Royal Ottawa Place is unique in Ontario’s long-term care (LTC) sector. It’s home to fewer than 100 residents who each live with some degree of mental health challenge. Residents also tend to be younger, typically 65 years old and above.
This small, specialized LTC home is unique for another reason. Recently, its entire team of personal support workers (PSWs) completed the training program One Day: Person-Centred Culture, Making a Difference Every Day. One Day is a day-long, virtual training that equips LTC team members to foster a more person-centred approach in their care provision and among their teams. Developed by the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA) and offered through the Personal Support Worker Education Fund (PSW Fund), One Day is special because it was co-developed with individuals living and working in senior living settings, as well as subject matter experts in education, facilitation, and culture change.
Scaling-up Person-Centred Care
Enrolling all 57 of their PSWs in the course and arranging time for its completion was a challenge, but it was a challenge that Brooke, Royal Ottawa Place’s Clinical Support Supervisor, knew was worth it. Brooke felt that “the staff just needed a little bit of help with how to approach certain residents.” With our particular population, it can be quite challenging to get a resident out of bed,” Brooke said. “I think sometimes staff can be very task-focused, but we have to remember that these individuals are people, and we have to respect them and use appropriate language.”
The PSW Fund and Ontario CLRI: Flexible, Interactive Training
The PSW Fund is one of many initiatives offered through the Ontario Centres for Learning, Research, and Innovation in Long-Term Care (CLRI). Brooke appreciated how the Ontario CLRI was very accommodating in her training request. “It was very nice that the Ontario CLRI was allowing us to have multiple people within our room to complete the training, whereas there are some other education platforms where it’s like you have to have your own laptop and be in your own room – it’s not feasible for our home to do that,” Brooke said. “It was nice to say okay, we’re going to have five people at a time, recognizing that it’s not always possible to train only one person at a time.”
The interactive nature of the One Day course was particularly appreciated by the Royal Ottawa Place team, who, like other LTC homes, receive frequent training. “The staff really liked how it was very interactive,” said Brooke. “There were multiple ways to be interactive, too. You could use your cell phone at one point, then you had to talk at one point, then there were questionnaires and videos.” Completing the course in eight hours was also a bonus. “You got certified in one day,” said Brooke, “which is pretty awesome.”
Strengthening Commitment to Best Practice Guidelines
One thing on Brooke’s mind when choosing training for her team is that Royal Ottawa Place is one of RNAO’s Best Practice Spotlight Organizations. As part of this commitment, one of the Best Practice Guidelines (BPGs) that Royal Ottawa Place had to initiate in the home was person-centred care. The experience of completing the One Day training was “fantastic,” said Paula, one of Royal Ottawa Place’s PSWs. “I found it easy to integrate the BPGs.” One Day also underscored the importance of rounding, which involves checking on residents on a regular basis. “The course helped us recognize that rounding is important because we can meet residents’ needs sooner,” said Brooke. “When we’re doing rounding and interacting with the resident, it’s individualized to that person.”
Now, when Brooke is doing her rounds, she notices a change in the home. “The culture and language have changed,” she said. “What the staff learned, they’re bringing it to the bedside.” Paula agrees. “You do notice a difference with the residents and the approach from the staff,” she said. “We’re having less falls,” added Brooke. “We’re having less call bells. And I do feel the staff are happier.”
A Gateway to Further Learning
Brooke views the One Day training experience as a valuable stepping stone in providing her team with the education and tools they need to improve their one-on-one care with residents. Now, she’s planning for additional training. “We’re starting to see more residents come into our home with dementia,” Brooke said. “That’s where I think we’re heading. You know, how do you work with someone who has dementia versus how do you work with someone who has schizophrenia?” Also, like most LTC homes, Royal Ottawa Place experiences turnover. “Right now we have 57 people who are trained,” said Brooke. “We want other staff who are newcomers to be able to do that type of training.”
One Day also provides good value to established team members. Staff commented to Brooke that they appreciated the reminders about applying person-centred care in their day-to-day tasks. “We get very used to doing our jobs sometimes,” she said. “We can feel like we can do our jobs with our eyes closed, but it is very easy to take those shortcuts without even realizing that you are taking shortcuts or you are using a different kind of language that maybe isn’t appropriate.”
Training That Has Impact
For LTC homes hesitant about enrolling in One Day, Brooke offers the stepping-stone analogy again. In her experience, One Day was the catalyst for incremental change that ultimately led to a more positive home environment for both team members and residents. “It’s always going to be up and down,” she said. “Overall, we’re not going to see these massive changes right away, but a little bit of change here and there will lead to a big thing.”
The suite of training programs offered by the PSW Fund and the Ontario CLRI to LTC homes provides opportunities to empower LTC teams. Brooke believes they are opportunities totally worth taking. “You want your staff to feel competent, you want your residents to trust your staff,” said Brooke. “That’s the end goal. If education is going to help support that, then why not?”
“The collaboration [with the PSW Fund and the Ontario CLRI] was top-notch,” Brooke added. “I would say that’s why we keep coming back, because we feel the support and the education is great.”
For more information about the PSW Fund, its training opportunities, and to enroll your LTC home, visit pswfundltc.ca.
For more information about the Ontario CLRI, visit clri-ltc.ca.
Interviewees:
- Brooke Meredith (Brooke.Meredith@theroyal.ca)
- Paula McIlvenna (Paula.McIlvenna@theroyal.ca)