We wanted to share a note that was published by Inclusion BC. Please take the time to read this important message –
Dear Inclusion BC Members and Supporters,
Inclusion BC was shocked and saddened to learn the details of the tragic death of Florence Girard, a 54-year old woman with Down syndrome who died in October 2018.
We offer our heartfelt condolences to Florence’s family and her friends.
The circumstances which the RCMP described as leading to her death have shaken our community. According to the investigation, which was released last week, her death was caused by malnourishment and starvation. The Coquitlam RCMP has announced criminal charges against the care provider and the association through which she was contracted.
As a society, we have a collective responsibility to support good lives for all vulnerable adults. We ALL have a role to play, and those various roles and responsibilities must be clearly defined, understood, and accepted, with appropriate checks and balances to ensure the wellbeing of every British Columbian who relies on our systems of supports.
We must be diligent to ensure that safeguards are in place and best practices are followed to protect the people we love and for all vulnerable people in our community. The provincial government must fund housing and support options that build meaningful relationships with neighbours and friends, who can provide an advocacy voice and additional informal supports/oversight. Every person has the right to a safe home, all the necessities of life, access to healthcare, and the security and comfort provided by the connections of a strong, caring community.
We have heard from members of our community for whom Florence’s loss has rekindled fears that they or their loved ones could be at risk, now or in the future. If you are worried about your own security or wellbeing, or about a neighbour or family member, we urge you to reach out and tell someone. Inclusion BC\’s Community Inclusion Advocacy Program can offer direct support and referrals.
Once again, we offer our heartfelt condolences to Florence’s family and friends.
Sincerely,
Karla Verschoor
Executive Director
Inclusion BC
Posted: March 6, 2020 by cvsadmin
Inclusive Housing Plan Workshops
It was announced earlier this week that The Inclusive Housing Task Force, co-chaired by Community Living BC (CLBC) and Inclusion BC, is making progress on a number of initiatives to reduce barriers to housing, including:
Ross Chilton will be leading inclusive housing sessions at the upcoming BC Non-Profit Housing Association (BCNPHA) Regional Education, Networking & Tradeshow (RENT) housing conferences in Nanaimo (April 16), New Westminster (May 14), Terrace (June 11) and Cranbrook (September 17).
You can join these workshops where you will find other partners in this cause. Visit bcnpha.ca/events/rents for more information.
Posted: March 6, 2020 by cvsadmin
CLBC Increases Minimum Direct Funded Respite Rate for Families
It was recently announced that Community Living BC (CLBC) is increasing minimum direct funded respite rates for families from $2,800 to $3,080 per year effective April 1, 2020. This is made possible thanks to $1 million per year in new funding announced in the provincial budget on February 18, 2020.
Respite funding is provided to family members who are caring for eligible individuals. It typically funds a worker to provide support to an individual allowing family caregivers time to rest and recharge.
I am pleased we can provide this additional support to individuals and families going forward. Families provide love and support to their loved ones and we need to invest in their well-being. This support contributes to resiliency and benefits all family members.
CLBC currently offers a minimum of $2,800 per year in direct funded respite to all youth transitioning into CLBC services. Individuals and families can expect to hear from CLBC soon about how the new funding will be implemented. If you have a question, please contact [email protected].
Posted: March 5, 2020 by cvsadmin
CVS Coronavirus Response
Dear Families, Caregivers, Staff and the People We Serve,
As many of you have heard the Coronavirus is in the news. Here at CVS we have taken some early precautions such as ensuring that everyone washes their hands when they come into the building and that handwashing is repeated often. Further, we are disinfecting touch surfaces at CVS several times a day.
We have been monitoring the news and it seems probable that in Canada the virus will spread faster (community spread) once efforts at containment at the airports have failed. Some reports suggest that community spread has already occurred. Accordingly, in response to what seems to be an escalating situation our senior leadership met earlier today to do some emergency planning.
Some of the actions we have identified are as follows:
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to give myself or Linda King a call so that we can address any concerns or hear your advice as we work together to keep everyone safe.
Sincerely yours,
Kevin Lusignan
Posted: February 4, 2020 by cvsadmin
Addressing the Coronavirus
As you all may know, the coronavirus is in the news and there is a case confirmed in B.C.
As per Fraser Health and the CDC, the risk of contracting the Coronavirus in Canada is still low. CVS has ensured we are prepared with gloves and masks in the unlikely scenario the risk level increases.
Coronavirus is a viral respiratory pneumonia-like disease that was first reported in Wuhan, China. CVS is diligently monitoring information and messaging from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Fraser Health. The majority of cases of the Coronavirus are in Wuhan, China, and all cases outside of China are from people who have recently travelled in Wuhan.
