OLTCA Conference Recap
Par Family Councils Ontario
By Lorraine Purdon, FCO Executive Director
This year I had the privilege of attending the OLTCA (Ontario Long Term Care Association) conference as a presenter. OLTCA has been a strong supporter of Family Councils over many years. While I wasn’t able to attend the whole conference there were several highlights that I would like to mention.
The focus on the role of families and Family Councils in caring for the residents of Long-Term Care was very present in almost every presentation or workshop I attended. I have captured some of the highlights:
- The keynote speech of Tuesday morning was by Jim Carrol, one of the world’s leading global futurist trends and innovation experts. His speech focused on the amazing advances of technology and how some they can provide better links between family caregivers and their relatives in Long-Term care, and can help staff and administrators keep accurate records easily. Jim used the cartoon from the 60 called The Jetsons to help demonstrate how far we have come in terms of technology and was able to make us all laugh at ourselves as some of us struggle to keep up with the rapid advancements. He definitely talked about the role of families and how technology can be both an opportunity and a challenge as we move forward.
- A panel discussion about Leading Times of Calm and Crisis focused on the best practices that Homes can use when dealing with a crisis of any sort in their Home. Certainly the role of family care partners was mentioned many times as playing an important role in supporting crisis management and communication during troubled times. It was with great pride that I realized what a great job Family Council members have done to have made sure their role in Long-Term Care is seen and appreciated.
- A World Freed from Ageism by Dr. Robyn Stone, vice president of Research and Executive Director of Leadingage Center. She is a leading researcher and authority on aging and Long-Term Care policy in Washington. Robyn’s presentation was challenging and provocative about the subtle ways we all get hooked into ageist thinking. Ageism is one of the most prevalent forms of prejudice and as so many of the population ages it has become a challenge. It was an excellent reminder for all of us to make sure we take the resident and family concerns seriously and do not dismiss them just because someone is older, less mobile, or has a mental health issue.
- The FCO presentation on Closing the Loop: Effective family engagement driving exceptional resident quality of life was well attended with over 100 participants. There was a genuine concern and openness to understanding and supporting Councils and seeing their role as contributing to the Long Term-Care Home community.
This was one of the best conferences I’ve attended in terms of content and it really demonstrated how Family Councils are an important influence on the sector and how vital Council membership is.