Companion Program

The Louis Brier Home and Hospital and the Weinberg Residence have well-deserved reputations for the assistance and respect they provide to the elderly in our community. In addition to the care provided by the Home’s capable professional staff, family members and friends often continue to play active roles in many aspects of their loved ones’ every day life. Many residents and their families also choose to receive additional assistance by joining the growing and well-regarded In House Companion Program.

The In House Companion Program came into being in the fall of 2002 through the efforts of devoted families of residents at the Louis Brier Home and Hospital. Through this program, families can arrange for a caring individual to spend quality time with their loved one. As a first step, families or residents contact Sally Karlinsky, the program co-coordinator, who helps clarify the specific needs of the resident. Sally communicates with other members of the Louis Brier staff in order to ensure that the care to be provided by the companion occurs at the best possible times. These types of arrangements are particularly reassuring for busy families living in the lower mainland as well as for families who live out of province and are unable to visit Vancouver as often as they might like.

The In House Companion Program can also accommodate the many seniors who come to live at the Snider Campus after being in their homes for many years with companion care. The In House Companion program recognizes that moving into a long term care facility can be stressful and keeping familiar faces around eases this stress for both the resident and the family. New residents are therefore welcome to join the In House Companion Program with their companion. Other residents, once settled in their new surroundings, may look for a compatible person to help with activities of daily living, shopping, walking, reading, and having conversation. The program coordinator and assistant Evelyn Kachanovzky work at matching the specific health care and social needs of the resident with the personality and skills of a companion. Each companion is selected from a large pool of available individuals who come from many backgrounds and bring a wealth of experience to the care they provide.

The administration of the Snider Campus is very supportive of the Companion Program. A joint educational program provides educational modules to the companions on topics related to aging. The In House Companion program continues to be coordinated and run by a group of devoted family members who ensure the needs of the residents are always the priority.

Companion Coordinator: Sally Karlinsky, skarlinsky@louisbrier.com