The best prevention for yourselves are universal precautions including:
Washing your hands frequently (with soap and water for at least 20 seconds – see attached infographic or this video)
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, mouth with unwashed hands
Isolating yourself when unwell
Coughing and sneezing etiquette (ie. cough and sneeze into your inner elbow preventing the spread of mucus droplets)
The links provided below contain more information about the coronavirus if you have further questions:
https://www.cdc.gov/
https://www.fraserhealth.ca/
https://www.canada.ca/en/
Posted: February 4, 2020 by cvsadmin
Congratulations to the 2019 Business Excellence Awards Winners
We wanted to take the time to congratulate the 2019 winners of the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards. CVS was proud to be a nominee for Best Non-Profit. The winners were announced this past weekend at the Hard Rock Casino in Coquitlam. Here is a list of the winners –
Business of the Year (1-10 employees)
Aging My Way Home Care
Business of the Year (11-30 employees)
Creative Transportation Solutions
Business of the Year (30+ employees)
Coast Therapy
Young Professional of the Year
Kelso Kennedy, RedStamp Agency
Business Leader of the Year
Ryan Peterson, Finger Food Advanced Technology Group
Community Spirit Award
Wesbild
Not-for-Profit of the Year
New View Society
Chamber Member of the Year
Lisa Beecroft, Gabi & Jules
We wanted to wish all the winners a big congratulations. We all can work together to build a more inclusive community, including in business throughout the Tri-Cities and beyond.
Posted: February 4, 2020 by cvsadmin
The Death of Florence Girard – A Message from Inclusion BC
We wanted to share a note that was published by Inclusion BC. Please take the time to read this important message –
Dear Inclusion BC Members and Supporters,
Inclusion BC was shocked and saddened to learn the details of the tragic death of Florence Girard, a 54-year old woman with Down syndrome who died in October 2018.
We offer our heartfelt condolences to Florence’s family and her friends.
The circumstances which the RCMP described as leading to her death have shaken our community. According to the investigation, which was released last week, her death was caused by malnourishment and starvation. The Coquitlam RCMP has announced criminal charges against the care provider and the association through which she was contracted.
As a society, we have a collective responsibility to support good lives for all vulnerable adults. We ALL have a role to play, and those various roles and responsibilities must be clearly defined, understood, and accepted, with appropriate checks and balances to ensure the wellbeing of every British Columbian who relies on our systems of supports.
We must be diligent to ensure that safeguards are in place and best practices are followed to protect the people we love and for all vulnerable people in our community. The provincial government must fund housing and support options that build meaningful relationships with neighbours and friends, who can provide an advocacy voice and additional informal supports/oversight. Every person has the right to a safe home, all the necessities of life, access to healthcare, and the security and comfort provided by the connections of a strong, caring community.
We have heard from members of our community for whom Florence’s loss has rekindled fears that they or their loved ones could be at risk, now or in the future. If you are worried about your own security or wellbeing, or about a neighbour or family member, we urge you to reach out and tell someone. Inclusion BC\’s Community Inclusion Advocacy Program can offer direct support and referrals.
Once again, we offer our heartfelt condolences to Florence’s family and friends.
Sincerely,
Karla Verschoor
Executive Director
Inclusion BC
Posted: February 4, 2020 by cvsadmin
CVS Weather Alert
Good Morning everyone. I looked outside and the snowflakes are falling. It is predicted that we might get up to 20 cm of wet snow during the day. We are open but as the day progresses we may have to start sending people home early for the sake of safety. Stay tuned and dress warm. If you need more information please call the emergency cell at 604.218.8492.
Posted: January 25, 2020 by cvsadmin
January 2020 Podcasts
Welcome to 2020! We are excited to be continuing our podcast feature in our blog and hope you\’ve enjoyed the ones we suggested in 2019. While these podcasts are not endorsed by CVS, after listening to them ourselves, we find that they offer a valuable take on current subjects that could help people across our community.
Here are a couple of podcasts you may want to check out this month –
We hope you enjoy the podcasts above over the next few weeks. Stay tuned for more podcasts in February!
Posted: January 24, 2020 by cvsadmin
Changes to Federal Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID)
The federal government announced that it will make changes to Canada’s law on Medical Assistance In Dying (MAID).
As noted by Inclusion BC, Medical Assistance In Dying needs robust safeguards that will help protect the lives of people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations.
The Department of Justice is now conducting a public consultation process. Our community needs to participate in this survey so that the government will consider adding essential safeguards to the law — safeguards which are essential to prevent errors or abuse that could ultimately lead to the unfair loss of life for people with disabilities, mental health issues, or age-related illnesses.
You can participate in the Canadian Government consultations by filling out the online questionnaire about MAID for the Department of Justice.
Please complete the federal governments\’ questionnaire by clicking here.
The deadline for submitting responses is January 27th, 2020.
Posted: January 17, 2020 by cvsadmin
Calling all Home Share Individuals, Families, Caregivers & Agencies
Community Living BC (CLBC) is looking to improve home sharing referrals, its matching process and crisis response. CLBC is calling all individuals living in a home share, their families/personal support networks, Home Sharing Providers and agencies that deliver home sharing to attend one of the 8 consultation sessions we are hosting around the province.
To learn more, please click here or view the poster below –
Please RSVP as soon as possible as consultations will be on a first come, first served basis to a maximum of 20 people per session. Please identify the time and location in your RSVP email. For those who cannot attend a consultation session, we are also launching an online survey so we can make sure we reach as many people as possible. Information on the survey will be distributed lat
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