NEWS
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care

 

 

Ontario Renovating More Than 300 Long-Term Care Homes

Province Investing in Renovations to Improve Care and Comfort for Residents

April 4, 2016 8:30 A.M.

 

Ontario is investing in long-term care homes to improve the quality of care and comfort of residents. 
Today, Associate Minister of Health and Long-Term Care Dipika Damerla visited Stouffville's Bloomington Cove Care Community, where more than 30 resident spaces will be upgraded. This is one of more than 300 long-term care homes that will be upgraded over the next nine years and are eligible to receive a construction funding subsidy.
Through these enhancements, residents will benefit from:   

• An environment that is comfortable, aesthetically pleasing and as home-like as possible with renewed interior design.
• Additional space for specialized programs like rehab and physiotherapy.
• More spacious rooms with a maximum of two residents per bedroom.
• Greater wheelchair access in bedrooms, bathrooms, showers and doorways.
• More air-conditioned areas.
• Accessible dining areas that provide a home-like atmosphere.
• More private work spaces for staff.

Long-term care homes are places where adults can live and receive help with daily activities and access to 24-hour nursing and personal care. They provide more nursing and personal care here than a retirement home or supportive housing.
Ontario is making the largest investment in public infrastructure in the province's history -- about $160 billion over 12 years, which is supporting 110,000 jobs every year across the province, with projects such as roads, bridges, transit systems, schools and hospitals. In 2015, the province announced support for more than 325 projects that will keep people and goods moving, connect communities and improve quality of life.

 

QUOTES

" Long-term care homes are not just facilities – they are peoples’ homes. It is vital that they remain up-to-date to provide residents with secure, safe and comfortable surroundings. The redevelopment of long-term care homes will also help create jobs in the local area." - Dipika Damerla
Associate Minister of Health and Long-Term Care
" We are delighted to be able to start planning to upgrade our 31 older long-term care beds, and when completed, it will greatly improve the living space and quality of life for our residents who all live with dementia. " - Janet Iwaszczenko
Executive Director at Bloomington Cove
" Our seniors deserve the enhanced programs and resources that come with better facilities and this announcement brings us one step closer to this goal. We look forward to continuing to work with the government on improvements to the program so we can modernize as many homes as possible as soon as possible." - Candace Chartier
Chief Executive Officer, Ontario Long Term Care Association
" Ontarians want to know that long-term care facilities will provide a safe, home-like environment for themselves or their loved ones. I am proud that our government will be enhancing long-term care facilities in my riding of Oak Ridges-Markham, and across the province." - Dr. Helena Jaczek
MPP Oak Ridges-Markham
" This announcement is welcome news for the seniors who rely on long-term care as their ‘home’ when they are no longer able to live independently on their own. With these enhancements, our seniors will benefit from aesthetic improvements in the home, as well as accessibility and program space enhancements. " - Kim Baker
CEO, Central Local Health Integration Network

 

QUICK FACTS

• Bloomington Cove is a for-profit organization with 112 licensed long-term care beds.
• There are about 78,000 residents in Ontario’s 630 long-term care homes.
• Since 2003, 10,000 new spaces in long-term care homes have been created and just over 13,500 older long-term care spaces have been renovated.
• The number of nurse practitioners in Ontario’s long-term care homes will be increased from 18 to 93 over the next three years.
• As part of the 2016 Budget, Ontario is proposing an additional $10 million to the existing $44 million annual investment in Behavioural Supports Ontario for seniors with cognitive impairments who exhibit challenging and complex behaviours.

 

LEARN MORE

• How to find and apply to a long-term care home
• Patients First: Action Plan for Health Care
• Patients First: A Roadmap to Strengthen Home and Community Care

 

David Jensen Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care 416-314-6197 Polina Osmerkina Associate Minister’s Office 416-325-3754

Available Online Disponible en Français

 

Clarification of Family Council Membership

Nancy Lytle, Director, Performance Improvement and Compliance Branch, Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, has released an important memo re: Clarification of Family Council Membership. We appreciate the Ministry's attention to this issue and memo clarifying Family Council membership. The memo is attached below for your reference.

