Intersections of mental health in long-term care: conference day two recap!
Par Family Councils Ontario
Day two of the conference was just as amazing as day one! To open the day, Michelle-Ann Hylton (Director, Licensing and Policy, MOHLTC) gave opening remarks on behalf of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care’s Long-Term Care Homes division. She spoke about the Ministry’s priorities, the role of Family Councils, families, and caregivers in advancing those priorities and goals, and FCO’s strong relationship with the Ministry. Ms. Hylton’s comments set the stage for the day and we are so thankful that she was able to attend to bring greetings. And, she stayed for the next session to hear from FC members and LTCH staff!
Our opening plenary was a fantastic presentation on ways caregivers can navigate the caregiving experience and still care for themselves. Navigating Uncharted Waters: The Compassionate Caregivers Tips for Staying Afloat by Sandi Robinson provided the group with information on how we can maintain good physical and mental health while caring for others. Attendees wrote postcards to themselves with self-care pledges that Sandi will mail six weeks after the conference. The exercise reminded us of the unique ways we can care for ourselves. If you haven’t done so lately, reflect on how you take care of yourself as a caregiver and make two promises for new things you’re going to do to maintain good physical and mental health.
Next, Dr. Benoit Mulsant gave a fascinating talk on depression and cognitive impairment in older adults. He presented an overview of the research on the connections between the two conditions and possible other factors at play. His comments on how much more there is to discover about the brain and why we should all consider participating in research reinforced the idea that we can all help advance science in some way or another. He ended by saying that while there are so many factors regarding developing dementia that are outside of our control, there are simple things we can all do such as stay active and eat our vegetables. And with that we were off to a fantastic lunch!
After lunch, attendees discussed their successes and challenges. Council members are doing amazing work across the province! Once Council member in attendance leads tours at her home and another as made great strides in building positive relationships with home staff. Those with challenges were able to get advice and support from others in attendance. The successes and challenges discussion is always one of the most rewarding parts of the conference.
To wrap up, we asked attendees to discuss at their tables their takeaways from the conference. Specifically: how that you have all of this information, how are you going to use it at your home? Attendees told us ideas about doing more peer support for their members, holding education sessions on mental health, and promoting self-care. For an added moment of reflection, attendees completed Commitment Cards: cards where they write down one thing they commit to doing as a result of the conference. They take one copy with them as a reminder and leave one with us. Based on the Commitment Cards we received, attendees are going to make huge differences in their homes!
Intersections of mental health in long-term care was a fantastic opportunity to learn, share, and network. It was a pleasure to spend two days with such committed Family Council members and long-term care home staff. Thanks again to all of our speakers who shared their knowledge and ideas with us, and the attendees who participated so actively in the learning.
We are already looking forward to the next conference!