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Invitation! Your experience will help our cause!

 

Have you previously supported a loved one in LTC, your experience and insight remain invaluable.

CARP’s Advocacy Working Group on Long-Term Care invites you to help transform long term care homes from institutions into a homey environment by sharing your ideas, observations, and experiences. Whether you’ve seen small changes that made a difference or barriers that need attention, your voice can help shape better care.

Join us in building a network that inspires improvement and compassionate home-like care for all residents. Learn more at https://changeltcnow.ca or contact info@changeltcnow.ca

Decisions around how often the group will meet will be made at the first meeting of the group. It is anticipated that the time demands on the members will not be excessive and that the meetings will be virtual.

 

 

 

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Webinar: Humanizing dementia care in long-term care

On January 11th, 2023, Family Councils Ontario and CARP Ottawa featured a webinar on the Hogeweyk Model. And so, for our August webinar, we invite you to watch the following “recorded’ presentation. The insights which Aimee Foreman shared in 2023 remain equally relevant today in changing long-term care homes from ‘institutions to homes’.

Speaker: Aimee Foreman:  As the founder and former CEO of Silvermark Company, she developed a team that shares a commitment to championing the needs and preferences of older adults. Together, they guided aging care leaders to impact-driven decisions that improve quality of life. She has visited homes, and examined care models, around the world to understand challenges and opportunities from all perspectives – policymakers, providers, caregivers, families, and older adults themselves.

Click here to watch: https://youtu.be/ITnsVvYcEf0

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The Glebe Centre’s journey of becoming a Butterfly LTC Home

Photographed Susan Zorz, Director of Resident Operations and Compliance (Right) and Emma Tibbo, Chief Executive Officer (Left)

In their article on the Glebe Centre’s journey, Rachel Lithopoulos and Michelle Fleming point out that ‘It’s been 8 years since The Glebe Centre began this journey as described by Susan Zorz, Director of Resident Operations and Compliance, and Emma Tibbo, Chief Executive Officer.’

‘Susan and Emma recognize that culture change can be challenging in LTC. Emma shared that one of the biggest challenges is shifting mindsets. People working in LTC homes are working in challenging times, with staffing shortages, and increasing complexity of resident care needs. Often, there is a ‘task-focused’ sense of pressure that persists due to the circumstances and realities. Susan explained, “It’s never going to be perfect and you’re never going to be done but it’s taking on manageable pieces”. ‘

‘For these culture change efforts to be most impactful, everyone needs to be included in the process. Emma and Susan emphasized that these steps have been taken in consultation with residents, caregivers, team members, leaders and the Board of Directors. Engagement with residents and caregivers is particularly important, and the home has spent time working with the Residents’ Council, Family Council, and hosting family information nights.’

To learn more about the Centre’s journey, click here

*Written by: Rachel Lithopoulos, Knowledge Broker, Ontario CLRI at Bruyère Health and Michelle Fleming, Senior Knowledge Broker, Ontario CLRI at Bruyère Health.

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Webinar: Small Homes, Big Change: Bringing the Green House Model to Canada

On December 6th, 2023, Family Councils Ontario and CARP Ottawa featured a webinar on the Green House Model. And so, for our July webinar, we invite you to watch the following “recorded’ presentation.

Presenter: Alex Spanko, former Director of Communications and Marketing, Center for Innovation, The Green House Project and Pioneer Network

Click here to watch the webinar: https://youtu.be/cpwI-AUM0-k

In January 2025, the National Institute on Aging, distributed a Report entitled: “There’s No Place Like Home. Why Canada Must Prioritize Small Care Home Models in its Provision of Long-Term Care.”

In this Report it stated that “the Green House model has emerged as the most holistic manifestation of the culture change movement in the provision of LTC services, which best attempts to create smaller and more home-like living environments, along with improvements to staffing levels, training, support, and retention, in order to better enable the provision of resident-centred care.”

The CARP Advocacy Group on Long-Term Care calls on the Ontario government to transform existing 32-bed units in LTC homes into 16 bed units and when building new LTC homes, do so with 12-16 bed units. Those who live and work in LTC homes deserve to live in homes which look, feel, and are homes!

 

 

 

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A tribute to our amazing leader, Kathy Wright

 

It is with profound regret that we share the passing of Kathy Wright, Co-President, CARP Ottawa Chapter, and Chair, CARP Advocacy Working Group on LTC. Kathy passed away on June 19th following a brief illness.

Kathy was a natural leader and mentor with a strong vision and determination. In her retirement years she focused her advocacy efforts on changing long-term care homes from “institutions to homes”. She was the driving force of the CARP Advocacy Committee on LTC. We will miss her immensely but we will use her legacy to continue the work she started.

Anthony Quinn, President, CARP National, couldn’t express this profound loss more beautifully than in his tribute to her.   Read his tribute – click here

A celebration of life will take place on Saturday, July 4 from 1:00 – 4:00 pm at the Ottawa Tennis Club (176 Cameron Avenue).

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Webinar: What does emotion based care look like in practice?

