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:
Family Councils Ontario and CARP Ottawa welcomed Mary Connell on November 22nd from 12:00pm – 1:00pm to share about how Jarlette long-term care homes have rolled out the Butterfly approach, including the lessons learned, cost savings achieved and what current research is available.
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.
A Green House Dining Room (copied with permission)
ACH Group in Australia recently opened Healthia, the first full implementation of the Green House Care model outside of the United States.
Susan Ryan, CEO of the Centre for Innovation, said “Working with the ACH Group to implement the Green House model has shown the world that small, intentional care communities can work everywhere.”
In its news release, it noted that the Green House Project (GHP) has worked with providers across the United States to build small-home alternatives to traditional nursing homes. With private rooms and bathrooms, ample outdoor space, and a person-directed care philosophy, these homes of no more than 10 to 12 residents have redefined the standard for empowering and high-quality eldercare. Click here to read more
The GHP is one of several innovative models that transform long-term care homes from ‘institutions to homes’; other models include but are not limited to: Eden Alternative, the Butterfly Approach, and Hogeweyk.
Transformation is happening and there are Homes in Ontario, Canada, and beyond who have changed their Institutions into Homes! Please join us as Champions for Change in Long-term Care Now by forwarding this post to your contacts, MP, MPP and city councillor.
On September 13th, we heard from Lindsay Marinovic and Julie Wheeler about the transformation that has taken off at Sunnyside. While it took two years to obtain accreditation, the Butterfly approach on two units was obtained in July 2022.
Lindsay and Julie provided information about the process they followed as well as lessons learned: change takes time; environmental change is not the most important thing; schedules and tasks were replaced with flexibility; staff are connecting with residents at an emotional level. Staff say they don’t want to feel they are on an assembly line and that the most important thing is getting to know the person, engaging in activities, building meaningful relationships in a long-term care home that looks and feels like home! Click here to learn more!
Transformation is happening and there are Homes in Ontario, Canada, and beyond who have changed their Institutions into Homes! Please join us as Champions for Change in Long-term Care Now by forwarding this post to your contacts, MP, MPP and city councillor.
Canada’s first community designed specifically for people with dementia, Langley Village
As noted in his article which recently appeared in Macleans, Elroy Jespersen, came to the conclusion when considering long-term care homes that “The standard approach was to designate a wing or floor of a given building to dementia patients, with locked doors on either end. When the doors wouldn’t open, they would get frustrated and agitated. I’d panic if I couldn’t move about freely—wouldn’t anyone? Newer facilities have doors that open into a fenced-off courtyard instead, but people still feel trapped. The focus was always on their safety; their freedom and connection with others took a back seat. This approach didn’t sit right with me: life should be about more than just safety. “
Fast forward, Village Langley in British Columbia is now thriving. Click here to read more
This is one of several innovative and/or hybrid models that allow residents to live in ‘homes’ and not in institutions. So while the costs at Langley may be too expensive for most, there are other models to choose from or to adapt the Village model accordingly.
If you want to see these types of ‘homes’ become the norm, please help us create more awareness by sharing this post with your contacts, MPP, and City Councillor.
The Hover Green House, copied with permission
In his presentation on May 17th, Stéphane Bouffard, long-term care consultant at la Ministère de la santé et des services sociaux in Quebec, was passionate when he spoke about the approach being taken to transform all long-term care homes from institutions to homes. With good reason!
Quebec seems to be ‘all action’ as noted by CBC news in its posting on May 22nd, 2023, “Quebec announces 1st private CHSLDs to get government funding as province moves to fund all” Click here to read more . Quebec is taking seriously the need for drastic change to transform its long-term care home system and ensure that residents in any home receive quality care and have quality of life.
Please join us as Champions for Change Long-term Care Now from Institutions to Homes by forwarding this post to your contacts, MPP and city councillor.
A Green House Dining Room
At the May 17th webinar, Stéphane Bouffard, long-term care consultant at la Ministère de la santé et des services sociaux in Quebec, spoke in no uncertain terms about the progress that is being made to do just that. His passionate presentation outlined Quebec’s strategic plan to transform long-term care homes from institutions to homes where the focus on new builds has already begun. The projected size of the units will range from 12 to 15 residents and the care approach has been adapted from existing innovative models including the Green House, and the Hogeweyk Village model.
