Spotlight Staff
A new provincial advisory council (PAC) will launch in January to provide a direct connection between Alberta Health Services (AHS), seniors, the disabled and those receiving continuing care services, as well as their families and informal caregivers.
Irene Pirie, of Wabasca, has been appointed as one of three north zone representatives on the 15-member Seniors and Continuing Care PAC, states an AHS news release dated Dec. 20.
“It is important that we involve members of the public, clients and their families to improve planning and service delivery to help shape our future for continuing care,” says AHS president and CEO Dr. Verna Yiu.
Other representatives from the north include a resident of Heinsburg and Cold Lake, with three members each from Edmonton, Central, Calgary and South zones.
PAC includes people who have personal interactions with continuing care, or are caregivers for clients in continuing care.
They will provide AHS with advice on services and delivery related to seniors care and continuing care, and will report to the Community Engagement Committee of the AHS board.
AHS has two other PACs – one provides advice and input on cancer; the other on addiction and mental health – that also report to the Community Engagement Committee.
More than 70 Albertans applied to participate in the Seniors and Continuing Care PAC.
“We wish to sincerely thank the applicants who were so passionate and willing to volunteer their time to help make Alberta’s continuing care system better,” Yiu says.
“Unfortunately, we had to limit our selections to 15; selection was based on a set of criteria including a wide cross section of geography, populations and lived experiences.”
Advisory councils bring valuable outside system perspectives which help inform strategy, policy and planning development for AHS, she says.
In addition to PACs, AHS has 12 health advisory councils (HACs) that bring the community’s voice into program and service decisions, and the Wisdom Council, which provides advice into programs and services for Indigenous populations.
For more information on the Provincial Advisory Council on Seniors and Continuing Care, visit the AHS website.