Summary of Meetings: Elder Law
Number of Meetings Held:8
October 21, 2020
Registration Count: 21
Guest Speaker: Adrienne Alford-Burt, Executive Director of The Village Langley
Meeting Title/Topic: The Village Langley - an 'Enriched Living' Community Demonstrating a Better Way to Support People Living with Dementia
Synopsis: The innovators behind the Village Langley envision a new standard of care for people living with dementia. The new community, which opened its doors to residents in Fall 2019, provides residents with support and care, while also holding residents’ autonomy in the highest possible regard.
The Village features six single-storey cottage-like homes situated on five acres in the Fraser Valley. The Village boasts a number of amenities in addition to the residences: accessible walking paths, a community centre, sensory gardens, and a village plaza complete with a café. The vision that inspires the Village is a safe space where residents with dementia have access to community, support, and a stimulating environment, in addition to the care they require.
In this session, Adrienne talked about the 5 key ingredients necessary to ensure a ‘better way’ to support people living with dementia. These ingredients are: The Philosophical Foundation The Guiding Principles and practices The Physical Place and Space The Right People The Partnerships
November 18, 2020
Registration Count: 29
Guest Speaker: Gregory G. Blue, Q.C, B.C. Law Institute
Meeting Title/Topic: Back to the Future? Resurrecting a Review Board -- BCLI/CCEL Health Care Consent and Capacity Assessment Tribunals Project
Synopsis: This presentation with Gregory G. Blue, Q.C. of the B.C. Law Institute covered the background to the Health Care Consent and Capacity Assessment Tribunals Project, the objectives of the project, and some of the findings from research currently underway.
February 17, 2021
Registration Count: 105
Guest Speaker: Peter Lockhart Gordon, Barrister & Solicitor Philip A. Riddell Q.C., Criminal Lawyer
Meeting Title/Topic: Giving Section 331 of the Criminal Code Teeth: Penalizing Attorneys when they Abuse their Authority
Synopsis: By way of section 331 of the Criminal Code, it is a criminal offence for a person holding a power of attorney to sell, mortgage, pledge, or otherwise dispose of real or personal property for a purpose other than that for which the attorney was entrusted.
March 17, 2021
Registration Count: 24
Guest Speaker: Dr. Shannon Freeman and Dr. Richard McAloney, Centre for Technology Adoption for Aging in the North (CTAAN)
Meeting Title/Topic: Innovative Technologies to Support Persons Aging in Rural and Northern Communities
Synopsis: The Centre for Technology Adoption for Aging in the North (CTAAN) supports aging in northern and rural communities by making technologies more available to older adults, caregivers, and the healthcare systems that support them.
This presentation highlighted aging in the northern and rural context, outlined technologies of interest, and described the collaborative process we employ in research and validation projects. Special focus was given to the initiative on rethinking dementia housing in the northern and rural context and considerations for working in a living lab model.
April 21, 2021
Registration Count: 127
Guest Speaker: Jennifer Stewart, Alzheimer Society of B.C. Jim Mann, Dementia Advocate Katie Hoy, Alzheimer's Society of B.C.
Meeting Title/Topic: Supporting Clients Living with Dementia: Your Questions Answered
Synopsis: There are many reasons why a person living with dementia may interact with a legal professional. To inform your practice, it is important to develop a foundation of understanding on dementia and the lived experience of those impacted by the disease. We had a conversation about dementia, the fluidity of capability and communication strategies that will help you as a legal professional effectively support your clients.
Presented by the Alzheimer Society of B.C. with special guest Jim Mann LLB, we explored a variety of real-life scenarios, responded to questions and shared resources on how your workplace can become more dementia friendly.
May 19, 2021
Registration Count: 31
Guest Speaker: Stephanie Tam, Staff Lawyer, British Columbia Law Institute & Canadian Centre for Elder Law
Meeting Title/Topic: Inclusive Investing: Respecting the Rights of Vulnerable Investors through Supported Decision-Making
Synopsis: The presentation summarized the rationale behind using supported decision-making in an investment context, the existing legal framework in BC, and the results of a recent study by the Canadian Centre for Elder Law (CCEL) on this area.
June 16, 2021
Registration Count: 41
Guest Speaker: Lisa Kerwin, Davis Avis Randall Joan Cotie, Joan Cotie Mediation & Consulting LTD.
Meeting Title/Topic: Elder Mediation and the BC Elder Mediation Collective
Synopsis: A conversation about how elder mediation can help your clients. The BC Elder Mediation Collective is a group of professional mediators who are working together to raise awareness of Elder Mediation. A mediator is a neutral person who can assist families to manage difficult discussions and decisions between family members, caregivers, friends, and service providers.
Elder Mediation is the mediation of conflict or disagreement involving an older adult. Mediation may be used to address current conflict as well as to prevent or minimize conflict in the future. Mediation can assist families to identify and address underlying issues that are contributing to the disagreement so they can move forward and collaborate on decisions and planning.
Comments and Observations of the Chair
As co-chair, I would like to thank all our members for their enthusiasm and attendance of our various Section meetings. We generally had a terrific turnout, despite likely Zoom-burnout. I also want to thank the Executive for their collaboration and hard
Submitted by Section Co-Chair, Eric B. Clavier