LTCI'S 2024 YEAR IN REVIEW

2024 was a year of new connections for LTCI; as our team looks back on the year now behind us, we're grateful for the long-term care community and the many hard-working and dedicated folks collaborating to ensure high quality care for all residents in Victoria and the South Island. A few 2024 highlights for the LTCI program team: 

• Salt Spring Island's care homes joining the LTCI community
• 10 new physicians opting in to LTCI
• Our first survey of residents and their family members (more below!)
• 8 new Learning Series events offered
• Numerous resources created for LTCI physicians, staff, and residents/family members
• The LTCI Leadership Dinner, which continues to be a highlight for our team (scroll down to the Join the LTCI Community section to see our fave photo from the event!)

Thanks for partnering with us in 2024; our team looks forward to working alongside you in 2025! 🥳

LTCI'S FIRST RESIDENT & FAMILY SATISFACTION SURVEY

In the summer of 2024, LTCI began it's first survey exploring resident and family satisfaction with medical care in LTC homes. The project aims to address this gap in the team's knowledge and use the results to understand the effects of current strategic practices, as well as to help guide future quality initiatives.

Using a combination of paper/electronic surveys and in-person interviews, LTCI asked targeted questions related to Best Practice Expectations and overall perceptions of care. Our team received responses from 179 residents, and 295 families/frequent visitors, living in 31 care homes in Victoria and the South Island. A data analysis is currently in progress, but initial impressions are both encouraging and revealing! Stay tuned, more details to come.

HELP ADDRESS PHYSICIAN SHORTAGES IN BC

Consider becoming an assessor with PRA-BC - an assessment program for internationally trained family physicians. Assessors ensure that candidates are given the opportunity to see patients in every aspect of family practice and in all settings, including the office, hospital, ER, LTC homes, and the patient's home. Click here for more info on the PRA-BC program.

EFAX APP FOR IOS & ANDRIOD

Did you know that eFax has an app? The eFax mobile fax app allows users to upload documents directly from their device or from a service like Google Drive, edit a fax, add digital signatures and recipients’ fax numbers or email addresses, and provides instant notifications when a fax is sent or received.

If you'd like support navigating the eFax app, the LTCI team is happy to help! Email us or call (778) 265-3137.

FREE LUNCH FOR CLINIC PHYSICIANS AND STAFF!

The LTCI team would love to hear from clinic-based physicians who are not currently working in long-term care, to better understand and address barriers to practice. If you are a non-LTC physician (or know someone who is) interested in chatting with us over lunch, please email or call us at (778) 265-3137. We'll bring lunch for your clinic and staff!

ISLAND HEALTH CHILDCARE OPTIONS

Looking for childcare options for your family? All Island Helath employees and community physicians have access to the Kids & Co Benefit through their relationship with Island Health. The benefit offers a guaranteed spot at a Kids & Company Child Care location within 6 months of registration, a waived registration fee (savings of $200), flexible childcare options, a discount for registering multiple children, and school-age camp programs during closures and disruptions. To register, please call Kids & Company at 1-866-MY-KIDCO and have your Island Health email ready.

JOIN THE LTCI COMMUNITY!

FEATURED CARE HOME: SUNSET LODGE

Located right on the beautiful Gorge Waterway, Sunset Lodge is looking for MRPs to join its team; please reach out to the Vic-SI LTCI if you or someone you know might be interested.

LOOKING FOR LTC CHAMPIONS IN VICTORIA/SOUTH ISLAND

Do you know a family physician interested in winding down their community practice, but not quite ready to retire? Or a recently graduated family physician looking to gain experience in a team-based environment? We need local physicians to champion LTC by spreading the word about why they love the field, and encouraging others who may be interested to reach out to the LTCI!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

The LTCI’s most recent Learning Series, A Palliative Care Approach in LTC, was held on November 12 and presented by Palliative Care and Family Physician Dr. Amy Tan. Resources from the session are available; please email LTCI to request a link to the recording. Previous Learning Series resources can be found here.

RESOURCES

Healthcare Excellence Canada: Resources on the Appropriate Use of Antipsychotics for People Living with Dementia

Health Quality BC Resource: Reimagining Long-Term Care – Sleep Strategies When Reducing Antipsychotics

Joint Collaborative Committees Presents: The Cultural Safety Standard & Unconscious Bias in Practice with Harley Eagle

WHO - Milestone: COVID-19 Five Years Ago

EVENTS

February 12, 2025, 5-6:30 pm: LTCI Learning Series - Dementia Behaviour Management in Long-term Care

Join your colleagues and presenter Dr. Jane Saunders for an evening of virtual education and learn how to best support older adults with dementia.

February 12, 2025, 6:00 pm: AI Scribes Practice Supports Webinar

This webinar aims to provide community-based physicians and their teams with the foundational knowledge and practical insights needed to assess the value of AI scribes for their practice and demonstrate ways to use them effectively, enhancing expertise, patient safety, and reducing practice burdens.

March 11-13, 2025, Vancouver Convention Center: HQ BC's Quality Forum 2025

The Quality Forum brings together British Columbia’s health care community and is a great opportunity to learn new skills and strategies, discuss opportunities and challenges, and network with others interested in improving health care.

May 1-3, 2025: Canadian Association of MAiD Assessors & Providers MAiD2025 ConferenceThe CAMAP's MAiD2025 Conference—Canada’s only annual conference dedicated to the diverse professionals involved in MAiD—will be offered virtually and in-person in Vancouver this May. For more information contact cmc@camapcanada.ca.

October 6-7, 2025, Sheraton Vancouver: Joint Collaborative Committees (JCC) Conference

The JCCs are pleased to announce the first JCC Conference in the Fall of 2025, held in Vancouver, BC. This dynamic new event will combine the Family Practice Services Committee Summit, the Specialist Services Committee Symposium, and the JCC Showcase, featuring presentations from FPSC, SSC, the Shared Care Committee (SCC), and the Joint Standing Committee on Rural Issues (JSC). 

YOUR VANCOUVER ISLAND COMMUNITY

December 20 - March 30: Sidney Museum's 19th Annual LEGO® Brick Exhibition, A Hidden World

January 24 - February 9: Dine Around and Stay in Town 2025

February 3, 1:30 pm: Beyond the bench - A dialogue with Judges of the Supreme Court of Canada

February 9, 11:30-3:30 pm: 2025 Lunar New Year’s Parade & Blessing of Merchants