Tag: long-term care

Call for participants for studies in spirituality and design in LTC homes

Posted on February 24, 2022 by - Bruyère

The Ontario CLRI at Bruyère team has explored different tools to understand what residents perceive a good quality of life to be and how to enhance it even further. This year we continue to advance our understanding through collaborating with university researchers.

Two of these research projects are now recruiting participants:

Spirituality and service design: Supporting spiritual care in Ontario long-term care homes

Spirituality is a key element for many people’s quality of life. It plays a key role in meaning-making, adapting to change, and holds particular importance with aging.

This Carlton University study explores how spiritual care is supported across long-term care homes in Ontario.

Long-term care home administrators are invited to share their knowledge and perspectives as valuable contributors and partners in the development of this research.

Take the 10-15 minute survey: https://carletonu.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_81FpJ7BTnpvPo58

Questions, comments? Please email sophienakashima@cmail.carleton.ca for more information. This project was reviewed and cleared by the Carleton University Research Ethics Board-B (Clearance #116644). If you have any ethical concerns with the study, please contact the Carleton University Research Ethics Board at ethics@carleton.ca. During COVID, the Research Ethics Staff are working from home without access to their Carleton phone extensions. Accordingly, until staff return to campus, please contact them by email.

Development and psychometric testing of the 5 Senses screening tool for LTC

A student at the University of Ottawa is looking for feedback on a new tool from residents, families/care partners and LTC team members. Participants are asked to test a new screening tool that examines how the design of their LTC home takes into consideration residents’ senses (hearing, vision, taste, touch, and smell). This is particularly relevant because we know that our senses deteriorate with age. Participants are asked a series of questions to find out how sensitive a home’s environment and processes are to its residents’ senses: how it smells, what the food looks and tastes like, whether residents can easily access outdoors, etc.

Staff: www.surveymonkey.ca/r/staffltc

Resident or care partner: www.surveymonkey.ca/r/caregiverltc

This study has received approval from the University of Ottawa Research Ethics Board.

New project provides financial support to long-term care for optimal clinical placements

Posted on February 10, 2022 by - News, Research Institute for Aging

Preceptor Resource and Education Program in Long-Term Care (PREP-LTC)

Ontario long-term care homes will receive education and financial support to provide optimal clinical placements for personal support worker and nursing students through the Preceptor Resource and Education Program for Long-Term Care (PREP LTC) project. This $73M project, funded by the Ministry of Long-Term Care, is being led by the Ontario CLRI at the  Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA) in collaboration with the Ontario CLRI teams at Baycrest Health Sciences and Bruyère. 

Over the next three years, backfill funds will be sent to eligible Ontario long-term care homes to support more than 15,000 student placements and train more than 17,000 preceptors in homes across the province. PREP LTC will help build a highly-skilled workforce to address the staffing needs of the long-term care sector. 

We are thrilled to lead this project and support successful student clinical placements in long-term care,” said Tina Mah, PhD, Executive Director of the RIA. “This project not only supports students in gaining much-needed skills and experience in working with older adults but encourages them to pursue meaningful careers in the long-term care sector.”

PREP LTC will provide long-term care homes with financial support to host student placements for personal support workers, registered and registered practical nurses, and build capacity to accommodate future placements. In addition, the project will develop eLearning and mentoring tools to equip long-term care preceptors or mentors with the necessary skills to support positive and successful student placements.   

The PREP LTC team will build on the success of the Ministry-funded Preceptor Education Program (PEP) in collaboration with the University of Western Ontario and Fanshawe College, developing eLearning courses specific to long-term care. PREP LTC will also strengthen and establish new partnerships between homes and educators to increase opportunities for placements. 

Ontario long-term care homes that had active student clinical placements in the 2021-22 fiscal year are eligible for funding. 

Apply for PREP LTC funding

Read MLTC press release

 

 

PSW Learning Preferences Survey Results

Posted on January 20, 2022 by - Central CLRI

In early 2020, the Ontario CLRI launched a sector-wide survey to begin to understand PSWs’ learning preferences and identify potential solutions and supports to mitigate some of the educational challenges PSWs presently face.

Thanks to the 200 respondents, the Ontario CLRI identified several opportunities to align with the educational preferences of PSWs in long-term care (LTC).

Please note that the survey was launched during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the number of responses received was likely reduced and may have impacted learning preferences. Future assessments can be completed to capture any change in learning preferences.

It is our hope that the findings of this report will provide valuable insights around actionable steps the Ontario CLRI and other educators in LTC can take to create learning opportunities that align with PSWs’ preferences.

THE TOPICS PSWs WANT TO LEARN ABOUT

EDUCATION FORMAT AND DELIVERY PREFERRED BY PSWs

WHO DO PSWs WANT TO LEARN FROM?

WHERE DO PSWs WANT TO LEARN?

