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香蕉视频直播橞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香蕉视频直播橞rien said. However, the trigger point for starting CARHR, he added, was the introduction of a restriction regarding visitors at B.C.香蕉视频直播檚 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香蕉视频直播橞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.

香蕉视频直播淚f you香蕉视频直播檝e got three children and 10 grandchildren, only one of those are ever allowed to visit you. That香蕉视频直播檚 a horrible situation,香蕉视频直播� 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 香蕉视频直播渆xceptional efforts香蕉视频直播� to control COVID-19, it takes issue with her position on long-term care home visitors.

香蕉视频直播淭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,香蕉视频直播� O香蕉视频直播橞rien wrote.

香蕉视频直播淭here can be little justification for restricting visiting at retirement homes to one designated visitor.香蕉视频直播�

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.

香蕉视频直播淭he difficulty we have with long-term care is that it香蕉视频直播檚 not just our person that is in there, it香蕉视频直播檚 everybody who香蕉视频直播檚 at risk,香蕉视频直播� 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.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檝e taken a very methodical approach to dealing with it,香蕉视频直播� Dix said during the news briefing.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 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.香蕉视频直播�

The association, O香蕉视频直播橞rien said, is a vehicle for people to speak out if they香蕉视频直播檙e otherwise afraid to do so.

香蕉视频直播淭he people in these homes, especially the long-term care homes, they either don香蕉视频直播檛 want to speak (or) they香蕉视频直播檙e afraid to speak,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淢ost people, even in here, are reluctant to speak because they香蕉视频直播檙e reluctant to offend the manager. Now, in our case, we have a really great manager, but I香蕉视频直播檓 more about the long-term care where all of these people have died tragically.香蕉视频直播�

O香蕉视频直播橞rien described Amica as 香蕉视频直播渢op of the heap,香蕉视频直播� however, he said the degree of stress felt by himself and neighbours varies depending on individual circumstances and family relationships.

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香蕉视频直播淵eah, people are stressed, there香蕉视频直播檚 no doubt about it. But seniors don香蕉视频直播檛 show their stress as much as younger people might. When you香蕉视频直播檙e age 70, 80, 90, you香蕉视频直播檝e learned to deal with stress to some extent, at least you learn to hide it.香蕉视频直播�

O香蕉视频直播橞rien and Kirstiuk are hoping to recruit volunteer board members.

香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 probably the most important issue we have right now,香蕉视频直播� 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香蕉视频直播橞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.

香蕉视频直播淭hat香蕉视频直播檚 what has been totally missing. We香蕉视频直播檝e had no way to connect.香蕉视频直播�

To learn more about the association or to request to join, O香蕉视频直播橞rien can be contacted at ldobmob@gmail.com or 778-966-5261.

aaron.hinks@peacearchnews.com
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