Program 2017

North American society puts a high premium on youth and remaining young. With advancing technology, we’ve become addicted to constant change. As members of this society, we resist aging and, in the process, fail to value the wisdom and insight present in our aging population. We perceive aging as an inevitable reality and fail to see this as desirable, something to be revered, or a respected part of our society.In this session, we will explore the questions:  How do we celebrate and respect seniors in our midst? How do we recognize healthy older adults as elders and as contributing members of our society? How does this impact our attitudes in long-term and retirement living, as our bodies and minds break down and we are no longer able to care for ourselves? In a highly regulated sector what new forms of care and service are yet to be discovered?Delegates will leave inspired to change the world of senior living for the better, excited about being a part of something greater than oneself and motivated to participate in interdisciplinary, cross-organizational efforts to improve living for our elders.

There are many challenges to managing workplace-related legislation and litigation. In this session, delegates will learn how to navigate these challenges, anticipate a variety of obstacles, be proactive and become successful in avoiding litigation.

Imagine being able to retrieve information on your residents’ hospitalizations, lab results, and diagnostics with one click inside your existing Electronic Health Record software. That’s what LTC eConnect will provide over the next year – along with all the support and training you need to get on board. But the free support is time-limited, which is why it’s important to get on board and start the process now. Join long-term care clinicians, the LTC eConnect project team, and project partners to learn how LTC eConnect’s solution will improve resident care and save staff time. Panelists will discuss the top Frequently Asked Questions they’ve been hearing about the project, and take questions from the audience.LTC eConnect is a major sector-wide project designed to help long-term care homes connect easily with provincial e-health networks and the data they offer. Led by the Ontario Long Term Care Association, LTC eConnect is a collaboration with Canada Health Infoway, eHealth Ontario, software companies PointClickCare and ThoughtWire, the Ontario Association of Not for Profit Homes and Services for Seniors, and the Ontario Long Term Care Clinicians.

Risk-based Compliance and Inspection Program: Ministry Updates and AnalysisCome hear from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s Inspections Branch about the latest inspection program information including inspection outcomes and homes’ risk level assessments.Hear about proposed changes to the Ministry’s enforcement options and learn more about future changes to the inspection framework.

Without an integrated approach to leadership development, leaders are left to sink or swim, which has an impact on every part of your organizational operations. In order to remain competitive, an organization needs to have learning strategies in place for its leaders.This session will provide delegates with an approach to creating a leadership development platform and curriculum for both large and small long-term care organizations. Join us and learn more from the Responsive Group’s lived experience as they share how they’ve built a successful program for their leaders.

The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has indicated its intention to invest in renovations of more than 300 long-term care homes over the next nine years through construction funding subsidies. However, although desperately needed, construction projects can expose organizations to significant legal and financial risks.During all phases of the project from planning and designing through to funding and construction, risk management should be top of mind. This session will speak specifically to the procurement stage, as there are many procurement pitfalls that organizations fall into unintentionally if they are not aware of best practices, legal compliance and risk mitigation approaches. This session will provide delegates with an overview of the construction procurement process, identify common pitfalls and provide concrete recommendations for risk management practices.

The ongoing culture change movement recognizes that family involvement in long-term care is essential to creating communities where everyone thrives. Engaging and collaborating with families helps us to create partnerships, develop creative solutions to challenges, and ultimately improve the quality of life of residents.In order to help us reach our goal of excellent, resident-centred care we need to collaborate regularly and well with resident’s families. We need to close the loop and engage families as active participants in the drive to achieve exceptional resident quality of life.Family Councils are legally mandated and protected groups in long-term care. Long-term care home licensees, administrators and staff have certain duties they must fulfill with regards to the Family Council. This session will help delegates learn how to carry out these duties in a collaborative manner and how to promote effective relationships between Family Councils and long-term care homes. Through discussing the Long-Term Care Homes Act, the role of home staff, communication and collaboration strategies, and case studies, this session will explore leading practices in family engagement in the sector. This session will provide practical and actionable approaches to effectively engage and collaborate with residents’ families and Family Councils, which helps drive exceptional resident quality of life.

