Crisis in Care Experts

CRISIS IN CARE

Aly Devji

BIO

Aly was appointed CEO of the Langley Care Society in July 2021. He is also President of the BC Care Providers Association. Previously, Aly operatored the Deltaview Campus of Care in BC’s Lower Mainland. Throughout the pandemic, Aly has worked tirelessly and led the long term care sector’s collaboration with the BC government and medical health officer. He is also a Director for the Canadian Alliance for Long Term Care. For the film Aly describes how the long term care sector was vulnerable going into the pandemic and the steps needed to make sure something like this never happens again to frail seniors and their care providers.

Caroline Colijn

BIO

Dr. Colijn is a Canadian mathematician and epidemiologist. She holds a Canada 150 Research Chair in Mathematics for Evolution, Infection and Public Health at Simon Fraser University. Dr. Colijn earned her undergraduate degree from the University of British Columbia before enrolling at York University for her Master’s degree in environmental studies and the University of Waterloo for her PhD. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Colijn appeared regularly in media reports providing expertise about the effectiveness of random testing and the use of mathematical modeling to project trends. Dr. Colijn was awarded a Genome British Columbia grant to understand the spread of COVID-19 in BC and invited by Canada’s Chief Science Advisor to provide advice on COVID-19 related scientific developments.

Daniel Fontaine

BIO

Daniel is the CEO and Deputy Minister for the Métis Nation BC. Prior to joining Metis Nation BC, Daniel served as CEO of the BC Care Providers Association (BCCPA) for six years. BCCPA has represented long term care, assisted living and home care providers across the province for over 40 years. In January 2020, Daniel was one of the first health care leaders in BC to warn public health officials about the potential impact of COVID-19 on long term care residents. He worked closely with the BC government on the provincial long term care response during the first wave. Daniel is a former weekly civic affairs columnist, political commentator and Chief of Staff for the Mayor of Vancouver. In 2012, Daniel was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for public service.

Dan Levitt

BIO

Dan is CEO, KinVillage Association in Delta, BC and former Executive Director of Tabor Village in Abbotsford, BC. Dan is an Adjunct Professor in Gerontology at Simon Fraser University, Adjunct Professor at UBC’s School of Nursing and Sessional Instructor in Health Leadership at the BC Institute of Technology. Dan managed two COVID-19 outbreaks in 2020. The second started October 31, 2020, at the height of COVID-19’s second wave. It rapidly became BC’s deadliest outbreak in 2020 as 25 beloved residents passed away. Asymptomatic transmission, staff shortages and rapidly rising community spread contributed to the outbreak that continued through January 2021.

Debra Hauptman

BIO

Debra is the recently-retired CEO for the Langley Care Society after 12 years of service. Langley Care Society operates Langley Lodge, an accredited provider of long term care services for 139 elders. Debra managed two COVID-19 outbreaks at Langley Lodge during the first COVID-19 wave. The first on March 26th was a single positive case of a staff member. The second started April 27th. It became the deadliest of BC’s first wave as 26 beloved residents passed away. Asymptomatic transmission, PPE shortages and challenges isolating elders with advanced dementia contributed to the 10-week outbreak. In August 2020, Debra released a Report on the Langley Lodge outbreak as a resource for other care homes and health care leaders prior to the fall 2020 second wave.

Dr. Habib Chaudhury

BIO

Dr. Chaudhury is Chair and Professor in the Department of Gerontology at Simon Fraser University. He has led numerous research projects with support from the Canadian Institute of Health Research, Social Science and Humanities Research Council, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Centre for Health Design. Dr. Chaudhury is recognized as an international expert in the planning and design of seniors housing and long-term care facilities. He is affiliated with the Centre for Research on Personhood in Dementia at the University of British Columbia. He serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Aging and Environment. For the film, Dr. Chaudhury describes how the physical environment impacts the quality of life for people with dementia in long-term care facilities and the need to construct physical environments in long term care that are effective in preventing and controlling outbreaks, as well as supportive of person-centred care in the aftermath of COVID-19.

Ila Appleby

BIO

Ila Appleby is a Burnaby resident and former teacher. Inspired by the sacrifice of front line works during the pandemic, Ila started organizing a 7:00pm cheer with her neighbours. The Burnaby cul-de-sac has been coming alive each evening since spring 2020. Ila shares her story of why she has been cheering every evening, how everyone in the neighbourhood has been inspired by the care workers and under what circumstances they will stop.

Jen Lyle

BIO

Jen Lyle is the former Chief Executive Officer of BC’s continuing care workplace safety association, SafeCare BC. Prior to coming on board with SafeCare BC, Jennifer worked in a dual role as a healthcare practitioner and the Director of Operations for a Burnaby-based rehabilitation organization after graduating from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor of Science degree. She later obtained her Master of Health Administration at the University of British Columbia. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jennifer led her team in a rapid realignment of operations, including the launch of a province-wide PPE initiative, Operation Protect, which led to the procurement of over 2.3 million PPE items, as well as the establishment of province-wide mental health support initiatives from health care workers (Care for Caregivers and Care to Speak with the Canadian Mental Health Association (BC).

