The Toronto Star article “The Fix”, June 20th, 2018, states “in Peel Region, a couple of bureaucrats decided to take a risk on a care model that promotes, well, love…shoving aside the old clinical ways with plans for laughter, friendship, energy, tenderness, freedom and hope”. And guess what? It’s working! Residents, staff and families from one unit are living as a community resulting in a decrease of aggressive incidents, decrease in psychotropic drugs as well as a decrease in staff sick days.
Click here to view the 21 minute video that shows how this unit was transformed. You will be amazed!
Are other municipal politicians gutsy enough to champion real change? Mayor Tory seems to be. He wants ‘The Fix’ in other Toronto nursing homes. Read more here.
It is a mystery why there has not been a revolution to challenge the problems that have plagued our Ontario Long-Term Care Home system for decades. But we can all start now by forwarding this blog post to all the candidates who will be running in the October Municipal elections to plant the seeds now and to demand that other cities embrace innovation as Peel has done.
As Peel City Councillor Ron Starr said “A program like this should spread like wildfire”.
And please forward this post to your contacts and encourage them to “follow” our blog to build up support for a transformation in our long-term care home system.
The video was so uplifting. Yup, why doesn’t this concept spread like wildfire.
Bev – Thanks so much for this encouraging feedback, and for doing so through the blog where it can be shared with others – perhaps motivating others to exert pressure on provincial and municipal government representatives so that this type of program is given a chance to ‘spread like wildfire’.
It is heartening to see that things are changing towards a more humane perspective. It would be great if the change could happen quicker! Here is a solution that has also been accomplished with love. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-sundre-seniors-facility-1.4747917
Thank you so much for your comment Barbara. The link you included is a very positive way in which to design innovative units in long term care homes. This goes along with the new culture of care that is so badly needed in Ontario and beyond.