2021 PROGRAM

Is there life after loss? Can you get through a catastrophic event and come out joyful, even when you know it’s something you will never truly get over? These are a few of the questions longtime radio and TV host Erin Davis answers during her captivating, touching and humour-filled address: “Reclaiming Joy.” Based on her bestselling 2019 memoir Mourning Has Broken: Love, Loss and Reclaiming Joy, Erin talks about returning to her morning airwaves after a life-changing event and proved that with the help of a “community of kindness,” you can survive, thrive, and indeed go on to become the one who lovingly and gratefully consoles others in their time of loss.Erin had the honour of waking up residents of the Golden Horseshoe for 30 years as host of the morning show on 98.1 CHFI Toronto. Erin now resides in Victoria, BC where she gets to sleep in, although her reWirement has been derailed thanks to the #5 nationwide non-fiction status of her memoir Mourning Has Broken: Love, Loss and Reclaiming Joy.

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed long-standing issues across the seniors’ care continuum in Ontario and across the globe. When taking the learnings from the last year into consideration, what could the future system look like? Our society needs to be ready as the demand for aged care will continue to grow over the next decade and beyond.
This panel will explore what an aged care continuum could look like in the future, address key learnings from the pandemic, points of resistance, creative solutions, and the changing needs and expectations of our seniors and their families.

The Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA)’s renowned culture change coaching service is highlighting two helpful tools: an organizational readiness assessment that identifies facilitators of change and a person-centredness assessment that identifies teams’ abilities to deliver person-centred care. Learn about the tools and how to use them to guide change.

Hearing older adults’ and caregivers’ lived experience is critical to inform how innovative care solutions are accessed and delivered across the senior care continuum. ‘Leap’ is CABHI’s newest intergenerational end-user community connecting older adults and caregivers with students, researchers, clinicians, designers, and entrepreneurs to co-design solutions for improved health outcomes.

The integrity of the leader is the cornerstone of effective leadership. Leading in times of crisis requires leaders to take discrete actions: Define the purpose; set priorities; and provide stability. Leaders play a key role in organizing for the future by strengthening identity; prioritize operational efficiency; and building for scale

New workplace issues have been presented since the emergence of COVID-19.  Employers must adapt rules, policies and procedures while managing unionized/non-unionized workforces. Unions have identified novel bargaining priorities in preparation for collective bargaining. Employers must implement strategies/policies to deal with employee work refusals, absenteeism, workplace accommodation requests, and new forms of employment misconduct.

The health of a given workforce and the overall health of an organizations workplace culture has been a strong predictor of success or failure during the pandemic. In this session we will discuss the critical role of the foundations of workplace culture and how they interact with and predict the wellbeing of a workforce. We will seek to answer the question: How do we understand and leverage these foundations to maintain or return to being healthy and high-performing? Data and insights will be shared to inform the discussion as well as simple actions that can be considered at the organizational level that tease apart the critical difference between wellness strategies and more comprehensive well-being strategies.

Ontario’s Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission was tasked to investigate how and why COVID-19 spread into long-term care homes, what was done to prevent the spread, and the impact of the existing system on the spread.  The Commission is in the process of drafting its final report, which is to be submitted to the provincial government by April 30, 2021. Please join David M. Golden and Lisa Corrente of Torkin Manes LLP and Ontario Long-Term Care Commissioner, Dr. Jack Kitts, for an update on the proceedings before the Commission to date.

Seniors who live in cultures that value, respect, and integrate them into the community live longer and have a better quality of life. One way to build this culture is through meaningful and joyful engagement. Anne will speak to how you can foster this engagement and how to teach your staff to infuse creativity into everyday care relationships and programming using their evidence-based approach. Anne will also provide some tips on how to support families to meaningfully engage with their loved ones especially during difficult times.

This session will explore Conestoga College’s PSW-FAST ONSITE Program, the full Personal Support Worker program delivered in 21 weeks. The PSW-FAST Program is delivered through Conestoga’s unique Ontario Sites for Integrated Training and Experiential learning (ONSITE) model. Delegates will explore the PSW-FAST Program, ONSITE model, and the potential impact across Ontario. 

The Ontario Caregiver Organization launched the Partners in Care Pandemic Tool Kit to provide LTC homes and other care settings with practical resources to help facilitate the safe presence of caregivers during COVID-19. This session will highlight these resources and insights from “early adopter” organizations, including peopleCare Communities.

What are the biggest challenges foodservice faced in responding to COVID-19? We will share what we have learned and how to move forward. Join us as we explore the results of our survey and different perspectives focused on improving the culinary experience, bettering infection prevention, maximizing the team and adapting to new service styles.

COVID-19 has resulted in new factors to consider when supporting individuals moving into retirement or long-term care homes. In this session, attendees will be introduced to ‘My Transitional Care Plan for the COVID-19 Pandemic’, a practical tool they can use in collaboration with Behavioural Supports Ontario team members, wherever applicable.

During this dynamic, content-rich, and engaging presentation,  you will learn new strategies to respond to new realities.  The session will leave you with poignant reminders about the importance and influence of your leadership, as well practical take-aways to apply long after the event ends. Develop a resiliency mindset and tap into your inner strengths, take the lead by reframing your approach toward change, challenges and uncertainty, anticipate the future with confidence,  clarity and conviction to inspire yourself and others, and transform your perspectives and take charge of yourself.

This session will bring together a panel of experts in technology, senior living and implementation to speak to the importance of innovation and partnerships in technology to enhance the long-term care and retirement community sectors. Supporting innovative development, integrating solutions for better operator experiences, and investing in and embracing technology to address operational challenges will be discussed from various perspectives.

This presentation will discuss how Baycrest and Canada’s National Ballet School (NBS) have adapted their dance programming for older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learnings from our Sharing Dance At-Home pilot and a description of the program will be presented. A brief demonstration may also be presented time permitting.

Over half of older adults say that wellness programs are a primary factor in their decision making when choosing a community. Is yours up to par? Welbi shares the necessary components of a wellness program and teaches you how to analyze yours to improve the lives of your residents.

Come learn how homes in Norway increase the quality of life of residents by partnering with newcomer/refugee organizations to create a Cycle Host Program using Motiview by Motitech.  This program has potential to be replicated in Canada to simultaneously engage residents, and provide a career path for young Canadian newcomers.

By encouraging conversations and using the power of storytelling to share the Wisdom of the Elder, session participants will be inspired to think of how they might tackle ageist views. This isn’t about how to create a Podcast, but how to reframe conversations around age in all capacities.

The impact of prolonged separation on residents of long-term care homes (LTCHs) and their spouses/partners due to visiting restrictions implemented in response to COVID-19 was profound. This session captures the experience of local couples and the reflections a senior leader in LTC and Retirement Living.

In this session, KMAI will present new research on infection resistant environments. Harnessing the power of Passive House principles, the architect will explore how the current pandemic has led to new insights in IPAC protocols and ventilation design. This can help in building resiliency now, and beyond COVID-19.