Legislation leaves the specifics of membership up to each Council to decide (provided membership decisions are in accordance with the Long-Term Care Homes Act) and prescribes who may and may not be a member but says nothing about continuing membership when one no longer has a resident they care for in the Home (the legislation was reviewed in last week’s blog post on Membership). So, it is essential that Council members carefully consider how they want to handle continued membership and, specifically, what continued membership should look like for their Council. Having a stake in the Home is one important consideration.
Having a stake in the Home is an important factor in being part of a Family Council. Having a stake in the Home means visiting regularly and being part of the ongoing life there, understanding what is going on in the Home, knowing the staff and, in particular, visiting residents. Without having a stake in the Home, a member may not be able to make meaningful contributions to the Council and may not understand their current situation, challenges, and successes of the Home. In short, they may not be able to successfully execute their role as a Family Council member.
On the other hand, many Family Council members stay on the Council after their relative passes away and play an active role making meaningful contributions. It is often then that one suddenly has extra time and many connections in the Home and staying on can be a valuable asset to the Council. A person with experience and with a stake in the Home can be an invaluable resource. The important thing is that the member has a connection to and understanding of the Home and the residents. It is this connection that enables a member to contribute meaningfully to the Council’s efforts to improve the quality of life of residents of the Home and support family members.
When a person no longer has a stake in the Home and keeps attending Council meetings without knowing the current situation within the Home- for example, the staff, the programs, the challenges, the residents- it can become a challenge to the group. It can be a big challenge if the individual continues to bring up old complaints from their experience of having someone they care for living there, but that no longer applies to what is currently happening in the Home. Having a stake in the Home after a member’s loved one passes means knowing what is currently happening in the Home. Making meaningful and positive contributions to the Home means understanding the Home as it currently is and being able to move past prior experiences to engage fully in the current situations.
It is best practice for each Council to have a conversation about membership and what they want to do when someone no longer has a relative in the home. It is the Council’s decision, not the Home that can decide. Whatever you decide, ensure that your membership statements are clear and included in your Council’s Terms of Reference. Terms of Reference for the Family Council are essential to the ongoing membership question. Discuss with your Council what they would like to do about continued membership and write it into the Terms of Reference so that you can refer to it when needed. Review the Terms of Reference on a yearly basis or if the membership of your Council changes quickly. Help new members understand their membership requirements. All of this will help to support a cohesive, well-functioning Family Council wherein all members make positive, meaningful contributions to the Council and the Home.
How do other Councils handle the membership question?
Some examples we have heard about:
- Asking a person who has just lost their loved one to step away while for a period of time and then if and when the person does want to be a member, the Council reviews it with them.
- When a person wants to continue stay on the Council, the Terms of Reference state a certain period of time (example: 1 year) and then their membership is reviewed. Is it working for them and the Council? Do they want to continue? Do they want to step away?
- An experienced Council member stays on indefinitely at the discretion of the whole Council.
Perhaps the most important question in each case is: do they have a stake in the ongoing life of the Home? Everyone needs to answer this for themselves and each Council needs to be ready to answer it together.
Experienced Council members who want to stay on can be a great gift to the Council and we encourage all Councils to discuss membership together and decide together what will work best for your Council.
Share your thoughts about continued membership with us on Facebook or email us at info@fco.ngo. We’d love to hear from you!