
Essential Care Partner Resources

Land acknowledgements are an important piece of reconciliation in the context of providing care to Indigenous people and our broader work towards cultural safety.
This Indigenous Land Acknowledgement Guiding Framework developed by Behavioural Supports Ontario can support the incorporation of land acknowledgements into meetings and events. It also includes particular considerations for individuals and organizations (in particular considerations around dementia, older adults and mental health), resources for further learning and other ways to promote reconciliation.
Acknowledgements:
The Reflections on the Use of Resident Support Aides report (RSA Report) presents findings from a recent survey on the use of resident support aides (RSA) and similar roles in LTC homes during the pandemic. The RSA report summarizes reflections and perspectives from leaders about the value and future of the RSA role.
The report provides:
Looking for more perspectives on front line care providers? Read the PSW Perspectives Report to explore PSWs perspectives and ideas for LTC homes.
The Ontario Centres for Learning, Research and Innovation in Long-Tem Care (CLRI) would like to acknowledge and thank the members of the Ontario Health (Central) – RSA Working Group for their time, effort, and insights in developing the RSA survey and report:
The following resource was not created by the Ontario CLRI and was identified by the Ontario Caring Advisory Circle as an important resource to support Indigenous Culture in LTC.
This guide was developed by Healthy Weights Connection (Western University) and London’s Child and Youth Network in response to overwhelming interest expressed by service providers in London and Middlesex County to learn more about First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) cultures and local communities. It has been adapted from a similar cultural awareness resource developed by the Barrie Area Native Advisory Circle (BANAC).
The content of this guide was informed by members of the local FNMI community in London and Middlesex through several engagement sessions. The purpose of the guide is to serve as a first step towards cultural competence and to help service providers learn more about FNMI history, the local cultures and how to work competently and sensitively with FNMI communities. For those interested in formal training, Indigenous Cultural Competency and Cultural Safety training are recommended.
The Person-Centred Language toolkit and report has background information, useful suggestions, activities, reflection questions and other resources to increase the use and spread of person-centred language in your long-term care home.
Activities can be done individually, as a small or large group, across your organization, and during recruitment, orientation or education sessions.
Practical knowledge of person-centred language ensures the appropriate, respectful, life-affirming and inclusive language is used when talking with and referring to people who communicate via responsive behaviours/personal expressions associated with dementia, complex mental health, substance use and/or other neurological conditions, and their care partners.
This toolkit is available in English (French version coming soon).
Download the Toolkit and Report
The Person-Centred Language initiative and resources have been co-developed by BSO and the Ontario CLRI with support from an expert panel
eConsult is a secure web-based tool that allows physicians and nurse practitioners timely access to specialist advice for all patients and often eliminates the need for an in-person specialist visit. The Ontario CLRI is collaborating with the Ontario eConsult Program team to support the integration of its services into long-term care homes across Ontario.
The Ontario eConsult Program is led by the Ontario eConsult Centre of Excellence (eConsult COE), housed at The Ottawa Hospital in partnership with the Bruyère Research Institute. Delivery partners are the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN), OntarioMD, and eHealth Ontario, with the support of the Ministries of Health and Long-Term Care.
Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias are recognized as an emerging health issue in Indigenous communities. Indigenous elders are considered to be among Canada’s most vulnerable citizens because they often face complex health issues stemming from socio-economic marginalization and a legacy of colonialism in addition to barriers in accessing health care. They have higher rates of many of the risk factors for dementia. As a result, the rates of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRDs) are expected to increase more rapidly among Indigenous elders compared to non-Indigenous older adults. Despite this recognition, relatively little is known about ADRDs among Indigenous peoples in Canada.
This paper summarizes what is known about the prevalence of ADRDs, the challenges associated with diagnosing dementias, and the risk factors associated with the development of dementias in Indigenous populations. The paper highlights several knowledge gaps with respect to the prevalence of various forms of dementia among different groups of Indigenous peoples, as well as differences in the way dementias present in Indigenous communities. The paper concludes by highlighting the need for integrated multi-sectoral approaches to address socio-economic equities and health disparities as preventative measures for ADRDs.
Copyright: 2018 National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health (NCCAH). This publication was funded by the NCCAH and made possible through a financial contribution from the Public Health Agency of Canada.