Our Family Council

The New Vista Family Council (Support Group) is a forum for family members and friends to come together with a common goal of enhancing the quality of life for their loved ones who live in the New Vista Care Home. The Family Council helps to facilitate communication between family and staff while providing ongoing support for one another. Meetings are held monthly. All family and friends are welcome to attend.

Meeting agendas include relevant education topics, discussions with New Vista Administration, advocacy focus groups and community resources. In addition, our meetings provide valuable interaction with family and friends who share their experiences and knowledge regarding relationships with their loved ones and their care at New Vista.

Purpose

• We are family members and friends who are advocates for our own loved ones and all residents of New Vista.
• We seek input for improvements.
• We also provide support for each other as caregivers.

Terms of Reference

Membership
Open to all family members and close friends of residents of New Vista.
If a New Vista resident has passed away, the family members or close friends are still welcome to be members of the Family Council but will not be voting members.

Meetings
Meetings are held between 5:00 PM and 7:30 PM on the second Tuesday of every month except for August and December.

• During 5:00 PM – 5:30 PM the time is dedicated to light refreshments and networking.
• During 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM the time is dedicated to presentations, alternating monthly between New Vista staff and outside guest speakers.
• From 6:30 PM onward the time is dedicated to discussion amongst Family Council members only.

Annually, at the January meeting informal elections are held for the volunteer positions of chair, co-chair, secretary.

If interaction between the Family Council and New Vista departments (which can include Laundry, Nutrition, Safety) is needed, a member may be appointed as a temporary liaison until issues are resolved.

Protocols
During the family and friends only portion of a meeting, structure includes a welcome to new members, adoption of minutes of the previous meeting, approval/modification of planned agenda, reports from liaisons and discussion on issues decided by membership.

A respectful code of conduct is to be observed by all attendees.

Minutes from last meeting and next meeting agenda are e-mailed to members in advance of the next meeting. Minutes and agenda will also be available on-site at each meeting as well as in display case by the elevators.

Presentations
Topics for meetings are suggested by the Family Council and our New Vista liaison.
Our New Vista liaison (currently Manager, Recreation and Therapeutic Programs) helps arrange for the guest presenters.