In 2025, MOLTC launched a 3- year funding project focusing on emotion-based care. In the first year, 17 LTC Homes received funding. For our June webinar, we invite you to watch the following webinar:

Presenter: Sally Knocker, Meaningful Care Matters

Sally is a consultant for Meaningful Care Matters, bringing over 35 years of experience in older people’s care. She is passionate about creating person centered environments, particularly through The Butterfly Approach which emphasizes emotional intelligence and creating meaningful connections among residents. Sally advocates for a culture of care that values the unique stories of each individual, ensuring their emotional needs are as important as their physical needs. Her work focuses on transforming care settings to foster joy and connection among residents and staff alike.

Click here to watch the webinar: https://youtu.be/yOt-fh_qbBw?t=6

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Exciting news for LTC home team members and leaders

CARP Advocacy Working Group on LTC advocates for changing “institutions to homes”. While this is our overall mission, “homes” to us means residents experience joy, feel safe, valued, respected and where quality of life is just as important as quality of care for those living and working within LTC homes. Collaboration, relationship building, and teamwork are essential for strengthening care delivery. And so, we ask you to share the following announcement which will provide support and help to team members and leaders in LTC Homes as they deliver person centred and emotion-based care.

LTC Homes are Invited to Join the Ontario CLRI for the expanded Person-Centred Care in LTC Community of Practice

The Champlain Region Person-Centred Care is expanding to a provincial audience this June! This Community of Practice is open to all long-term care home team members and leaders in Ontario. Connect with peers across the province to support each other on your person-centred and emotion-based care journeys, whether you are looking to start your journey or strengthen your current PCC initiatives. The first virtual session is on June 10th, 2026 from 1:30 – 2:30 p.m. Hosted by the Ontario CLRI at Bruyère Health.

Learn more and register here

 

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Working Together to Improve Long-Term Care

Did you know that Ontario is modernizing its long-term care (LTC) data capabilities?

The long-term care sector in Canada continues to face persistent challenges, particularly in staffing. A key barrier has been the lack of timely, standardized data to support workforce planning, quality improvement, and policy evaluation. To address these gaps, the OnSPARK Data Platform was established in 2023 as a sector-governed, province-wide initiative.

In Ontario, this innovative portal and data platform is transforming how long-term care homes operate, plan, and deliver care. OnSPARK is funded by the Ontario Ministry of Health and led by McMaster University and St. Joseph’s Health System and supported by a collaborative group of sector partners, including Santé Bruyère Health, Research Institute for Aging (RIA), Ontario Centre for Learning, Research, and Innovation @ Santé Bruyère Health, and CanHealth LTC Innovation and Scaling Network.

With more than 200 Ontario long-term care homes already participating, OnSPARK is building a shared evidence base that supports more responsive care, more informed planning, and a stronger collective voice across the sector. As participation grows, so does the value of the insights—for every home involved.

Michelle Stillman, Director, Partnership and Governance, explains:
“OnSPARK is about turning data into meaningful action. By bringing together information from across the sector, we’re helping homes better understand their workforce challenges, improve quality of care, and make decisions grounded in real evidence. It’s a powerful step toward a more connected, informed, and resilient long-term care system.”

To learn more: Click here

 

 

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Designing for Living, Not Managing

A green house dining room (copied with permission)

As the experiences of Ontario’s long term care homes where an innovative model of care has been implemented can attest, designing for living is a significant factor to consider when changing long-term care homes from ‘institutions to homes’.

Environment has shown time and time again with qualitative studies that it is so important to the quality of life of seniors living in long-term care homes.  Among the environmental aspects to be considered are ‘real’ kitchens, small households, and access to the outdoors.

Many long-term care homes in Ontario are leading the way – e.g. Glebe Centre, Temiskaming Lodge, Malton Village, and the list goes on.

Please advocate for the implementation of innovative models of care, of which ‘designing for the living’, plays an important role.

 

 

 

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Recording: Inside Long-Term Care: The Frontline Perspective

Webinar Recording Now Available. 
Thank you to everyone who joined us for our March 18th webinar, “Inside Long-Term Care: A Frontline Perspective”. If you weren’t able to attend live—or would like to revisit the discussion—you can watch the full recording below.

Presenters: Melissa Rochon, Maribeth  Batuigas, Meghan Barnett

Listen to the recording here:

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Another ‘Village’ Initiative

The Village Langley, B.C.

‘Agrace’s Dementia Village will be the first of its kind in the United States.  It is being modelled after the internationally recognized Hogeweyk Dementia Village in the Netherlands’.  It is being built in Madison, Wisconsin.

The first Village of this model in Canada was established in Langley, B.C.  a few years ago. Subsequently, also in B.C., Providence Living established its first Village and is now in the process of implementing the Village model for all its long-term care home beds.  Where there’s a will, there’s a way- in both the for profit and not-for-profit long-term care home sectors.

Please encourage your MPP to advocate for a provincial strategic plan in Ontario to bring innovative models of care to its long-term care homes.  This change can’t come soon enough.

Read more here:

 

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