There is an incredible opportunity for organizations to help older adults change their experience of aging – and innovation can play a huge role in supporting seniors to live their lives to the fullest. Innovation is critical in creating the aging experience that residents expect and deserve. The opportunities are endless and organizations need to work together to bring innovation to older adults, to create more vibrant and happier seniors, families and caregivers.An example of collaborative approach can be found in Revera’s Innovators in Aging program. Revera set its priorities based on the needs of older adults and feedback from employees, and is now working with entrepreneurs to help them bring the latest innovations for seniors to a broader audience. This includes with new products, services and technology to aid in preventing falls, improving communication, managing incontinence and more.In this session, learn how to quickly and efficiently create an innovation structure that supports creativity and risk-taking within your organization. Leave with practical and implementable ideas to create a culture of innovation in your organization.

This presentation will discuss what you need to do to get started to renew your B or C Home.  It will take you through the steps you should go through until you enter into a development agreement with the Province including:

• What are my alternatives
• What is involved in getting approved to renew my Home
• Who should I be talking to
• Who should be on my team
• And Much more

If you have a B or C Home and have not yet applied to the Ministry to undertake a renewal this session is for you.

Presented by staff of the Ontario Long Term Care Association and Association members who have experience in going through the process.

Because Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias are progressive, degenerative diseases, a person’s symptoms will gradually get worse and there likely will come a time when a caregiver can no longer provide care in the home. Moving a loved one with dementia into a long-term care home may be one of the most difficult decisions a caregiver will ever have to make, even if necessary for both the caregiver’s well-being and that of the person they are caring for.Staff in long-term care homes can play a pivotal role in making the move-in day and adjustment period less traumatic for families. Resources are available to support staff in building strong relationships with families during this difficult time, including resources created by the Alzheimer Society of Canada and Alzheimer Society of Ottawa that provide staff with practical steps they can take to make the move to a long-term care home easier for everyone involved.Participants at this session will have the opportunity to hear, reflect on and “tune in” to the reality of moving to a long-term care home from a family caregiver’s perspective. They will be challenged to consider tips and strategies provided by family caregivers to help make this transition time an opportunity for relationship-building and setting the tone for a positive working relationship in the months and years to come.

Opening Minds Through Art (OMA) is an award-winning, evidence-based, highly structured intergenerational program designed for people with dementia to more freely express themselves, succeed on their own with minimal assistance, and feel a sense of personal accomplishment. It is founded on strengths-based psychology: Capitalizing on what people with dementia still can do and their creative capacity.The program is guided by a certified Opening Minds Through Art facilitator and involves students who commit to learn about dementia, the OMA philosophy and methodology, as well as skills for effectively communicating with persons with dementia. The students are then able to facilitate the elders’ creativity by allowing them to make concrete choices and decision making about their art. Through this process elders build autonomy and an increased feeling of self worth, as all decisions are made by them. The students involved are also able to broaden their perspectives, enhance their critical thinking, interpersonal skills and human relationships, and learn empathy for those living with dementia.This session will give an overview of the OMA program that is run at Trinity Village Care Centre and showcase the positive impact it has had on residents, staff, families and the community, including the positive change in volunteers’ attitudes toward aging and dementia. Delegates will be provided with the information they need to be able to bring the program into their own home.

This session will share the story of the first Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) case involving a resident in an Ontario long-term care home – a resident who made it his final goal to advocate for the rights of eligible residents to receive MAID in their long-term care home.The ability to successfully meet this resident’s rights was dependent upon using empathy and a flexible, solutions-oriented approach. Certain legislative requirements were required to be overlooked in order to remain primarily focused on the resident’s right to die with dignity. Regular and open communication between the Home’s staff and hospital physicians was imperative. Legal guidance was needed with respect to notifying the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and Office of the Chief Coroner. Co-residents and staff required education and support in a congregate living environment.Join members of this resident’s family, representatives from the home where he lived and the home’s legal counsel as they speak about how the MAID process unfolded in this case and how the home was able to ensure the wishes of the resident and his family remained central, while operationally achieving a successful conclusion in the absence of regulations, experience and policy. This panel presentation will provide the operational, clinical, legal and family perspectives ensuring that the resident’s legacy – the right to die with dignity at home – was achieved.

