Include someone in your care

Learn how to include a family member, friend, caregiver, Elder, spiritual support or other trusted person in your care.

• Talk with your care team about who you want involved in your care. 
• Under Island Health’s Family Presence Policy, this person is known as your designated family member.
• You may want someone who helps you feel safe, understands your needs, supports your culture or language, helps you ask questions or joins care conversations with you. 
• You do not have to include anyone if you do not want to. You can change your mind at any time. 
• Your care team will work with you to include your designated family member in a safe and respectful way.

You decide who family means to you. This may include:

• family
• chosen family
• friends
• caregivers
• Elders
• spiritual supports
• interpreters
• other support people

Your designated family member may help by:

• being with you during care
• helping you ask questions
• helping you understand information
• sharing what matters to you
• supporting cultural or spiritual needs
• taking part in care planning, if you want them there

Your care team is responsible for your care and safety.

You can ask your care team about cultural, spiritual, family or community support during care. They can help connect you with Indigenous supports where available, such as Indigenous Liaison Nurses, Indigenous Patient Navigators, Elders or community members.

• Your care team will ask who you want involved and what information can be shared. 
• Health information can only be shared when allowed by privacy and consent rules.

• You can have family and support people involved in your care whenever possible.
• Sometimes your care team may need to limit or change who can be with you. This may happen to keep you, other patients, visitors and staff safe, protect privacy or support care.
• If this happens, your care team will explain why and help you stay connected when possible.