Partners in Care E-Bulletin Fall 2024 Edition

This communication is for leaders, decision-makers and front-line providers in care and service organizations, as well as patient/caregiver partners involved in Patient, Family Caregiver advisory/working groups and Family Councils.

If you know someone who would be interested in receiving the Partners in Care E-Bulletin, they can subscribe here.

 

Strengthening Collaboration Between Caregivers and Healthcare Teams

St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital (STEGH) recently developed a Caregiver Guide to help enhance collaboration, accountability, respect, innovation, and compassion in their setting.

Recognizing the need for improved collaboration and education between their staff and caregivers, as identified by the Continuing Care Centre (CCC) leadership and the Patient and Family Advisory Council, they initiated a joint effort to create this essential resource.

In partnership with the Ontario Caregiver Organization, their Patient and Family Advisors, the CCC Manager, the Patient Experience Specialist, and the Transforming Care team, they engaged in a months-long co-design process. This effort emphasized the importance of a strong partnership between caregivers and healthcare providers. They believe that effective care is a two-way street, where caregivers and staff work together seamlessly as interconnected partners.

The guide not only highlights the importance of this partnership but also provides caregivers with crucial information specific to the operations of the CCC unit, including bed details, available resources, and key contacts for support. By equipping caregivers with this knowledge, they aim to empower them to take an active role in care, thereby enhancing the overall care experience and strengthening the collaboration between caregivers and healthcare teams.

 

A Pilot Program Holds the Promise of Improving Healthcare Delivery

The Great River Ontario Health Team, with support from the Ontario Caregiver Organization, has launched a pilot program to enhance and expand the Essential Caregiver Program. Six Great River OHT partners came together at the beginning of May 2024 to plan this exciting initiative. Beginning in October 2024, Carefor and St. Joseph’s Continuing Care Centre will refer caregivers to the Essential Caregiver Program already offered through the Cornwall Community Hospital.

Through this program, caregivers will participate in education on various topics, such as infection prevention and control (IPAC) practices and how to wear personal protective equipment (PPE). Each caregiver will be issued a personalized ID badge featuring their photo. This badge will be recognized across participating organizations, including Carefor, St. Joseph’s Continuing Care Centre, Cornwall Community Hospital, Hôpital Glengarry Memorial Hospital, and Winchester District Memorial Hospital.

Staff across participating organizations were provided training on the Essential Caregiver Program's principles and the significance of caregiver inclusion in patient care. This collective educational effort underscores the partners' commitment to fostering collaborative relationships between caregivers and healthcare professionals for improved patient outcomes.

By recognizing caregivers as essential partners, healthcare organizations not only enhance patient experiences but also create a more compassionate and inclusive care environment. As the program expands and evolves, it holds the promise of revolutionizing healthcare delivery, one caregiver at a time.

Connect to services at the Great River OHT

 

Evidence Speaks: A Whole System Approach Includes Caregivers

We’re at a turning point.

Recognition that caregivers are essential is growing. Changes underway in our health care system represent an opportunity for caregivers to inform what integrated care really means. Now is the time for a whole-system approach to including caregivers as partners in care.

This was a key take-away from our Caregivers as Partners in Care Roundtable held earlier this year. Caregivers, patients, system leaders, government, academics, and providers came together to envision a future where caregivers are consistently valued, included, and supported.

“Partners in Care. That’s the goal…. here is that trifecta of the family member, the provider, the individual receiving the care. It does happen. Now the challenge is to make it happen every single time.” – John Yip, President and CEO, SE Health

As our healthcare system grapples with many pressures, evidence shows that when caregivers are involved, readmission rates and medication errors go down, patients have better health outcomes, and emotional well-being as well as the care experience are better for everyone – patients, caregivers, families, and health care providers.

It’s time to mobilize the evidence. It’s time to spread models of excellence in caregiver inclusion. With insight from people with lived and professional experience across the continuum of care, the Roundtable identified key opportunities to create a future where caregivers are integral to the provision of compassionate, informed, equitable, safe, and effective care.

“Caregivers are the thread that connects the whole system, sector to sector. Leaders in the health system need to focus on not breaking that thread, and to break down silos to support caregivers in bringing information that better supports transitions. This will reduce stress for caregivers and care teams, leading to more person-centered care. That’s the gift caregivers bring to the system.” – Jennifer Cornell, Director of Long-Term Care, County of Grey

While this transformation will take time, there are simple things we can do right away that can make a significant impact at the system- and organization-level, as well as at point of care.

So where do we start?

  • Demonstrate leadership and commit to caregivers as a priority
  • Embrace a culture that includes caregivers as partners in care
  • Invite caregivers to share their experience and expertise
  • Identify and break down silos – a whole-system approach is needed
  • Facilitate information sharing and integrate digital health systems
  • Apply the caregiver lens on plans for health care transformation
  • Expand accessibility and availability of caregiver supports
  • Include caregivers – every time

To help you turn this insight into action, read our report, “Integrating Caregivers as Partners in Care: Momentum for a Whole-System Approach.” In it, you’ll learn how cross-sector collaboration is leading to the spread and scale of successful models of caregiver integration across the continuum of care, along with more evidence, resources, and real-world examples to support your work.

 

Understanding the Caregiver Experience in LGBTQ+ Communities

One in four people in Canada is a caregiver, meaning this reality affects nearly everyone at some point in their lives. However, LGBTQ+ caregivers remain largely invisible in our society and often face situations where they do not feel comfortable being themselves, which sometimes leads to reluctance in accessing social and health services, as well as caregiver support services.

That is why Fondation Émergence has developed the "Chosen Family" program to assist environments in their efforts to include sexual and gender diversity. This training will cover:

  • An introduction to the components of sexual and gender diversity
  • An overview of the issues faced by LGBTQ+ caregivers
  • Best practices to better meet the needs of LGBTQ caregivers
  • Testimony of an LGBTQ+ person
  • A Q&A session

Free event, registration required. For more information, contact us at: formation@fondationemergence.org / (438) 384-1058

 

Does your organization or Ontario Health Team have a story to share about your work with caregivers?

Recognizing, including, and connecting caregivers to the support they need is critical to improved health outcomes for all. If you are involved in an initiative focused on caregivers, we would love to hear from you!

Contact us at partners@ontariocaregiver.ca