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Continuing Care: Your Home, Our Passion
Every September, Health Association Nova Scotia celebrates Continuing Care Month, a time to highlight the continuing care sector and the contributions of the thousands of dedicated and compassionate people who have chosen this caring field of employment.Person-centred care is a philosophy that recognizes that inpiduals have unique values, personal history and personality, and that each person has an equal right to dignity, respect, and to participate fully in their environment.
Saint Elizabeth and the Alzheimer Society of Canada are partnering with local organizations to bring this philosophy to life in home care and long-term care settings across the country. A series of interactive workshops are being piloted at seven sites, including Northwood in Halifax. The education has already been delivered to 700 direct care providers, support staff and leaders at Northwood, igniting the team’s passion and creativity.
“As a facilitator of Person Centred care, I was privileged to hear the reactions and stories that the staff brought forward during the training,” explains Linda, a client relations coordinator at Northwood, who was trained to deliver the education. “One story in particular that resonated with me was about a resident who didn’t have any family and needed a pair of shoes. The staff got together and found shoes that fit properly and gave them to this resident.
In the workshops, our staff shared that they encounter unmet needs all the time – and they want to be able to help. We talked about the importance of setting boundaries, the perceptions that other residents may have, and how to work your way back from a situation. After much thought and discussion, the staff member who shared this story came up with an idea for a process that could be implemented, based on the principles of person and family-centred care. Her suggestion was an example of a “win-win” solution, where residents needs could be met and the staff’s desire to help could be fulfilled.”
Research evidence shows person-centred care is associated with many positive outcomes, including
higher quality of care, client and family satisfaction, and healthier work environments and staff relationships.
“I think in very concrete ways, this is what the Saint Elizabeth project has brought to Northwood – a shared language that we can use to remind ourselves of our duty to see, hear and respond to inpiduals in a manner that seeks to understand and address their needs,” says Jeanette, social work.
The two-year project is being funded in part by Health Canada, with significant in-kind contributions from Saint Elizabeth and the Alzheimer Society of Canada. The project builds on the foundational evidence gathered through Saint Elizabeth’s previous research work to better understand what person-centred care means and looks like in home and community care organizations. Following the pilot and evaluation phases, an implementation toolkit will be developed to share with other organizations. Learn More: