Blog

Posted on

Privatization of long-term care homes

 

A Green House dining room (copied with permission)

In June, CARP Ottawa submitted a letter to the editor, the Ottawa Citizen (unpublished) on the controversial topic of privatization of long-term care homes.

Politicians need prodding on care for our seniors – Mohammed Adam – June 21st.  

Mohammed Adam does an excellent job of capturing the salient points of the event last Saturday – the screening of the poignant NFB film, Stolen Time.   Click here to read the article

The privatization of long-term care homes has been a hot topic for years, escalating dramatically during the pandemic. Although there have been countless debates and published articles by researchers and experts in the field, we have yet to hear from either the large private chains operating so many of Ontario’s homes or the Ontario Government, not even to the Government’s own Commission’s report re a potential solution.

The Ontario government’s Independent Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission addressed the for-profit home issue in its carefully thought-out Report tabled on April 30, 2021.

It recommended that “The government should separate the construction of long-term care facilities from the care provided in those facilities……. Such a model is already employed in hospitals in Ontario.  For example, construction of long-term care homes would continue to be open to the private sector so that the capital required to construct the facilities could still be accessed. The province would pay to use the facility as a long-term care home, thereby providing a return to the investors who put up the capital to build. The province would license not-for-profit operators or for-profit operators who are mission-driven rather than dividend-driven to manage the long-term care home.”

Surely there is a way for the Ontario Government and the Private Investors to look at a potential solution.  If it is not perfect, it is at least a start.   The residents, staff and families all deserve a better quality of life and working conditions.  We need to change their institutions to homes.

As one reader rightly comments on Adam’s article, “here we are again, lamenting the same issues and not learning”.

 

 

Posted on

Public Dementia Village opens in Comox, B.C.

 


Canada’s first privately operated community designed specifically for people with dementia, Langley Village

The Views, Canada’s first public, non-profit long-term care home modelled after a dementia village is opening in July, 2024.

The village has been designed for 156 residents and is divided into 13 households.  Each mini-neighbourhood has 12 residential suites and a common living area with a kitchen, laundry room, dining area and living space.

“These villages are safe, community-focused and allow residents to feel a sense of belonging while getting the care and support they need,” says B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix.

Providence Living created this site for seniors living with or without dementia and for younger adults in need of long-term care.

This is another example of transformative change taking place in our long-term care home system – from Institutions to Homes.

To read more, click here

 

Posted on

French Government invests $22M for a Dementia Village

Canada’s first community designed specifically for people with dementia, Langley Village

Everyone living at Landais Alzheimer, in south-west France, has dementia.   “Each of the single-storey chalets houses about eight residents, with a communal kitchen, sitting and dining room.  While villagers pay a contribution, the running costs, similar to an average care home, are mainly covered by the regional French government.  This project has a research component which means that outcomes will be tracked right from the beginning, providing meaningful date for future long-term care home ‘villages’ on whatever scale is possible.

 Click here to learn more.

Posted on

Doing more for persons with dementia in long-term care

A Green House dining room (copied with permission)

On January 22, 2024, the Ottawa Citizen published a letter to the editor submitted by CARP Ottawa in response to an article by Kate Heartfield on the need for better ways to improve care for dementia patients need for better ways to care for persons with dementia.  Read letter here

 

 

Posted on

Osgoode Care Centre is now an Eden Alternative long-term care home

 

The Osgoode Care Centre in rural south Ottawa is a non-profit, independent long-term care home.Photo credit Matthew Kupfer (CBC)

 

As captured in CBC reporter’s Matthew Kupfer’s recent article, the Osgoode Care Centre in south Ottawa is putting the ‘home’ in long term care.  Starting several years ago, the Centre began to implement the Eden Alternative care model.

Like other innovative models such as the Green House and the Butterfly Approach, the Eden Alternative model focuses on changing the ‘institution’ to a ‘home’ and the focus is on the resident rather than ‘tasks’.  Not without its challenges, this Centre along with several other long-term care homes in Ontario, have demonstrated that ‘where there is a will, there’s a way’ to make this kind of transformative change happen.

For the full article, click here 

Please share this good news story with your city councillor, your MP, and friends and family, and encourage them to take whatever action they can so that ‘homey’ becomes the norm in Ontario’s long-term care homes and not the ‘exception’.

Posted on

COVID in the HOUSE of OLD

COVID in the House of Old is a storytelling exhibit that tells nine stories as shared by residents, family members and staff pertaining to the horrific events that unfolded during COVID across Canada within long-term care homes. Who can ever forget the pictures of military personnel who were deployed to save seniors stranded in COVID-ridden long-term care homes where frail elderly residents appeared dehydrated, unfed, and covered in urine and feces. In fact, 82% of the first wave deaths due to COVID were residents of long-term care homes. Residents were locked away from the world and health care workers were left unsupported during the pandemic. Read more here.

COVID in the HOUSE of OLD calls on all Canadians to act and specifically calls on the provincial and federal government to transform long-term care homes into a caring, positive option for seniors and a rewarding place to work. A petition is part of the exhibit and within the petition are 7 recommendations for action. One of these recommendations calls on the government to fund a Canada-wide pilot project of 24 new model LTC facilities, consisting of small, home-like units, constructed to limit the spread of infectious disease!

Take a look at the report, sign the petition, and do your part to make sure this never happens again!

Posted on

Webinar: Shifting the Culture of Care in Peel region

Presenter: Monica Goodban
Since 2018, Peel Region has been on a journey to change the culture of care in our homes, first through the implementation of Meaningful Care Matters’ Butterfly Approach in select home areas, as well as through the expansion of emotion-based care philosophies through our service areas and with our system partners. Join FCO and CARP Ottawa as we welcome Monica Goodban to share the full story. Q&A to follow.

Webinar recording from Jan 17th, 2024

Posted on

Webinar: Small Homes, Big Change!

On December 6th, 2023, Family Councils Ontario and CARP Ottawa welcomed Alex Spanko, Director of Communications and Marketing at the Green House Project to present Green House principles and practical strategies to long-term care advocates, staff, and family councils. This presentation seeks to encourage the development of Green House homes and person-directed living practices in Canada.

Watch the webinar recording here:

Posted on

Webinar: Colour It Your Way!

 

 

One of the three Colour It Your Way long-term care homes in Grey County

 

On October 25th, CARP Ottawa’s Advocacy Group on Long-term Care and Family Councils Ontario, co-hosted a webinar featuring Jennifer Cornell, Director of Long Term Care, Grey Gables, Lee Manor, and Rockwood Terrace Care Communities, Grey County.  Jennifer shared the story of Grey County’s Long-Term Care culture change journey through the power of creating a shared purpose.  Their ‘Colour It Your Way’ journey was 10 years in the making and has become an ongoing journey.

Their journey addressed many aspects including vision, purpose, care approach, leadership coaching, staff support and training, and the list goes on.  Jennifer also spoke with enthusiasm about a new redevelopment project for their long-term care homes and looking into smaller size of units.  Click here  to learn more.

Changing ‘institutions’ to ‘homes’ is happening in Ontario, Canada, and beyond.  Please join us as Champions for Change in Long-term Care Now by forwarding this post with your contacts, MP, MPP, and city councillor.

 

Privacy Policy