A Green House Dining Room (copied with permission)
Toronto City Council is embarking on a new venture called CareTO, transforming their city-run LTC homes into social models of living from the traditional task-and-schedule driven model. This $16.1 million program is a jointly funded effort over a five-year period, with $12 million from the province and $4.1 million from the city.
A 12-month pilot program has been launched at Lakeshore Lodge Long-Term Care Home in Toronto and if it meets city council’s expectations, the transformation will be undertaken in all 10 city-run homes.
The pilot program will be evaluated by researchers from Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and the University of Toronto and evaluation will focus on resident falls, staff absenteeism and satisfaction reports from residents or their families. Read more here.
The CareTO approach redesigns living spaces to be more intimate and less institutional and care focuses on an emotion-centred approach to meet the needs of residents. Existing staff receive additional training and education to transition to the new model of care.
Just think what could be accomplished in other city-run LTC homes across Ontario if this joint model of funding was adopted! Let’s make this an election issue in the upcoming municipal elections!
Interesting….This project looks like progress at last.
Thanks for your comment. More progress can’t come soon enough.
Absolutely required in all geographic areas of the Province & Nation !
Thanks for your comment.
Hopefully other communities in Ontario and elsewhere in Canada will follow suit.