Essential Care Partner Resources
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The Essential Care Partner (ECP) Resources support Ontario long-term care (LTC) homes with designing, implementing, and/or strengthening an ECP program that includes caregivers as partners within the interprofessional team.
These resources were co-designed by a team that included members of the research team, LTC team members and leaders, LTC partner organizations, and care partners. We also engaged in usability testing with residents and care partners who provided key feedback. The content of these resources is informed by recent research, the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021, HSO’s National Long-Term Care Services Standard, and the stories of LTC homes in Ontario.
In collaboration with the Ontario Caregiver Organization, we recently updated the ECP implementation guide “Partnering with Caregivers in Long-Term Care: A How-To Guide for Essential Care Partner Programs”. This Guide was co-designed with five LTC leaders and team members, two caregivers, and one resident. This practical guide features stories from Ontario LTC homes, and includes a step-by-step process to develop or improve an essential care partner program. This tool can help support a culture of caregiver inclusion in LTC homes.
Magic of Connection: Essential Partners in Care
The Magic of Connection: Essential Partners in Care video can be used to educate families, care partners, residents, and LTC team members and leaders on the importance of the ECP role and to promote a relational view of care. LTC homes may wish to use the video to support team member and ECP orientations.
[Quick note on terminology: Many terms have been used to describe family and friends who regularly enter LTC homes to support a resident. We use the term “essential care partner.” We use this term because research shows that these people play an essential role in the homes, and because they provide this role through a relationship—a partnership—with the resident and the care team. Other terms that may be used include essential caregiver, family caregiver, and designated care partner.]
This How-To Guide assists LTC homes with designing, implementing, and/or strengthening their ECP program. The guide includes steps for implementation, as well as helpful tips and techniques.
The Essential Care Partners are Essential infographic resource explains the importance and benefits of the ECP role. LTC homes may adapt this resource to create posters, brochures, or other materials in the home, or include in presentations.
The Caregivers as Partners in Long-Term Care eLearning Course, co-developed by the Ontario CLRI at Bruyére Health and the Ontario Caregiver Organization (OCO), aims to provide practical, tangible insights into how to include, support, and empower caregivers as partners on the interprofessional team in long-term care.
Additional Resources and Support
Explore the Ontario Caregiver Organization’s Essential Care Partner Support Hub for additional resources, tools and support in how to identify, include and support caregivers as part of the care team. Evidence shows this can lead to improved health outcomes, better care experiences and reduced health system pressures.
Acknowledgements
We gratefully acknowledge the foundational work of the Bruyère Health Research Institute’s “Presence of Family: (Re)Integrating Essential Care Partners in Ontario’s LTC Homes” research team and Advisory Committee whose time, expertise, and lived experience shaped the original version of the Essential Care Partner Implementation Guide, and created the infographic report, the videos and the research publications.
Advisory Board Members
Renate Cowan, Grey County LTC
Paula Doering, Bruyère Continuing Care
Michelle Fleming, Senior Knowledge Broker, Ontario CLRI at Bruyère
Nancy Hall, former Essential Care Partner, Bruyère Continuing Care
Connie Hitzeroth, Essential Care Partner
Pauline Johnston, former Essential Care Partner, Grey Gables
Jennifer Killing, Vice President, Quality & Innovation, peopleCare Communities
Kim Mustard, Resident & Family Services Manager, Grey Gables
Zsofia Orosz, Ontario CLRI at Bruyère
Sam Peck, Family Councils Ontario Executive Director
Lisa Raffoul, Patient Advocate, Hotel Dieu-Grace Healthcare
Lisa Salapatek, Ontario Caregiver Organization
Tanya Sippel-McIntosh, Essential Care Partner
Petek Yurt, AdvantAge Ontario
Reviewers
Nancy Cooper, Director of Quality & Performance, Ontario Long Term Care Association
Jennifer Cornell, Grey County Director of Long-Term Care
Bonnie Daros PRC, The Royal
Jim Gilhuly, LTC Resident
Alison Kilbourn, Ontario Caregiver Organization
Melissa McVie, Director of Education and Communications, Ontario Association of Residents’ Councils (OARC)
Sheri Murphy, Grey County LTC Support Services
Grace Welch, Champlain Region Family Council Network
Steven Wenzowski, LTC Resident
Research Team
Principal Investigator: James Conklin, PhD, Investigator, Bruyère Research Institute
Douglas Archibald, PhD, Investigator, Bruyère Research Institute
Jacobi Elliott, PhD, Scientist, Lawson Health Research Institute
Amy T. Hsu, PhD, Investigator, Bruyère Research Institute
Anita Kothari, PhD, Professor, School of Health Studies, Western University
Paul Stolee, PhD, Professor, University of Waterloo
Heidi Sveistrup, PhD, CEO/CSO Bruyère Research Institute
We recognize and thank the Change Foundation, and all who participated in the Changing CARE program, as well as the Ontario Caregiver Organization, for their significant efforts in engaging the voices of patients, family caregivers, and healthcare providers in meaningful change initiatives. These initiatives laid a powerful foundation for the work of our team and others.
This material was produced in part with funding from the government of Ontario through the Ontario CLRI at Bruyère Health, Healthcare Excellence Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the funders or the province of Ontario.
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