Meeting Minutes
Family Council Network Four
Thursday, April 3, 2013
John Noble Home
97 Mount Pleasant Road, Brantford
Agenda Item10:00 / 1. Registration
· 84 representatives (including 68 family members) from 36 LTC homes attended this Regional Network Meeting
· There were 27 people attending their very first Regional Network Meeting
· See Attachment # 1 – List of Participants
(alphabetical by LTC home)
10:30 / 2. Welcome and Introductions
· Donna Michaels (Administrator) welcomed the participants on behalf of the John Noble Home and provided a brief history of the LTC home.
· Bob Gadsby welcomed the participants to this 28th Network Meeting for Region Four (Hamilton Niagara Haldimand Brant).
· Previous Regional Network Meetings have included:
o October 7, 2013 – at Grandview Lodge (Dunnville)
o June 10, 2013 – at Shalom Manor (Grimsby)
o April 2, 2013 – at Macassa Lodge (Hamilton)
o October 2, 2012 – at Grandview Lodge (Dunnville)
o June 6, 2012 – at Shalom Manor (Grimsby)
o March 6, 2012 – at Macassa Lodge (Hamilton)
o September 27, 2011 – at Grandview Lodge (Dunnville)
o June 14, 2011 – at Tabor Manor (St Catharines)
o March 8, 2011 – at Macassa Lodge (Hamilton)
o October 5, 2010 – at Grandview Lodge (Dunnville)
o June 2, 2010 – at Shalom Manor (Grimsby)
o March 2, 2010 – at Macassa Lodge (Hamilton)
o October 1, 2009 – at Grandview Lodge (Dunnville)
o June 3, 2009 – at The WillowGrove (Ancaster)
o April 8, 2009 – at Heidehof (St Catharines)
o October 7, 2008 – at Macassa Lodge (Hamilton)
o June 4, 2008 – at Grandview Lodge (Dunnville)
o March 6, 2008 – at Shalom Manor (Grimsby)
o October 30, 2007 – at The WillowGrove (Ancaster)
o June 6, 2007 – at Northland Pointe (Port Colborne)
o March 7, 2007 – at Albright Manor (Beamsville)
o February 6, 2007 – at Macassa Lodge (Hamilton)
o October 3, 2006 – at Macassa Lodge (Hamilton)
o June 7, 2006 – at Heidehof (St Catharines)
o March 1, 2006 – at Macassa Lodge (Hamilton)
o September 21, 2005 – at Linhaven (St Catharines)
o March 23, 2005 – at the Best Western Hotel (Jordan)
Agenda Item
10:30 / 2. Welcome and Introductions (continued)
· Bob Gadsby expressed his appreciation to the Steering Committee:
o Frans Brinkman
o Doug Cowles
o Barbara Gadsby – Recording Secretary
o Mary Ludzik – Past Chair
o Jim MacKenzie – Vice-Chair
10:40 / 3. “Promenade” – Revisit a lifetime of memories, together
Presentation by:
· Chris Benoit
&
· Alexis Liddell
An iPad app designed for visiting loved ones living with dementia
http://www.promenadeapp.com/
o Designed to help make conversation and communication easier
o Engaging / enjoyable for both the visitor and resident
o Uses photos and conversation-based questions
o Reminiscence Therapy
11:00 / 4. Information, Issues & Ideas Exchange (Open Forum)
As part of the Information Exchange session, participants were invited to share “Best Practices” in their own LTC home, as follows:
· Describe 1, or 2, or 3 “Best Practices” in your LTC home
o What things does your LTC home do very well?
o What things are extra special?
o How are these “Best Practices” organized?
o How are Residents and Family Council involved?
o What new approaches does your LTC home have planned for the future?
o etc.
· What are some examples of “Best Practices”?
o Do you have a “Palliative Care Committee” at your LTC home?
§ If not, how does your home deal with Palliative Care?
o Do you have a “Responsive Behavioural Committee” at your home?
§ How are family members involved?
o Do you have family members who are serving as part of your LTC home’s Quality Council?
o etc.