PSWs PREFERRED LEARNING FORMATS

PREFERRED LENGTH OF TRAINING EVENTS

WHO WERE THE SURVEY PARTICIPANTS?
  • Female (91%)
  • Between 35-54 years old (54%)
  • Speak English as their first language (88%)
  • Caucasian (80%)
  • 10+ years as PSW (53%)
  • Currently work in long-term care (88%)
THE TOPICS PSWs WANT TO LEARN ABOUT

PSWs respondents told us the topics they would like to learn more about, including learning preferences for team members and leaders. The top five training topics included resident, personal and staff mental health and well-being, responsive behaviors, personal expression, end-of-life care, palliative care, Alzheimer’s, and dementia.

  • 87% – Resident mental health and well-being
  • 84% – Resident responsive behaviors, personal expressions
  • 82% – End-of-life and palliative care
  • 81% – Team member mental health and well-being
  • 79% – Alzheimer’s and other dementias
EDUCATION FORMAT AND DELIVERY PREFERRED BY PSWs

PSW respondents reported on why and how they would prefer to learn.

WHY DO PSWs WANT TO LEARN?

Why do PSWs want to learn? 24% want to be better at their job. 24% want to gain credible skills. 19% like learning. 17% want to advance their career. 16% want to make their job easier.

Figure 1. A pie chart demonstrating why PSW respondents want to learn. The top three reasons included to be better at their job, to gain credible skills and because they enjoy learning.

WHO DO PSWs WANT TO LEARN FROM?  

  • 86% – Professional educator/teacher
  • 74% – Experienced PSWs
  • 60% – Nurses or other clinicians
  • 39% – Clients/residents, families
  • 39% – Managers/supervisors
  • 30% – Researchers

WHERE DO PSWs WANT TO LEARN?

  • 47% – Where they work
  • 30% – Somewhere local
  • 22% – Where they live
  • 9% – Somewhere that requires travel

PSWs PREFERRED LEARNING FORMATS

PSWs preferred learning format. 82% prefer demonstration. 62% prefer coaching. 51% prefer discussion. 50% prefer listening. 59% prefer simulation. 52% prefer practice. 51% prefer reading. 50% prefer diagrams.

Figure 2. A pie chart demonstrating what formats PSW respondents want to learn from. The top three responses included demonstrations, coaching and discussion.

A bar chart demonstrating PSW respondents’ preferred modalities of training. The top three modalities included hands-on, videos and presentations.

Figure 3. A bar chart demonstrating PSW respondents’ preferred modalities of training. The top three modalities included hands-on, videos and presentations.

PREFERRED LENGTH OF TRAINING EVENTS

A pie chart demonstrating PSWs respondent’s preferred length of training events. Both longer (3-4 hours) and shorter (30 minute) events were preferred.

Figure 4. A pie chart demonstrating PSWs respondents’ preferred length of training events. Both longer (3-4 hours) and shorter (30 minutes) events were preferred.

Based on these findings, PSWs were most interested in learning about residents and personal mental health and wellbeing. Most would prefer this training to take place at their site of work, via demonstrations, hands-on, video and presentation formats and be taught by a professional educator and/or instructor. Half-day (3-4 hour) training sessions were preferred by PSWs followed by shorter (30 minutes – 1 hour) sessions. Likely a mix of both longer and shorter training sessions would be ideal.

 

Celebration of having reached over 5,000 Person-Centred Language pledges!

Posted on September 23, 2021 by - Research Institute for Aging

Please join us in the celebration of having reached over 5,000 Person-Centred Language pledges!

This summer, we set a goal to reach 5,000 Person-Centred Language (PCL) pledges from health care providers and persons with lived experience to commit to changing the way we interact with and refer to people living with dementia and other complex mental health conditions. We are pleased to announce that as of September 2nd, we have reached our goal and now have over 5,100 pledges! We wish to recognize everyone who reviewed our commitment statements posters, signed our pledge, and encouraged colleagues, co-residents, family and friends to do the same.

Reaching 5,000 pledges marks an important milestone for the PCL Initiative which is co-led by the Behavioural Supports Ontario (BSO) Provincial Coordinating Office at the North Bay Regional Health Centre and the Ontario Centres for Learning, Research & Innovations in Long-Term Care (CLRI) at the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA). Since its launch in 2017, The goal of the PCL Initiative has been to develop a set of commitment statements and associated products to inspire language choices that are appropriate, respectful, life-affirming and inclusive when interacting with and referring to individuals who communicate via responsive behaviours/personal expressions associated with dementia, complex mental health, substance use and/or other neurological conditions, as well as their partners in care.

If you have not yet signed our PCL pledge, it’s not too late! Fill out your pledge and download your certificate today at https://www.behaviouralsupportsontario.ca/pledge

I’ve completed my pledge, what can I do next?

Complete the e-Course

The back-to-school season is the perfect time to complete our PCL Course (https://learn.clri-ltc.ca/courses/person-centred-language-team-members/). Available in English and French, this FREE eCourse demonstrates how PCL can have a positive impact on communication, care, and help to reduce stigma and discrimination (45min.).

