Review of B.C. home-sharing program for adults with developmental disabilities
The British Columbia government is commissioning an independent review of the province's home-share program, months after an inquest into the starvation death of a woman with Down syndrome in a Port Coquitlam share home.
A statement from the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction says the review will assess safety in home-sharing arrangements, standards that promote quality of life, as well as accountability and oversight measures.
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Vancouver Sun
7 hours ago
- Vancouver Sun
Family says Coquitlam man could have died from extreme cellulitis after neglect from CLBC
Adam Boyd wasn't sure why his calls, texts and emails were going unanswered as he tried to reach someone, anyone, at Community Living B.C. to discuss the health of his brother, Hudson. Boyd said his mother, who serves as Hudson's caregiver, has had repeated hospitalizations in recent years — 10 over the past two years — and wasn't able to care for Hudson, who is severely autistic. He said his brother's health started to suffer as a result, leading to Hudson developing extreme cellulitis and ulcers in his legs in April. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. CLBC contracts out responsibility for the day program that Hudson goes to in Coquitlam to the Community Integrated Services Society, and Boyd said the provincial Crown corporation should have been aware of both their mother's hospitalizations and the health problems Hudson was developing. The day program provides activities as well as volunteering and employment opportunities for people with disabilities, five days a week. Instead, Boyd said it took weeks of calling, texting and emailing his old case worker, his new caseworker, and the CLBC office to get a response. 'My brother is in care of someone who's been hospitalized three times in four months. To me, that would be a red flag to say, 'Listen, what's going on there where this caregiver has been hospitalized,'' Boyd told Postmedia. 'CLBC, their job is to make sure the safety of my brother and adults at risk due to disabilities.' In order to better care for Hudson, Boyd said he, his wife and their children have moved from Mission back to the family home in Coquitlam and are in the process of setting up a home share arrangement with CLBC, allowing them to be responsible for his care. The concerns raised by Boyd are the latest in a long line of concerns about the Crown agency, which has a budget of $1.8 billion and oversees the care of 29,000 British Columbians with a range of disabilities, such as autism and Down syndrome, that require daily care. Last week, the provincial government launched a review of the agency's home-sharing program, which provides money to people who agree to become caregivers for people with disabilities unable to live on their own. The review comes after January coroner's inquest into the death of 54 year-old Florence Girard, who had Down syndrome, at her home share in 2018. It found Girard had starved to death due to neglect by her caregiver, Astrid Dahl. The B.C. Supreme Court ruled in 2022 that Dahl was guilty of failing to provide the 'necessaries of life' but not of criminal negligence. Recommendations by the inquest included establishing a case management system to help CLBC better track patients' needs and having the provincial government provide more funding for families who want to care for their relatives at home. Sheila Malcolmson, minister of social development and poverty reduction, said that CLBC has made numerous changes to how it operates in the seven years since Girard's death. She does concede, however, that she is still hearing concerns about the care provided by the agency, particularly through the home-share program, which is why the government has hired contractor Tamar Consultancy to conduct an independent review. One of Tamar Consultancy's principals is Tim Stainton, a professor emeritus at the UBC school of social work and part of the original board that led to the creation of CLBC. It is estimated the review will be finished by late September and cost $75,000. 'What I've asked for is a review of all of home sharing to make sure that the changes made in the years since actually had the impact that we wanted,' Malcolmson told Postmedia. Boyd said that when he finally got through to CLBC after weeks of trying, the only response was that they were sorry his brother 'fell through the cracks' and that the day program had not been documenting the cellulitis or protusions in Hudson's legs. He said he was told that CLBC doesn't have access to health records, but has since been told by advocacy group Inclusion B.C. that that isn't true. 'It could have been really bad, like my brother could have lost a leg, or he could have died,' said Boyd. 'Another week or two, who knows what would have happened with this infection.' In a statement, a CLBC spokesperson said the agency could not comment on individual cases due to privacy legislation but did defend its staff by saying that they 'work closely with individuals (with developmental disabilities) and their families to understand what a good life looks like for them, and to connect them with services that reflect their support needs.' The representative also said the agency has made substantial changes since Girard's death in 2018, including requiring caregivers allow for home visits every three months and have the person they are taking care of undergo annual doctor's appointments. Not all advocates are convinced, noting there have been many reports over the years with the same recommendations. Former broadcaster Tamara Taggart, who ran unsuccessfully for the federal Liberals in the 2019 election and is now the president of Down Syndrome B.C., says that it feels a little like 'groundhog day' in the way the government is conducting another review into CLBC. She says the government is spending money on a 'make work' project instead of providing it to families who need help supporting their loved ones with disabilities. 'What I find most disappointing is that there were very clear recommendations from the coroner's report. It's available widely online. I don't know if the minister's office has read through it, but we don't need to have another consultation and report, we need to implement the recommendations,' said Taggart. 'We are not moving forward. We're moving backwards. And I think that the announcement of this review is a slap in the face, and it just shows that this government does not care.'
Global News
5 days ago
- Global News
B.C. launches review of home-sharing program after inquest into woman's starvation death
The British Columbia government is commissioning an independent review of the province's home-share program, months after an inquest into the starvation death of a woman with Down syndrome in a Port Coquitlam share home. A statement from the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction says the review will assess safety in home-sharing arrangements, standards that promote quality of life, as well as accountability and oversight measures. 1:55 CLBC caregiver not being paid The government says it will convene an advisory body made up of individuals, families and service providers to give input for developing recommendations. Story continues below advertisement Florence Girard was 54 years old when she died in 2018, weighing only about 50 pounds in the home where she lived as part of the home-share program for people with developmental disabilities, managed by the Crown corporation Community Living BC. Get weekly health news Receive the latest medical news and health information delivered to you every Sunday. Sign up for weekly health newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy A coroners inquest jury in January made 13 recommendations including calling for better training and pay for people who share their homes and an improved system to co-ordinate residents' needs. 2:59 Community Living BC CEO responds to criticism in wake of client's death Shane Simpson, chair of Community Living BC's board, says in the statement that the Crown corporation welcomes the review and that the organization has made a number of changes to its processes and oversight since Girard's death. The government says the review is expected to be finished in the fall.
Toronto Star
5 days ago
- Toronto Star
Review of B.C. home-sharing program for adults with developmental disabilities
The British Columbia government is commissioning an independent review of the province's home-share program, months after an inquest into the starvation death of a woman with Down syndrome in a Port Coquitlam share home. A statement from the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction says the review will assess safety in home-sharing arrangements, standards that promote quality of life, as well as accountability and oversight measures.