Memo re: Clarification of Family Council Membership (English)
Memo re: Clarification of Family Council Membership (French)

Focus: Lawyers worry about misuse of prior capable wishes by doctors

Focus

Monday, 20 October 2014 08:00 | Written By Judy van Rhijn

 

Safety and Quality in Ontario's Long Term Care Homes

Canada NewsWire

TORONTO, Nov. 19, 2013

Long-Term Care Task Force Delivers Update Report

TORONTO, Nov. 19, 2013 /CNW/ - Today, the Long-Term Care Task Force on Resident Care and Safety issued its second progress update on its three-year Action Plan to address abuse and neglect in long term care homes. The Task Force, which shares the commitment of the public and the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care to strengthen resident care and safety in long term care, believes that while more work needs to be done, progress is being made. Today's report shows that increasingly, a culture of resident-centred care is being promoted in the delivery of care to Ontario's 77,000 long term care residents.

Highlights of the progress update include:

• Participation of 3,000 long term care staff, residents, families and volunteers in educational forums to improve resident-centred care and safety.
• A first of its kind education session on the inclusion of Residents' and Family Councils in the quality improvement process presented by the Family Council Program and the Ontario Association of Residents' Councils.
• A new guide, Shifting Focus: A Guide for Understanding Dementia Behaviour, developed by the Alzheimer Society of Ontario is aimed at helping the families and friends of people with dementia living in long term care.

The report also highlights key initiatives of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care to support long-term care homes in the delivery of safe care for residents, including:

• $10 million for staff training focusing on prevention of abuse and neglect and  caring for residents with complex/challenging behaviours,
• $10 million for supplies and specialized equipment,
• $59 million for Behavioural Supports Ontario to hire over 600 health care professionals with specialized skills and train more than 34,000 staff to support residents with complex behavioural needs.

While progress continues on all 18 actions set out by the Task Force, four priorities for this year have been identified:

• Declaration of resident care and safety as a top priority
• Establishment of quality committees in all long term care homes
• Development of suitable indicators to reflect abuse, neglect and resident quality of life
• Strengthening sector capacity and leadership in managing responsive/mental health behaviours

The Task Force was established by the long term care sector in November 2011 to respond to media reports and public concern about incidents of abuse and neglect in long term care homes and an underreporting of these incidents. The Task Force issued a report in May 2012 that recommended 18 actions to improve the safety of residents in long term care homes in Ontario.

Read the November 19 Progress Update
Read the May 2012 report of the Long-Term Care Task Force on Resident Care and Safety
For more information visit: www.longtermcaretaskforce.ca

Quotes:

"We know safety is the number one priority of residents and their families. We agree: Ontario's seniors are entitled to the safest, highest quality care and homes that we can provide."
Candace Chartier, CEO, Ontario Long Term Care Association

"The voice of residents and their families is critical as we continue to work to improve the care and safety of long-term care residents in Ontario. This report reflects the ongoing meaningful work of all the partners to achieve positive change throughout the system."
Lois Dent, Concerned Friends of Ontario Citizens in Care Facilities

"While continuing to work on finding meaningful and measurable ways to ultimately improve the quality of life for our long term care home residents, we must include their voice. The progress of the Task Force drives necessary change and will play a key role in working towards person centred care throughout the health care sector."
Donna Fairley, Executive Director, Ontario Association of Residents' Councils

"Ontario families expect that their loved ones are safe and well-cared for in Ontario's long term care homes. Working with our partners in Ontario's Long-Term Care community, our government continues to invest in initiatives that support the highest quality of care and safety. Thank you to the Task Force for their ongoing work and commitment to residents."
Hon. Deb Matthews, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Long-Term Care

"I am pleased with the progress made. It's essential that families continue to be valued and participate as an essential partner in the delivery of safe, quality long term care."
Lorraine Purdon, Coordinator, Ontario Family Councils' Program

"This report reflects our continued progress on this important work and the sector's collective commitment to the priorities identified in the Task Force Action Plan."
Donna Rubin, CEO, Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes and Services for Seniors

SOURCE Long-Term Care Task Force on Resident Care and Safety

 Guest Post: Advocacy and Accountability in Long-Term Care

Wednesday February 13, 2013

Catherine Richards is the founder of Cause for Concern: Ontario's Long-Term Care Homes. Her group exists on Facebook and is a coming together of Ontarians who've unfortunately had bad experiences with long-term care facilities for their loved ones.

In Catherine's case, her mother Martha, a vibrant woman who Catherine called "84 years young-at-heart," had mild dementia and, for her own safety, Catherine placed her in a nursing home nearby. Despite having done a lot of research prior to choosing a facility, and daily visits to her mother, the five-and-a-half-month stay was anything but pleasant for both mother and daughter. Catherine says her mother, Martha Richards, died of organ failure, likely caused by dehydration, in December 2010. Catherine has since become an advocate for long-term care accountability.

