Overview

• The Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction announced the review on June 2 to examine the province’s home-share arrangements for adults with developmental disabilities.
• The independent assessment responds to the 2018 starvation death of Florence Girard, a 54-year-old woman with Down syndrome who weighed about 50 pounds at her time of death.
• A coroner’s inquest jury issued 13 recommendations in January, calling for better training and pay for home sharers and a more coordinated system to meet residents’ needs.
• Shane Simpson, chair of Community Living BC’s board, said the Crown corporation has already implemented process improvements and strengthened oversight since Girard’s death.
• An advisory body composed of individuals, families and service providers will develop recommendations and submit its report by this fall.