Receive a Free Commitment Pledge Poster

Stay Tuned

Coming this fall, we’ll be releasing a ‘PCL Word Swap’ Poster.

Get in Touch

Tell us how you’ve incorporated the PCL initiative in your organization by e-mailing us at provincialBSO@nbrhc.on.ca

Thank you for your commitment to the PCL Initiative!

Behavioural Supports Ontario Logo

Show Some TLC for LTC

Posted on January 28, 2021 by - News, Research Institute for Aging

Show some TLC for LTC by watching and sharing these videos for LTC team members!

The Ontario CLRI at the RIA, Ontario Health (Central), OLTCA, AdvantAge Ontario, OARC and FCO have come together to spread awareness of LTC team members’ mental health in a series of videos from residents and families in LTC. The videos will be shared starting on  Bell Let’s Talk Day to leverage the focus on mental health and direct attention to the dedication and hard work of frontline team members in LTC, using the hashtag #TLCforLTC

LTC frontline team members are essential in effectively responding to the pandemic despite their personal and professional challenges related to stress, trauma, and health and wellness. “The mental and emotional stress they endure daily is indescribable,” says Julian Morelli, LTC resident family member featured in one of the videos created for the campaign.

Sharron Cooke, an LTC home resident describes team members as “…the heart and soul of my home.” LTC teams need mental health supports that help them cope during these difficult times and ensures they can be there for their residents.

Visit clri-ltc.ca/mentalhealth for mental health resources for LTC team members. You can find all the TLCforLTC videos on YouTube.

Nurturing Intergenerational Connections in LTC Homes During COVID-19

Posted on June 1, 2020 by - Bruyère

June 1 is Intergenerational Day, celebrated in Canada since 2010*. Last year, it was officially declared in Ottawa (for the first time) by Mayor Jim Watson, thanks to the efforts of iGen Ottawa. Intergenerational Day celebrates the richness of intergenerational relationships.  It encourages connections between people of different age groups to reduce loneliness and social isolation, and encourages age-friendly communities.

 

As an organization with two long-term care homes that on any given day is serving over 1000 older adults, our Ottawa host centre Bruyère is happy to be participating in Intergenerational Day 2020. And this year, as we adjust to the new norm of physical distancing, the opportunity for social connection is more important than ever.

“Bringing older and younger people together provides the opportunity to build connections and strengthen communities. I have seen personally many times the significant joy that young children bring to older adults – it is beautiful to witness!” says Michelle Fleming, knowledge broker at the Ontario CLRI at Bruyère. “In an effort to improve quality of life for residents, many long-term care homes across Ontario have regular opportunities for intergenerational connections – through things like music programs with children and residents together, high school volunteers spending time one-on-one with residents and pen-pal programs. Prior to the pandemic, the team at Bruyère’s Saint-Louis Residence in Orleans had been in dialogue with iGen Ottawa about the development of an intergenerational garden. The vision was a grassroots initiative, involving children from local schools. We remain hopeful that this initiative will still be possible in the future. Initiatives bringing the generations together offer promise in reducing loneliness and social isolation across our communities.”

As a resource for long-term care homes, the Ontario CLRI at Bruyère has developed a resource summarizing some of the creative ways that long-term care homes can continue intergenerational initiatives  while respecting physical distancing.

Intergenerational Connections for LTC Homes (PDF)

Some of these creative initiatives are being rolled out at Bruyère:

  • Residents at Bruyère’s long-term care homes have been delighted by art made by community children. This art has been posted throughout the homes, provided to residents, put on place mats for resident’s meal trays, and made into banners at the main entrances of each of Bruyère’s campuses. Thank you to two local groups of kids – World Changing Kids and Kid Art with Heart –  for brightening peoples’ day with the colourful art.

 

  • Before the pandemic, the team at Bruyère’s Saint-Louis Residence, in collaboration with iGen Ottawa, was developing plans for an intergenerational garden. The garden will bring together children and older adults in an inclusive space to learn and grow.  Until we can meet physically, community children have placed painted rocks with messages of hope and encouragement in a ‘Gratitude Garden’ that graces the front entrance of the care home. This rock garden is just the beginning of our Intergenerational Garden and we look forward to seeing it grow in the years ahead.

 

We all have basic human needs to connect with other people and the COVID19 pandemic has reminded us of just how critical that need is. Creative strategies are needed to help keep our generations connected. Initiatives that bring generations together help to reduce loneliness and social isolation across our communities.

On this Intergenerational Day, we encourage you to explore what’s happening in your own community and see if there is an organization that is already working to support residents living in long-term care homes. Take the time to connect with the people in your life of all different ages. Paint some rocks and bring them to a local care home. These ‘little’ acts of kindness strengthen our communities and long-term care homes.

 

*IGen day has been celebrated in Canada since 2010 and was founded by i2i Intergenerational Society and five Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) funded student groups from Newfoundland, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and British Columbia.