By Lisa Dawson, president of the Independent Long-Term Care Councils Association of BC (ILTCCABC)
INSPIRED 55+ Lifestyle magazine presents a positive image of aging by celebrating the inspiring lives and achievements of active people over the age of 55. Yet one reality often left out of the conversation is long-term care—something many of us do not plan for, but many of us will eventually face.
If you have ever had a friend or family member enter long-term care, or if you can imagine a future where you, your partner, or a loved one may need that level of support, this story matters to you.
This is the story of why the senior voice matters in long-term care—and how using our voices can improve quality of life.
Why should you concern yourself with long-term care now?
Because the facts tell us we must.
In British Columbia, there demand far exceeds supply. Projections indicate a need for 16,000 additional beds by 2036. At the same time, the largest population surge of seniors (65+) is happening now and will peak between 2030 and 2036, when one in three British Columbians will be a senior.
Despite this growth, long-term care infrastructure and funding models have not kept pace. Care homes continue to operate within a clinical, task-based model, leaving little time for relational care or meaningful engagement with residents and families. With an average of just 3.36 hours of care per resident per day, the role of families and companions has become increasingly important.
Those who live with the experience of long-term care every day—residents and their families—have valuable insight. Their voices matter.
The role of Family Councils
Family Councils emerged when groups of people closest to residents began coming together to discuss concerns, share ideas, and advocate for improvements in their own care homes. Advocacy is not confrontation. It is relationship-building, based on curiosity, collaboration, and constructive dialogue with decision-makers.
Effective Family Councils work alongside receptive management to ensure voices are heard and acted upon. Even within systemic limitations, this partnership has led to tangible improvements in residents’ quality of life. Some examples include library and garden revitalization, improved name tags and education around care team roles, and improved food and dining experience through regular food advisory committee meetings.
In 2022, BC’s residential care regulations were updated to formally support the creation of Resident and Family Councils in every long-term care home. Today, a provincial association supports five regional Family Council associations, one in each health authority region—run entirely by volunteers with lived experience!
A personal perspective
I am Lisa Dawson, a family caregiver to my father, who has lived in long-term care for 14 years.
Through participation in his long-term care home Family Council, involvement with the Vancouver Coastal Association of Family Councils, and now as President of the Independent Long-Term Care Councils Association of BC (ILTCCABC), I have seen what is possible when we choose to engage—respectfully, persistently, and collectively.
Long-term care is evolving. Residents are entering later in life, often with multiple health conditions, neurocognitive disorders, diverse languages, and cultural backgrounds. The transition into care is profound, bringing loss and uncertainty for residents and families alike. While we may not choose this chapter, we can influence how it is lived.
Family Councils provide peer support, a forum to raise concerns, celebrate successes, and contribute to policy and practice that shape daily life in care homes. They help ensure Residents’ Bills of Rights are lived documents—not words on a wall.
“Nothing about us without us” captures the heart of this work. Frailty does not erase a person’s right to be heard, to belong, or to influence decisions that affect their life.
You do not need to be in crisis to get involved. In fact, the best time to learn about long-term care is before you need it—before decisions are rushed, emotions are high, and options feel limited.
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