Agenda Item
11:00 / 4. Information, Issues & Ideas Exchange (Open Forum - continued)
Family Councils highlighted some of the following Best Practices:
· Palliative Care Programs in LTC
o Janis Gallacher (RN) “Familiar Voices: Palliative Care Education” provided an overview of Palliative Care
§ Process improves the quality of life for family and resident with complex health issues
§ Life threatening or chronic illnesses
§ In LTC ... usually “end of life” care
o Effective Palliative Care in LTC:
§ Special room for families to stay and use during stressful time
§ All departments (including Kitchen, Maintenance and Recreation) involved
§ PSWs should “take the lead” (need proper training)
o Canada doesn’t do well in palliative care compared to other countries
o Federal government: motion to improve palliative care
o Presently, the provincial government doesn’t provide extra funding for palliative care
o In January, Canadian Medical Association deemed “Palliative Care” as a specialty
· Upcoming Provincial Election
o Speak to your local MPP and candidates from other parties
§ What questions would you like to have answered?
§ Tell them about our petition and ask them for their support
§ Find out their views on seniors’ issues and LTC
§ Then decide how you will vote
· Staff Name Tags
o Typical name tags (with photo and lots of information) are too cluttered for name recognition by residents with dementia
o Solution:
§ Flip name tags over
§ Display first name only in LARGE letters
· Programs for younger residents
o Grandview Lodge has created a video giving the responses of younger residents to the question:
“What do you need/want in your home?”
o Kim Tamburri hopes to show the video at a future Regional Network Meeting, once she receives approval.
· Niagara Region LTC Homes
o Trying to get a meeting of “Niagara Region” LTC homes
o Invitation of general interest for Family Council members at these homes
· Inspection Protocol
o Family Council will be asked for input (interview) whenever there is a Quality Inspection of the LTC home
o Download the documentation and fill out the paperwork, so that the LTC home has a chance to fix up problems beforehand
Agenda Item
11:00 / 4. Information, Issues & Ideas Exchange (Open Forum - continued)
· Admission Video
o Family Council has been asked to provide input to a short video for use with new residents
· Fall Forum (October 23, 2014) – St. Joseph’s Villa Family Council
“Enhancing Their Sunset Years”
Best Practices for Long Term Care Residents
§ LTC workers sharing the “tricks of the trade”
· Clothes for residents in need
o Some residents arrive in LTC with only hospital gowns (no clothes)
o Christmas tree has ornaments with items (clothes & toiletries) that are needed
o Great response … so now they can help collect items at Christmas … and distribute them whenever a new resident arrives with nothing
· Family Council members helping in special roles
o A Family Council member was invited to sit on the Board of Directors at one LTC home
o At another home, a Family Council member has been invited to sit on:
§ Quality Care Committee
§ Strategic Planning Committee
o Please encourage Family Council members to accept every opportunity to participate in your own LTC home
· Palliative Care
o Palliative Care Committee includes: Chaplain, PSWs, Housekeeping, Nurses, etc.
o “Butterfly” on doorway to show that resident is palliative
o “Honour Guard” Quilt – for deceased resident
o “Angel” in dining room to show resident has passed away
o May is “Palliative Care Month”
o Family Council has a pamphlet about Palliative Care
· Behind the scenes tour
o Administrator took Family Council members on a “behind the scenes” tour of how the LTC home runs
· Fundraising
o Some Family Councils are involved in fundraising and others are not
o It depends on the Family Council and the LTC home
o Some LTC homes also have a separate charitable “foundation”
· GPA Training
o One LTC home opened up their in-home GPA (gentle persuasive approach) training to volunteers, so that they could be better equipped to help deal with residents with dementia
· etc.
Agenda Item
12:15 / Lunch
· Participants were encouraged to relax and develop closer contacts with new friends from other Family Councils in the region
1:00 / 5. Guest Speakers
Michael Shea – Chair of the Board of Directors of LHIN-4
Donna Cripps – CEO of LHIN-4
spoke about:
“Working Together to Dramatically Improve the Patient Experience”
(See Attachment # 2 – LHIN Presentation)
This presentation is too large to send electronically, so it is only available as a hard-copy for each LTC home.
Some highlights from the presentation:
o LHINs were introduced in 2006
§ 14 regions
o LHIN-4 includes Hamilton, Niagara, Haldimand, Brant ... most of the county of Norfolk and the city of Burlington
§ 1.4 million+ people
§ Most seniors of any LHIN
§ $2.8 billion allocated to 194 health service providers
o Use 2 people as symbols (not real names):
§ Bernice – is 86 years old. She had a fall in her home ... went to hospital after she broke her hip ... then had skin break down ... and went into LTC home.