In the opinion piece below, Catherine Richards gives her views on how to advocate for your loved one who may need residential care.

 

Abuse and neglect of residents in long-term care homes continues to make headlines, but even with media attention we rarely make much headway in affecting accountability. In the two-plus years since my mother died, having become severely dehydrated at her nursing home, it has become my mission to help raise awareness about long-term care homes and those tasked with
oversight of them; namely the
Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care's (MOHLTC) Performance Improvement and Compliance Branch, and the Office of the Ontario Ombudsman. The ombudsman has authority to oversee the ministry but is not yet empowered to investigate directly complaints about long-term care homes or hospitals, where so many Ontarians live and die.

If you have a family member or friend who has to make the unfortunate move to a nursing home, you should do your homework prior to a placement. You also have to be prepared to be their advocate on a regular basis.

Considering a Long-Term Care Home: What Next?

1. Visit a selection of homes and speak with and listen not only to management and staff but to residents and family members. Visit more than once or twice if possible and arrive unannounced on different shifts.

2. Pay attention to the atmosphere in the home: note tension; noise; visible staff and how many are available; staff/residents/family interactions; residents smiling, content, and/or restrained.

3. Ask candid questions and listen keenly to the answers. Trust and follow your instincts.

4. Get all home policies in writing and don't sign a contract under pressure. One's admission cannot be rejected for opting not to sign a home's contract. [Editor's note: According to the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly, signed agreements are required for "admission to a longterm care home or transfer to a secure unit where admission cannot take place without consent. It is very clear that residents cannot be prevented from being admitted to a home for refusing to sign documents such as admission agreements or level of care forms."]

5. Talk about your or your loved one's final directives and don't succumb to pressure to sign a "do not resuscitate" order unless it's truly what your loved one wants. Remember that it's fine to change your mind.

6. Acquaint yourself with the Residents Bill of Rights and
Long-Term Care Homes Act
(2007).

7. Review the nursing home's MOHLTC public inspection reports and ensure they are posted in a public place in the home.

8. Meet the home's administrator and director of care and ask about the procedures for complaint resolution.

A Long-Term Care Home is Chosen: What Now?

1. Consider placing a camera in your or your loved one's room
for added protection and security. But note there are rules -- individually within institutions and under various laws in different jurisdictions -- around recording people, especially without their consent. Be sure to consult a lawyer before installing any kind of recording device.

2. Visit your loved one often and make staff aware of your presence and involvement.

3. Hire supplemental support staff (i.e., a personal support worker or casual companion) to help care for you or your loved one, if you can afford the extra cost. I could not afford this service, nor do I think it should be necessary. Given the reality of staff shortages, however, I would advise it for those who have the means.

4. Document every incident that occurs (written, video/camera/sound recording) and, if required, seek witnesses willing to speak on your or your loved one's behalf. Be aware: witnesses do not easily go on the record in long-term care homes or hospitals, as many fear repercussions. Review your or your loved one's health chart often to ensure the accuracy and integrity of the notes made by the home's staff. Know your rights.

5. Praise, acknowledge, and accentuate the positive whenever and wherever it is encountered! You will come into contact with many dedicated and hard-working individuals whose efforts deserve recognition.

6. Seek and expect to receive support while you or a loved one is living in a long-term care home. Join the residents or family council and stay connected to your community, family, and friends.

7. If you have serious concerns about yourself or a loved one in a long-term care home and the home's internal complaint process yields unsatisfactory results, contact the MOHLTC Action Line at 1-866-434-0144 to lodge a formal complaint. 

8. If the MOHLTC proves unhelpful, you may contact the Office of the Ontario Ombudsman at 1-800-263-1830 and ask for assistance. 

9. Other community resources include the Advocacy Centre for the Elderly
(ACE). 

10. Ask your MPP to support legislation that will give the Ontario Ombudsman oversight of long-term care homes and hospitals.

11. Don't hesitate to involve the media if the situation demands immediate attention and an effective response. I wish I had done this while my mother was living because had her story and mine been made public, our story may have had a happier ending.

Visit Catherine Richards' website: Cause for Concern: Ontario's Long-Term Care Homes. You can also follow Catherine on Twitter: @CfCOntLTCHomes.

Update: This blog post originally included information about the response of the nursing home where Catherine Richards' mother passed away. That information was inaccurate and has been removed.

Image credit: Tara Walton/Toronto Star