Getting Started

Promoting involvement

If there is not an existing council, you will need to gauge interest and promote enthusiasm among the residents and/or families at the care home. After you have gathered information about what a council is, its benefits and some preliminary ideas about goals, you can connect with interested people in a number of ways.

• Work with long-term care (LTC) staff to coordinate the initial meeting
• Look to other LTC homes to see if they have councils and what has worked for them
• Create some printed material that outlines the benefits of a council and a convenient date for an informal meet and greet. Use existing newsletters or other existing mechanisms to advertise your initial meeting
• Become a presence at the LTC home and get to know residents, their families, friends and their concerns
• Connect with LTC staff, ask for help in getting the message to other families by distributing/posting printed materials etc
• Attend social events at the facility and invite people personally to an initial information meeting
• Ask people about their wish lists for the LTC home to stimulate conversation about possible council focus and activities
• Conduct a survey to determine people’s concerns and their interest/ability in participating in a council

Maintaining continuity

Once a council is established it is important to maintain the momentum. Groups need a common purpose, structure, and a way to determine success. People volunteer for activities that are meaningful to them and their community and continue to participate when they feel their efforts have made a difference.

• Agree upon common goals and develop a purpose statement for the group
• Put a leadership structure in place such as a chair, co-chair or committee
• Develop simple bylaws and/or terms of reference for the group
• Establish a way for members to communicate with each other and the group as a whole; a newsletter, phone tree, internet message board etc
• Communicate with LTC staff and determine who will be the staff liaison and what that involves
• Ensure there is an agreed upon way to run meetings and an agenda that includes "next steps"
• From your group's common goals, determine action items and assign individuals or task groups to those actions
• Create time on the agenda for reporting progress on projects/action items and to report and celebrate successes