§ Marcus – is 49 years old. He went to the emergency over 100 times in a year to get care.
o Minister would like to see Ontario as the healthiest place in North America to grow up and grow old
o “The right care, at the right time, in the right place”
o Our LHIN has the largest number of seniors
o Higher rates of chronic diseases (arthritis, high blood pressure and asthma) than other areas of the province
o Community feedback: focus on the person, etc.
o Strategic Directions:
1. Dramatically improving the patient experience by embedding a Culture of Quality
2. Dramatically improving the patient experience by integrating service delivery
3. Dramatically improving the patient experience by evolving the role of the HNHB LHIN to become health system commissioners
o Results:
§ Assess Restore Program – to help individuals to return home from hospital
§ Senior Friendly Hospitals – to help reduce falls, pressure ulcers, restraints, etc.
§ Reducing ER Demand – new role for paramedics, Nurse Lead Outreach Team, etc.
Agenda Item
2:00 / 6. Question & Answer Session
A summary of the highlights from the Q&A Session will be provided separately.
2:15 / 7. Update from the FCN-4 Advocacy Committee
Bob Gadsby reminded participants of the following background:
· At our Regional Network Meeting held on September 27, 2011 (at Grandview Lodge in Dunnville), the participants agreed that our region should decide on a few key issues, and then proceed with the necessary advocacy steps to push these issues forward on a province-wide basis.
· During that meeting, there were several key issues suggested, but it was agreed that we should ask all Family Councils in our region to define their own top three issues in order of priority. So, all Family Councils were invited to send their suggestions to Bob Gadsby by the end of November 2011.
· Once your input was received, our FCN-4 Advocacy Committee started to work on our top issues.
· At our Regional Network Meeting (held on March 6, 2012, at Macassa Lodge in Hamilton) our Advocacy Committee received a “vote of confidence” – fully endorsing the work and directions that his team had proposed.
This led to:
o a Fall Forum (at St. Joseph’s Villa, October 18, 2012)
o a Petition and Letter-Writing Campaign ... and ultimately ...
o a Press Conference at Queen’s Park (on March 18, 2013).
· The FCN-4 Advocacy Committee – Tom Carrothers – then updated the participants on recent progress:
o Work on the petition is ongoing and will continue during the upcoming election and beyond
§ Over 21,000 signatures to date
§ Presented in the Ontario Legislature 19 times already
o Minister’s response didn’t really address our issue. The FCN-4 Advocacy Committee has replied to the Minister, but there hasn’t been any further response from the Minister, yet.
o Have met with MPP who is sympathetic to our proposals ... and received advice on how to bring our concerns forward
o Hope to make LTC a positive element of each provincial party’s platform in the election campaign
o FCN-4 Advocacy Committee has started work on a website which should be up and running soon
o Working with Natalie Mehra (Director of the Ontario Health Coalition) on “Rocking Chair Tour” for LTC campaign
o Working with CUPE Ontario Health Care Workers on a similar initiative “Time to Care” seeking a minimum of 4 hours/resident/day
o Investigating how best to use Robert Munsch’s “Love You Forever” as part of this initiative
o etc.
· On behalf of all Family Councils in the region and across the province,
Bob Gadsby recognized the dedication of our FCN-4 Advocacy Committee ... and thanked them for their excellent work and ongoing activities.
Agenda Item
2:30 / 8. Recommendations for the future
Participants (particularly first-time attendees) were asked to provide their feedback ... answering the following questions:
· What are you going to take away from today’s meeting?
o Great meeting! Will take back the information to my LTC home.
o We are not alone!
o It’s great to be part of a support group
o For the first time I feel supported and involved (even though I’ve been caring for my husband since 1990)
o Learned a lot
o etc.
· What topics, speakers or issues would you like to learn more about at future Network Meetings?
o Programs for younger residents in LTC
o Mental health / dementia in LTC
§ Acquired Brain Injury
o Parkinson’s disease
o CCAC
o Elder Abuse (and fraud)
o Who designs LTC homes?
§ Security
§ Flooring
§ etc.
o Federal involvement
o EMS to talk about “CREMS” ... responding to 911 call
o Someone from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care to talk about how they determine funding ... and allocation to LTC beds
o Dealing with “responsive behaviours” – BSO presentation
o Seniors financial planning
o etc.
2:45 / 9. Next Network Meeting
· Date: Wednesday, June 18, 2014
· Location: Shalom Manor in Grimsby
· Topic / Guest Speaker: Dr. Tamara Daly
2:50 / 10. Evaluation, Thanks for Coming & Adjourn (at 3:00 p.m.)
· We hope to see you at our next Network Meeting …
on Wednesday, June 18, 2014 … at Shalom Manor in Grimsby
Interested participants were invited to take a tour of the John Noble Home.
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