Please join us as Champions for Change Long-term Care Now from Institutions to Homes by forwarding this post to your contacts, MPP and city counsellor.
On April 5th, Councillor Josh Matlow gave a webinar on steps that are being taken to transform care at the 10 Municipal Homes in Toronto. Josh, a community advocate par excellence, has spearheaded a movement which will change the current warehousing approach to one which is called CareTO. This approach, informed by research, will focus on lessons learned from existing innovative models of care and bring evidence into action.
Currently, the CareTO model is being piloted at Lakeshore Lodge and being evaluated by the Wellesley Institute in Toronto. Based on the results of this evaluation, the CareTO model will eventually be rolled out into all the Municipal Homes. To learn more, click here.
We need more long-term care homes that look and feel like “home.” Please help make this transformation from institutions to homes a reality by spreading the word on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram accounts; or with your municipal or provincial representatives; or with your local community papers or other media contacts who might help promote this cause!
Nora, a PSW, and Lionel, a resident in one of the many rooms with tranquil murals – photo is courtesy of the Glebe Centre
On February 22nd, 2023, Susan Zorz, Executive Director (Acting) of the Glebe Centre, a long term care home in Ottawa, gave an informative and animated presentation on how the Centre transformed its Bankwood Unit from ‘institution to home’ with the implementation of the butterfly model of care. The journey was longer than anticipated as Covid created a bit of havoc with their schedule but the Centre was steadfast in its determination to complete the process and attained its ‘butterfly’ accreditation status in November 2022. The Centre is strategically planning to bring this approach to its other units.
As Susan noted in her presentation about the cultural transformation, “The introduction of the Butterfly Model of Care requires changes in staff roles, training, day-today operations as well as to the physical design of the home…..”
Some key outcomes and improvements include decreasing use of psychotropic/sedative medications; reaching people’s emotional reactions and distress responses; people living with increased well-being; meaningful engagement; fewer falls through greater independence; and reduced staff turnover – less absenteeism.
To view this exciting presentation and learn more, please click here .
Ontario needs more homes where residents thrive in a place that looks and feels like home, not an institution.
Please help make this transformation a reality by forwarding this post to your contacts or by sharing on your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram accounts; or with your municipal or provincial representatives; or with your local community papers or other media contacts who might help promote this cause!
More than 300 people registered for the webinar, Humanizing Dementia Care in Long-Term Care on Feb 11, 2023. Aimée Foreman began her presentation saying, “Aging is a social experience, and our emphasis in long-term care should be on the social experience as opposed to clinical care.”
Aimée presented information on the Hogeweyk model of care for those with advanced dementia and explained why this village model promotes quality of life for the residents. Hogeweyk villages emphasize a household model where normal activities of living occur inside the home and exterior design allows for other activities that usually happen outside the household such as shopping, concerts etc.
Some of the key points in her presentation include:
To view the presentation, please click here.
Ontario needs more homes where residents thrive in a place that looks and feels like home, not an institution.
Please help make this transformation a reality by forwarding this post to your contacts or by sharing on your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram accounts.
Sherbrooke Village in Saskatoon where the Eden Alternative was implemented
That’s exactly what residents are doing in the long-term care home at the Sherbrooke Community Centre in Saskatoon. The home has followed the Eden Alternative for over 20 years.
“Our whole purpose is to create a community where people thrive,” Schmidt told White Coat, Black Art host Dr. Brian Goldman. “Different from an institution where people are meant to die.” Click here to read more
Amongst the many programs offered is the iGen, an intergenerational classroom where students and residents exchange wisdom and knowledge with each other Monday through Friday.
This program and others at Sherbrooke work to “alleviate the plagues of the human spirit” one senior — or elder, as they are called here — at a time, said CEO Kim Schmidt. These plagues are loneliness, boredom and helplessness.
This home has 263 residents, 15 of whom are indigenous, and over 60% of the residents have dementia.
Ontario needs more homes where residents thrive in a place that looks and feels like home, not an institution.
Please help make this transformation a reality by forwarding this post to your contacts or by sharing on your Facebook, Twitter or Instagram accounts.
