ADMISSION INFORMATION

Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) controls admissions to publicly funded long term care beds in British Columbia.  Prospective applicants must contact the Continuing Care Intake department at their local Public Health Unit.  A Case Manager will be assigned who will assess the individual’s total care needs including physical, cognitive and social. A person is eligible for placement when other community supports have been deemed insufficient and the person is considered to be living at risk in the community. Examples include being unsafe in taking medications independently, limited mobility, medical complexity, physical frailty, significant dementia, dependency on assistance with activities of daily living, risk to caregiver’s own health, and other care needs.

Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) and Providence Health Care (PHC),

The Priority Access Team of VCH rotates admissions between those awaiting placement in hospitals, in the community, and as transfers from other facilities.  The process for admission from hospital is similar to that described for individuals living in the community. Transition Services Teams (TST) in acute care hospitals are involved in discharge planning.  Vancouver Coastal Health has a First Available Appropriate Bed (FAAB) policy. In this way VCH ensures timely placement in a facility, but not always initially in the facility of choice. This means there is no guarantee of Louis Brier placement immediately post discharge from hospital.

Whether applying from either hospital or community, the assessments and associated paperwork are forwarded to Priority Access, a department of Vancouver Coastal Health. It is Priority Access who ultimately decides where an applicant is placed.

Residents and families are asked to choose a preferred and alternate facility for placement. Where possible, Priority Access will place someone in their first choice, especially acknowledging cultural need. However, if no bed is available the individual is expected to accept alternate placement in the community, or to choose private placement while waiting for their preferred bed. For instance, individuals may choose to wait at the private pay Multi Level Care Unit at the Weinberg Residence so as to be in close proximity to programs, services and cultural environment offered at Louis Brier. The individual is then waitlisted on a transfer list to be moved over to their preferred facility.

While the Louis Brier social workers are always available to discuss the process with community members, please note Louis Brier has no discretion in offering admission.

Louis Brier offers outreach/inreach services to prospective applicants who are considering admission or waiting for admission. This is meant to introduce the applicant to life at Louis Brier, reduce isolation while waiting in the community and to ease the transition to living at Louis Brier. Please talk to the social workers for more information.

Social Work:

The social work department is the first point of contact for admission and placement information. The social workers coordinate and assist with all aspects of admission and orientation to Louis Brier Home and Hospital.  This includes giving tours of the facility and the campus of care, providing information about complex care, obtaining collateral information, liaising with Priority Access (Vancouver Coastal Health) and the Health Units, coordinating admissions, and providing transitional support to residents and their families.

The social workers offer psycho-educational and supportive counseling to residents, families as well as to staff  and companions.  This includes information about dementia and other issues pertinent to aging, monthly caregiver support groups, bereavement and supportive counseling at end of life.

Additionally, residents and families can obtain information and referrals regarding financial, governmental and other community resources.

http://www.trustee.bc.ca/
http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/isp/cpp/cpptoc.shtml (cpp)
http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/isp/oas/oastoc.shtml (oas)
http://www.sjcss.com/
http://jfsa.ca/
http://alzheimerbc.org/

The social work department, in conjunction with the Resident Care Services team is involved in Resident Care Conferences, Interdisciplinary Rounds, Family Information Evenings, Ethics Committee, and more. The social work department has excellent working relationships with our community partners, including Jewish Family Service Agency, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre, L’Chaim Adult Day Program, Vancouver Coastal Health, and others and can direct residents and families to these resources as required.

Social Workers:

Hours: There is social work coverage Mondays through Fridays from 9 am until 4:30 pm.

Extended Care and Special Care:

Debbie Litvack, MSW
604-267-4744
dlitvack@louisbrier.com

Intermediate Care:

Louise Stern, MSW
604-267-4711
lstern@louisbrier.com