The enhanced long-term care home renewal strategy presents both a challenge and opportunity for owners and operators as they navigate in a changing long-term care environment, with the minimum design requirements, provincial operating and capital funding limitations, increasing resident acuity and a growing demand for long-term care services. How might innovative design changes in long term care homes support the evolution of new models of care in the sector? Sometimes the way we frame a complex challenge contains an entrenched assumption that prevents us from solving it. This frame can stop us from accepting or even looking for innovative ideas.This two hour workshop invites participants to explore a complex topic through a design thinking lens that challenges traditional approaches and provokes innovative ways of discovering new solutions. Facilitated by the design team from the Canadian Centre for Aging & Brain Health at Baycrest, participants will:

1.  Increase their awareness and understanding of design thinking and its tools and strategies to trigger innovation.
2. Participate in interactive exercises to frame the current challenges, provoke prevailing assumptions, and stimulate new directions in thinking about opportunities for future design of long term care homes.

Many older adults are discouraged or intimidated by physical activity due to a fear of falling, fatigue, weakness, or even the perception that it is too late in life for them to start being active. While these barriers are very real, most people do not realize that physical activity, even light activity, is achievable for almost anyone.  What’s more, there is growing evidence suggesting that even activities such as light walking or household chores like folding laundry can have health benefits compared to sitting or lying still. For older adults the primary benefit is prolonged independence.Move More is an evidence-informed initiative that aims to shift the way people think about and approach physical activity, and empower team members, residents and family members to find opportunities for residents to move more throughout the day. Move More was developed by the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA) and Schlegel Villages over and is being rolled out in 14 Schlegel Villages.This initiative has the potential to benefit the entire long-term care and retirement industry. Join this session and learn more about the program, including how Move More was developed and rolled out using evidence-based knowledge translation principles, and how it is being evaluated using evaluation science. Delegates will leave the session with tools and tips to get their residents moving!

Ensuring the right information is given to the right person, at the right time, in the right way, is critical to safeguard compliance with Ontario law. Meeting the legislated professional obligations for all health practitioners and accredited health organizations is vital to reducing the risk of complaints and legal liability.Join this innovative workshop for a thought-provoking and energetic session that highlights health care consent (HCC) and advance care planning (ACP) best practices that comply with the Ontario legal framework. This session will provide information to assist you in clearing confusion and dispelling misconceptions, including activities to support knowledge translation in your role related to HCC and ACP. Participants will increase their knowledge of Ontario’s legal framework, learn to utilize consistent language and practice, and gain Ontario-specific tools and supports. Attendees are sure to leave with new knowledge and will be able to make changes to improve both system and resident outcomes in their homes.

Chartwell believes its residents should be the drivers of their own journeys. This session will explore this topic and highlight Chartwell’s approach to culture change within its long-term care homes.In this session, representatives from a number of Chartwell homes will share examples of innovative projects they believe have made their residents’ lives better. These include the Chartwell Academy, an innovative approach to residents wanting to continue learning in the home; themed-day meals planned together by residents and staff; a Montessori program that works with residents to provide meaningful work within the home; and a dining-room wash cloth program which, although simple, has brought a lot of change to the dining experience for residents.Delegates will learn how to help their residents drive ideas for programs and quality initiatives in their homes. Our job as employees is to assist residents in making these ideas reality. This session will help people translate this knowledge into action, even if in small steps, working with residents to help create an atmosphere of caring and fun.

As the majority of people living in long-term care are frail seniors with complex medical conditions, it is important for staff to be well-informed on palliative care and end-of-life best practices. A palliative care approach seeks to improve a person’s quality of life when individuals face chronic, life-limiting conditions at all stages, not just at the end of life (Carstairs, 2010). People with dementia can therefore benefit from a palliative approach, even long before death is near. However, palliative care is not always available to these individuals, as many misconceptions persist regarding palliative care and active versus comfort care.Health care providers have an important role to play in preparing people with dementia and their families for end-of-life. This presentation will delve deeper into this role, engaging the audience in learning about the facts of dementia at end-of-life, including the physical changes that can be expected as well as the unique caregiving experience through to end-of-life. Typical feelings and fears of families at this stage of caregiving, including common myths and concerns will be addressed, and attendees will be challenged to consider these feelings and fears from alternate perspectives.Participants will learn about an online resource created by the Alzheimer Society of Canada to help families prepare for end-of-life, make the difficult decisions they may face, and cope with the grief they may experience. Information learned in this session will impact how participants think about palliative care for people with dementia and how they help support families and residents with dementia going through end-of-life care.