2011 Life Care Planners Summit Report
The event was initiated by the IARP Canadian Chapter in collaboration with the University of Western Ontario in an attempt to provide a forum for Canadian life care planners to develop consensus statements for the LCP practice in Canada.
Multiple organizations provided invaluable support for this event:
- International Academy of Life Care Planners (IALCP)
- International Association of Rehabilitation Professionals (IARP)
- IARP Canadian Chapter
- The Foundation for Life Care Planning Research
- The Care Planner Network
- International Commission on Health Care Certification (ICHCC)
- Canadian Society of Medical Evaluators (CSME)
- Vocational Rehabilitation Association of Canada
- College of Vocational Rehabilitation Professionals (CVRP)
- University of Florida
Seventy-one participants representing a diversity of disciplines and backgrounds in life care planning, life care planning training, and professional associations met to explore the current state of the field and set future directions for life care planners in Canada. The topics discussed at this Summit reflect the changes and maturation occurring in this dynamic field. Although the process of life care planning is not new, a common principle and foundation among all life care planners is to determine consensus and unity in the field, thus leading to the provision of a credible, meaningful, marketable, and defensible service. The attendees reported backgrounds such as Occupational Therapist, Nurse, Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, Rehabilitation Counselor, Physical Therapist, Speech Language Pathologist, Physician and Kinesiologist
Cloie Johnson and Michel Lacerte were the co-chairs with Roger Weed providing both leadership and experience from previous summits in the use of the nominal group technique in developing consensus. Steve Yuhas, the upcoming chair for IALCP, Tony Choppa, past IALCP representative to IARP, Rick Robinson from the University of Florida and Reg Giggs, served as Facilitators, and Lynn Parker, Carol Bierbrier, Karen Rucas, Giovanna Boniface and Janice Ray were Recorders. Also present and assisting the IARP Canadian Chapter were Victoria Sweetman and Evie Cowitz. Victoria provided the IARP Canadian Chapter perspective to this process while Evie, the current president of VRA Ontario provided the VRA perspective. A ListServ for Canadian life care planners is in the process of being set up. The proceedings of the Canadian Summit will be submitted shortly to the Journal of Life Care Planning. In addition, a Legal Primer for Canadian Life Care Planners is also in the works.