BIOS

Kate Tait

Maria Dreyfus

Vi Wiens

Kate, Vi and Maria are front line care providers at the Tabor Village long term care home in Abbotsford, BC. In December 2020, Tabor Village became BC’s deadliest outbreak after 25 beloved residents passed away. Kate is the recently retired Director of Care at Tabor Village. She was a Registered Nurse with extensive experience caring for vulnerable people around the world, including the United Kingdom and Africa. Kate completed a humanities degree with a BA in Humanities with a major in Recreation and Wellness. During the outbreak, spent weeks isolated from her family, fighting to protect Tabor residents. Influenced by the love of her grandparents at an early age, Vi has been a community care provider all her life. After 23 years serving as a Health Care Assistant at the Menno Place Care Home in BC's Fraser Valley, Vi has been a friend to many Tabor Village residents over the years. During the pandemic, Vi took on a formal role at the Care Centre facilitating family visits. During the outbreak, she was at the bedside of many frail seniors with COVID-19. Maria is a dedicated health care assistant and member of the Hospital Employees Union. Maria cares for the seniors she serves like they are her own family. During the outbreak, Maria worked long hours alongside her colleagues on the COVID-19 front line. In January 2021, Maria shared her experiences with the House of Commons Standing Committee on Health. For the film, Kate, Vi and Maria speak about the sacrifices of staff to protect residents, the things they did during the outbreak to preserve quality of life for Tabor residents and their own battles with COVID-19. Their courage, valour and emotional storytelling are inspiring

Margaret Gillis

BIO

Based in Ottawa, Margaret is the founding President of the International Longevity Centre Canada, a human rights-based organization with 16 global Centres dedicated to the needs of older people. An award-winning executive, retired Public Health Agency of Canada official and innovative leader, Margaret has played a key role in establishing the Age-Friendly Community program in Canada and an international partnership to protect seniors in disasters. Margaret also serves as Chair of the National Advocacy Working Group at the Global Alliance on the Rights of Older Persons and is working to establish a United Nations Convention on the Rights of Older Persons. With a background in health promotion, protection and programming, Margret is committed to improving the rights of older people.

Melissa Irving

BIO

Melissa joined the Richmond Society for Community Living (RSCL) as Director of Supported Living and Staff Training in February 2018. She has proven experience delivering services to diverse populations including those experiencing concurrent disorders, homelessness, addiction, poverty, developmental disabilities, brain injury as well as members of the deaf community. For more than 18 years Melissa has played a major role in program development and growth of non-profit organizations in a variety of areas including housing first, supported independent living, as well as course-based day program and outreach. She is committed to delivering programs that are flexible, individualized and meet the changing needs of the individuals served. Among other things, Melissa pays tribute to Warlito Valdez in the film. Warlito was a beloved RSCL employee and the first front line care provider to pass away from COVID-19. Warlito contracted COVID-19 early in the first wave, saving a resident he was serving from choking to death.

Noori Shahkar

BIO

Noori is the Administrator of the Lynn Valley Care Centre in North Vancouver, BC. On March 8, 2020, the Lynn Valley Care Centre became the first long term care home in Canada to have a COVID-19 outbreak. The Lynn Valley outbreak lasted two months. In the end 20, beloved residents passed away from COVID-19. For the film, Noori describes what is was like behind the scenes at Ground Zero of Canada’s long term care nightmare. Noori started working at the Lynn Valley Care Centre in 2007 as a health & safety coordinator. He received a Diploma from Vancouver Island University in Health Administration and a Master’s in Business Administration from Royal Roads University in Victoria.

BIOS

Wynona Gianassi

Jennifer Hystad

Wynona and Jennifer are partners of the Howegroup, a boutique consulting practice in Vancouver, BC. Wynona is passionate about improving care and enhancing support services. She holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Victoria, A certificate in Change Management from the UBC Sauder School of Business and is a Credentialed Evaluator. Jennifer has a Master of Science degree from the University of Alberta and is a Credentialed Evaluator. Her areas of focus are strategy, evaluation, and organizational development. Jennifer has spent most of her career supporting organizations that champion healthy aging and quality care for older adults. As partners with the Howegroup, Wynona and Jennifer have worked with a diverse roster of clients including the Public Health Association of BC, Ministry of Health, Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, BC Centre for Disease Control, SafeCare BC and BC Care Providers Association. In summer 2020, following the first COVID-19 wave, the Howegroup facilitated an independent review of the long term care sector and public health response to the first COVID-19 wave for the BC Care Providers Association. The report included a review by a panel of public health and seniors care experts from across Canada.