AdvantAge Ontario Conference Recap
by Family Councils Ontario
- By Samantha Peck, FCO Director of Communications & Education
On Wednesday April 19th, over 700 people including FCO staff arrived at the Westin Harbour Castle in Toronto for the start of the AdvantAge Ontario (formerly OANHSS) AGM and Convention. The annual AdvantAge Ontario Convention provides an incredible learning and networking opportunity for Long-Term Care Home staff, healthcare professionals, sector stakeholders, residents, and families. This year, in addition to attending the conference, FCO was thrilled to present a concurrent session workshop. Read on for more on the Convention and FCO’s workshop presentation.
In addition to the engaging and educational keynote presentations and 40 workshops, this year’s convention also served as the official brand launch celebration of AdvantAge Ontario. Keynote speaker Terry O’Reilly spoke on The Power of Branding and why paying attention to your brand is important for Long-Term Care and seniors’ organizations. Dipika Damerla, Minister of Seniors Affairs, discussed the impetus for the development of a Seniors Affairs Ministry and how we can all work together to support Ontario’s seniors. The keynote and guest speakers left listeners enthusiastic and energized for the learning and networking to come through the Convention.
AdvantAge has always been a strong supporter of family engagement in Long-Term Care. Support for family involvement and strong Family Councils was evident throughout the Convention. The importance and value of working with residents’ families was mentioned in all of the workshop sessions I attended, including An Integrated Care Approach to Managing Responsive Behaviours; Delivering Linguistically Sensitive Long-Term Care; Law, Sex and Sexuality in Long-Term Care; and, “The Hardest Day of Our Lives”: Supporting New Residents with Dementia and Their Families. At these sessions, collaborating with families and Family Councils was mentioned as a success factor in caring for residents and implementing new approaches and initiatives. The voice of families was strong throughout the Convention.
FCO’s workshop Family Matters: Collaborating with Families and Family Councils had nearly 100 attendees. Throughout the 60 minute workshop, we explored the experiences of Long-Term Care residents’ families, the role of staff, and strategies for collaboration through engaging discussions, fun trivia, and thought provoking case studies. It was apparent that everyone in the room was committed to working with families and Family Councils and would use the information discussed in the session to further develop deep and meaningful relationships with families. FCO was thrilled to have the opportunity to deliver the workshop and we look forward to further opportunities to connect with AdvantAge Ontario members.
Conferences and conventions provide FCO with incredible opportunities to share information on Family Councils, learn about news and initiatives from the sector, and network with sector partners. We thank AdvantAge Ontario for the opportunity to attend and speak at the 2017 Convention. We’re already planning ahead to next year and thinking about how we can continue to support effective Family Councils in Long-Term Care.