Latest news with #CLBC
The Province
07-06-2025
- Health
- The Province
Family says Coquitlam man could have died from extreme cellulitis after neglect from CLBC
Adam Boyd says his severely autistic brother was neglected by the agency while his mother was in hospital causing his health to deteriorate. Families are coming forward to recount their stories as the review into CLBC gets underway. One man says his brother Hudson Boyd, pictured, developed cellulitis and leg ulcers while under the care of CLBC, but his concerns were rebuffed. Advocates say the solutions are well known but there has been a resistance from government to actually make real change. Photo by Arlen Redekop / PNG 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. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors 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. 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. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 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. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. '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.' Read More Vancouver Canucks Family & Child Vancouver Canucks News Local News
Vancouver Sun
07-06-2025
- Health
- 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.'
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Independent review ordered into Community Living B.C. after starvation death
The B.C. Crown corporation that oversees the care of developmentally disabled people will have its home-share program independently reviewed after an inquest into a starvation death earlier this year. Florence Girard, a woman with Down syndrome, weighed about 50 pounds when she died in 2018 in the Port Coquitlam home of Astrid Dahl, a caregiver funded through Crown corporation Community Living B.C. (CLBC). After the week-long inquest into Girard's death in January, a jury made 11 recommendations to CLBC, including better pay for front-line caregivers and changes to support family members of a vulnerable individual who want to care for their relative in their home. CLBC, the corporation that oversees the care of developmentally disabled people, was created in 2005. It is in charge of caring for 29,000 British Columbians with disabilities such as autism, fetal alcohol syndrome and Down syndrome. Now, the province says it is commissioning an independent review of the organization's home-sharing program, to be conducted by contractor Tamar Consultancy. "Although CLBC has made a lot of changes since 2018, we still hear about concerns," Poverty Reduction Minister Sheila Malcolmson told CBC News. "And today we've launched a review of ClBC's home-sharing program to make sure that the changes [made] since 2018 are getting people the highest quality of service possible." The province's statement says that it would create an advisory body made up of individuals, families and service providers to inform the review and give recommendations to the ministry. The review is expected to be finished in late September. Malcolmson told CBC News that the independent review would cost the government $75,000, and said the government needed to know the home-sharing model was as strong as possible. "We are really counting on home sharing. Four thousand families across B.C. open their homes to adults with developmental disabilities," she said. "The demand is growing. "It's a model that holds so much promise for people that, at another time, would have been living in institutions." In a news release, the CEO of CLBC's board welcomed the independent review. "We want to do everything we can to make sure this model is as strong as it can be, because this is about keeping people safe, and we believe the number of people supported through the home-sharing model will grow considerably," Shane Simpson said. In its statement, the province says that CLBC made a number of changes after Girard's death in 2018, including mandating home visits every three months and annual doctor visits. WATCH | Down syndome advocate and Girard's sister call for changes: Advocates and unions had called for a shakeup of CLBC after the inquest into Girard's death, including demands its board resign. Tamara Taggart, the president of advocacy organization Down Syndrome B.C., said the province didn't need to hire a consultancy firm to make changes at CLBC, given the inquest's recommendations in January. "I have no idea how much money this is costing, but whatever it is, it's too much because we know what the answers are," she told CBC News. "To continue to consult and research and have some public consultations and interviews and all that sort of stuff ... I feel like I am in the movie Groundhog Day," Taggart added. Taggart said that she was interested to see what happens with the review, but was critical of the government for hiring an external consultancy firm for the job. In a statement sent to CBC News at the time, CLBC said that none of its current board members were on the board in 2018 and that by law, the board must include representation from people with developmental disabilities, family members of those who receive services funded by CLBC, and Indigenous people. Following the Girard inquest, CLBC's CEO provided an "unreserved apology" to Girard's family, friends and loved ones and said the organization had failed the B.C. woman's family. In astatement at the time, CLBC said it welcomed the inquest's recommendations and said it was committed to taking concrete actions to strengthen the delivery of home sharing services.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Independent review ordered into Community Living B.C. after starvation death
The B.C. Crown corporation that oversees the care of developmentally disabled people will have its home-share program independently reviewed after an inquest into a starvation death earlier this year. Florence Girard, a woman with Down syndrome, weighed about 50 pounds when she died in 2018 in the Port Coquitlam home of Astrid Dahl, a caregiver funded through Crown corporation Community Living B.C. (CLBC). After the week-long inquest into Girard's death in January, a jury made 11 recommendations to CLBC, including better pay for front-line caregivers and changes to support family members of a vulnerable individual who want to care for their relative in their home. CLBC, the corporation that oversees the care of developmentally disabled people, was created in 2005. It is in charge of caring for 29,000 British Columbians with disabilities such as autism, fetal alcohol syndrome and Down syndrome. Now, the province says it is commissioning an independent review of the organization's home-sharing program, to be conducted by contractor Tamar Consultancy. "We are reviewing CLBC's home-sharing program to ensure that changes made since 2018 are getting people the highest quality of service possible," read a statement from Poverty Reduction Minister Sheila Malcolmson. The province's statement says that it would create an advisory body made up of individuals, families and service providers to inform the review and give recommendations to the ministry. The review is expected to be finished in the fall. In a news release, the CEO of CLBC's board welcomed the independent review. "We want to do everything we can to make sure this model is as strong as it can be, because this is about keeping people safe, and we believe the number of people supported through the home-sharing model will grow considerably," Shane Simpson said. In its statement, the province says that CLBC made a number of changes after Girard's death in 2018, including mandating home visits every three months and annual doctor visits. WATCH | Down syndome advocate and Girard's sister call for changes: Advocates and unions had called for a shakeup of CLBC after the inquest into Girard's death, including demands its board resign. In a statement sent to CBC News at the time, CLBC said that none of its current board members were on the board in 2018 and that by law, the board must include representation from people with developmental disabilities, family members of those who receive services funded by CLBC, and Indigenous people. Following the Girard inquest, CLBC's CEO provided an "unreserved apology" to Girard's family, friends and loved ones and said the organization had failed the B.C. woman's family. In astatement at the time, CLBC said it welcomed the inquest's recommendations and said it was committed to taking concrete actions to strengthen the delivery of home sharing services.
