Two South Surrey seniors have launched a national association as a way to give a voice to long-term care home residents and people who live in retirement homes.

Amica White Rock residents Larry O含羞草研究社橞rien and Julian Kirstiuk recently founded the federally incorporated Canadian Association for Retirement Home Residents (CARHR).

An association designed to represent long-term care home residents has been needed for years, O含羞草研究社橞rien said. However, the trigger point for starting CARHR, he added, was the introduction of a restriction regarding visitors at B.C.含羞草研究社檚 retirement homes and long-term care facilities.

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The current provincial guidelines restrict visits to one designated family member or friend.

O含羞草研究社橞rien, who is the CEO of the new association, said the restriction should be adjusted to allow two people to visit at the same time. Allowing only one person, he said, is no different than being told to pick your favourite child.

含羞草研究社淚f you含羞草研究社檝e got three children and 10 grandchildren, only one of those are ever allowed to visit you. That含羞草研究社檚 a horrible situation,含羞草研究社� he said.

One of the first actions of the association was to write an open letter to Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry. While the letter commends her 含羞草研究社渆xceptional efforts含羞草研究社� to control COVID-19, it takes issue with her position on long-term care home visitors.

含羞草研究社淭here is one regulation you have endorsed that begs for your re-assessment. The imposition of the very cruel and inhumane order that separates families. You have separated families and forced those seniors living in retirement homes to endure a long period of extreme stress with their isolation,含羞草研究社� O含羞草研究社橞rien wrote.

含羞草研究社淭here can be little justification for restricting visiting at retirement homes to one designated visitor.含羞草研究社�

Monday afternoon, after announcing six new deaths and 317 new cases of COVID-19 over the weekend, Dr. Henry said there are currently 13 long-term care homes where there are COVID-19 outbreaks.

Henry said she does not envision the province increasing restrictions on visitors, but acknowledged the challenges that come with loosening them.

含羞草研究社淭he difficulty we have with long-term care is that it含羞草研究社檚 not just our person that is in there, it含羞草研究社檚 everybody who含羞草研究社檚 at risk,含羞草研究社� Dr. Henry said.

B.C. Minister of Health Adrian Dix said the most common concern his office receives relates to visitor restrictions at long-term care homes.

含羞草研究社淲e含羞草研究社檝e taken a very methodical approach to dealing with it,含羞草研究社� Dix said during the news briefing.

含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 clear that we want, as a goal, to increase the number of visits but we have to put that into context. COVID-19 is obviously unbelievably harmful, potentially harmful, to people living in long-term care.含羞草研究社�

The association, O含羞草研究社橞rien said, is a vehicle for people to speak out if they含羞草研究社檙e otherwise afraid to do so.

含羞草研究社淭he people in these homes, especially the long-term care homes, they either don含羞草研究社檛 want to speak (or) they含羞草研究社檙e afraid to speak,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淢ost people, even in here, are reluctant to speak because they含羞草研究社檙e reluctant to offend the manager. Now, in our case, we have a really great manager, but I含羞草研究社檓 more about the long-term care where all of these people have died tragically.含羞草研究社�

O含羞草研究社橞rien described Amica as 含羞草研究社渢op of the heap,含羞草研究社� however, he said the degree of stress felt by himself and neighbours varies depending on individual circumstances and family relationships.

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含羞草研究社淵eah, people are stressed, there含羞草研究社檚 no doubt about it. But seniors don含羞草研究社檛 show their stress as much as younger people might. When you含羞草研究社檙e age 70, 80, 90, you含羞草研究社檝e learned to deal with stress to some extent, at least you learn to hide it.含羞草研究社�

O含羞草研究社橞rien and Kirstiuk are hoping to recruit volunteer board members.

含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 probably the most important issue we have right now,含羞草研究社� he said.

The ultimate goal is to have the association run by children and grandchildren of residents living in long-term care or retirement homes. O含羞草研究社橞rien envisions seniors sharing concerns with their family members, which would then be relayed to the association. Those concerns would then be brought to the proper authorities.

含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 what has been totally missing. We含羞草研究社檝e had no way to connect.含羞草研究社�

To learn more about the association or to request to join, O含羞草研究社橞rien can be contacted at ldobmob@gmail.com or 778-966-5261.

aaron.hinks@peacearchnews.com
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