The Crisis In Long Term Care: A Panel Discus sion

Presented by the UBC School of Public Policy and Gl obal Affairs

Engage in a virtual panel discussion on the cha llenges facing long term care in BC and Canada\, as part of the 2022 Richar d B. Splane Lecture in Social Policy.

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Download the 2022 Splan e Lecture in Social Policy Program

Panelists:

Isobel Mackenzie\, Seniors Advocate\, British Columbia
Pat Armstrong\, Distinguished Research Professor in Sociology\, York University
Máire Kirwan\, Private Sector Coordinator\, Hospital Emp loyees’ Union

Land Acknowledgement\, Welcome & Cl osing Remarks: Prof. Donna Baines\, Director\, UBC School of Socia l Work

Background to the annual Splane Lecture\, Introduction s to Partners: Patsy George\, Past President\, United Nations Asso ciation in Canada\, Vancouver Branch

Moderator: Tim Stainton\, Professor\, UBC School of Social Wo rk\; Director\, Canadian Institute for Inclusion and Citizenship

< p>Panelist Bios:
Isobel Mackenzie has over 20 years’ experience working with seniors in home care\, licensed care\, community services and volunteer services. Isobel led BC’s largest n ot-for-profit agency\, serving over 6\,000 seniors annually. In this work\, Isobel led the implementation of a new model of dementia care that has bec ome a national best practice\, and led the first safety accreditation for h omecare workers\, among many other accomplishments. Isobel has been widely recognized for her work and was named BC CEO of the Year for the not-for-pr ofit sector and nominated as a Provincial Health Care Hero. Prior to her ap pointment as the Seniors Advocate\, Isobel served on a number of national a nd provincial boards and commissions\, including the BC Medical Services Co mmission\, the Canadian Homecare Association\, BC Care Providers\, BC Care Aide and Community Health Worker Registry\, and the Capital Regional Distri ct Housing Corporation. Isobel also served on the University of Victoria’s Board of Governors. Isobel received both her undergraduate and graduate deg rees from the University of Victoria and has a Certificate in Health Care L eadership from the University of Toronto.
Dr. Pat Arm strong is Distinguished Research Professor Emeritus at York Univer sity and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. Focusing on women\, work and the health and social services\, she has published such books on health care as Wash\, Wear and Care. Clothes and Laundry in Long-term Care: T roubling Care: Critical Perspectives on Research and Practices\; C ritical to Care: The Invisible Women in Health Services\; and Wast ing Away\; The Undermining of Canadian Health Care as well as many boo k chapters\, journal articles and reports intended for public audiences . Much of this work makes the relationship between women’s paid and un paid work central to the analysis and is carried out in partnership with un ions and community organizations. She has also served as an expert witness in more than a dozen cases before Tribunals and Commissions and led multipl e team research projects\, including the 10-year interdisciplinary “Re-imag ining Long-Term Residential Care: An International Study of Promising Pract ices” and a current one on “Covid-19\, families and long-term residential c are”.
Máire Kirwan has been an activist in the labour movement for more than 30 years. Shortly after arriving in Canada as a nanny in the lat e 1970’s\, Máire quickly became involved in the fight for domestic workers’ rights and immigration reform. She came to Vancouver in the early 1980’s a nd once entering the workforce\, she took on the role of shop steward in he r union\, becoming a strong advocate for working people and actively fighti ng for LGBTQ rights in the workplace and in the union\, serving as a foundi ng member of CUPE’s Pink Triangle Committee. In 2000 Máire began work at th e Hospital Employees’ Union as Staff Representative\, shortly before the vi cious liberal attack on health and community social service workers. Máire worked directly with members who were fired from their family supporting jo bs\, led workplace and community fightback campaigns\, organized new worker s and was part of a broader political movement for change. Over the next 10 years Máire led numerous province-wide campaigns\, new worker organizing c ampaigns and was a senior staff advisor to the union’s leadership during an internal review. While working in the union’s education department Máire p layed a foundational role in the development union’s early diversity\, equi ty and inclusion strategy. She is committed to improving the economic secur ity and working conditions for HEU members working for multi-national corpo rations providing contract hospital support services and private for profit long term care operators. In 2015 Máire assumed a leadership role in HEU’s newly formed private sector department\, consolidating membership services . Today she is HEU’s coordinator of private sector services. In her role sh e has responsibility for more than 25 staff working in organizing\, private sector collective bargaining and servicing\, overseeing direct day-to-day services to 20\,000 private sector members.
This talk will take place on the traditional\, ancestral\, and unceded territory of the šx ʷməθkʷəy̓əmaɁɬ (Musqueam)\, səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil Waututh)\, and sk wxwú7mesh (Squamish) peoples.