CBC
16-02-2025
- Health
- CBC
Inquest into starvation death prompts calls for shakeup at Community Living B.C.
Social Sharing A B.C. disability advocate is calling on the board of Community Living B.C. (CLBC) to step down following an inquest into the starvation death of Florence Girard, a woman with Down syndrome. CLBC, the province's Crown corporation that oversees the care of developmentally disabled people, was created in 2005. It is in charge of caring for 29,000 British Columbians with disabilities such as autism, fetal alcohol syndrome and Down syndrome. It also faces a separate call from an employees' union for its services to be brought back under government control. Girard, 54, weighed about 50 pounds when she died in 2018 in the Port Coquitlam home of Astrid Dahl, a caregiver funded through CLBC. Tamara Taggart, president of the advocacy organization Down Syndrome B.C., said the inquest proves that CLBC's board is not fit for its job and that the organization needs a fundamental overhaul. "It starts at the top, and the people at the bottom, if you will, are not being supported in any way, shape or form," she said. "There have been complaints for two decades now from families and caregivers about how no one listens to them." After the week-long inquest into Girard's death, a jury made 11 recommendations to CLBC, including better pay for front-line caregivers and changes to support family members of a vulnerable individual who want to care for their relative in their home. WATCH | Tamara Taggart and Girard's sister call for changes: Sister hopes for systemic change as inquest into death of Florence Girard begins 1 month ago Duration 14:50 Taggart says the organization's budget is $1.7 billion, one-third of the entire budget for the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction and claims there is little oversight of CLBC's activities by the government. "We do know that the five-person executive team has seen their compensation grow, while developmentally disabled individuals and their home share providers are grossly underfunded," Taggart said. Taggart said she doesn't think CLBC will follow through with the coroner's inquest recommendations and said the board was complicit in presiding over a "terrible situation" and should resign. In a statement, the CLBC said that none of its current board members were on the board in 2018 and that by law, the board must include representation from people with developmental disabilities, family members of those who receive services funded by CLBC, and Indigenous people. According to its website, more than half of the organization's current board members are representatives of those groups, and it has more than a dozen advisory groups and committees made up of community members from across the province. "CLBC's management is working with the board to further strengthen accountability and safety," the statement reads. It also said that its staff and management salaries are "in line with or lower than other public sector organizations." Call for more government control B.C. General Employees' Union (BCGEU) president Paul Finch argues the problems with CLBC run deeper than the governance board. BCGEU, which is currently in contract talks with the province, has around 800 members working at CLBC. Finch said those employees have complained about a toxic work culture at the organization, and the issue has been ongoing since CLBC was formed 20 years ago and assumed its responsibilities from the ministry. He thinks CLBC's responsibilities should return to being under direct government control once again. The union's members who work for CLBC, he said, feel that even if the Girard recommendations are fully implemented, they will not address wider issues within the organization. "Frankly, this is seen by parents, caregivers, and front-line employees as an unnecessary added administrative layer of bureaucracy that leaves parents exhausted, and obviously, the clients are not getting the full support they need and deserve now," he said. According to the BCGEU, since 2019, CLBC's executives have seen pay increases ranging from nearly 40 per cent to just over 75 per cent, while front-line workers have only received a 19 per cent pay bump. B.C. government figures show the CEO and four other executives at CLBC had an average annual compensation of $286,684 in the 2023/24 fiscal year. The CLBC rejects the notion that its staff aren't satisfied with the organization. "Like any other organization, we have our challenges — workload and stress are the top ones," said CEO Ross Chilton. "But our staff are incredibly committed to their work ... [and] the staff turnover rate at CLBC is less than three per cent this year. That speaks volumes. Our employees aren't leaving CLBC." Minister says community care model needed Following the Girard inquest, Chilton provided an "unreserved apology" to Girard's family, friends and loved ones and said the organization had failed the B.C. woman's family. In a statement, CLBC said it welcomed the recommendations and said it was committed to taking concrete actions to strengthen the delivery of home sharing services. Sheila Malcolmson, B.C.'s social development and poverty reduction minister, said that CLBC had improved its standards for monitoring home-share arrangements since Girard's death in 2018. "We are reviewing the recommendations, and it is my expectation as [minister] that CLBC further strengthen accountability and safety," she said in a statement. When asked whether the government would consider bringing CLBC back under government control, she said the organization was created so that families and people with lived experience could have a greater say. "Before CLBC, people with disabilities were institutionalized," she said.
