Focusing on the wellbeing of long-term care residents
16 January 2025
Sitting in front of a TV all day isnât what we envision for our loved ones in long-term care. Without social connections and strong support, long-term care can be lonely and isolating for many residents.
A provincial initiative is making sure this isnât the case. The Long-Term Care Quality Initiative uses research evidence to improve the wellbeing of residents, families and staff. Michael Smith Health Research BC (Health Research BC), the Ministry of Health, and regional health authorities worked together to advance this new approach. Key to the initiative was the INFORM (Improving Nursing Care through Feedback on PerfoRMance Date) model health authorities used to assist long-term care homes make lasting changes.
The INFORM model supports care managers to make changes and improve performance by working on modifiable elements within their care units. It is also adaptable to other improvement targets.
Informed by survey results collected by the Office of the Seniors Advocate, 31 care home teams selected change ideas. Most focused change goals on resident life stories and meaningful activities. Each health authority saw positive impacts. Click on each for an expanded story.
For long-term care homes throughout the province, BC INFORM provided an important lens on how to sustain and create positive change â requiring full participation of managers, staff, residents and families. Success for many long-term care homes meant including residents and family members as part of project teams. Ninety percent of residents and family members who responded to a survey about BC INFORM in their homes felt they were being heard and that the projects would make a long-term difference.
BC INFORM proved its value. Projects allowed staff to stop and re-think the âwhyâ of long-term care â recognizing that connecting with residents on a personal level is as important as clinical care. Long-term care isnât only about providing care. Itâs about making the place a home. And that is rooted in wellbeing.
Update: Learnings from the LTC-QI project are informing the Long-Term Care Quality Framework, announced by the BC government in 2024. The Regional Practice Lead positions, integral to the work of LTC-QI, are embedded in the regional health authorities with a focus on quality improvement in long-term care.
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