"LTC Change Makers: 20 Years of Family Council Excellence" – Day 2 Conference Recap
by Family Councils Ontario
By Tiffany Fearon
This summer is certainly flying by! It is hard to believe that the FCO conference was almost a month ago.The second day of the conference was filled with great educational programming, insightful discussion, and group play. As promised, here is a recap of day 2!
The first speakers of the morning from partnership WISHSTONE gave an in depth presentation on navigating choices and care for loved ones. Sarah Farr and Ruth MacKay, who bring over 20 years of experience and training in hospice and palliative care, delivered an impactful session on the emotional and practical elements of substitute decision making. It was amazing to see a real time conversation take place around the subject that often brings many questions.
The second presentation for the day led by Dr. Seong-gee Um & Nazeefah Laher from the Wellesley Institute was undoubtedly enlightening as they presented research and findings on diversity and cultural accommodation in the long-term care sector. Attendees were the first to see the premiere of Wellesley Institute’s Changing Face of Home and Community Care Project, a video that highlighted access barriers to care for immigrants and seniors from various ethno cultural backgrounds. It was riveting to hear the personal stories and lived experiences on this topic and the importance of cultural representation in the discussion around quality care.
Even with full stomachs, attendees were ready for the final interactive presentation by the CLRI (Centres for Learning, Research, & Innovation). Daniel Galessiere and Shoshana Helfenbaum did a fantastic job engaging the group in an educational hands-on video and activity on resident and family-led huddles. Everyone’s competitive spirit came out as attendees were split into groups to play a scenario driven game that demonstrated that vital importance of LTC education and the many essential functions of LTC staff persons. As always, it was a pleasure having the CLRI showcase their new projects and upcoming programming.
To wrap up a great a great two-day event, the group was given the opportunity to personalize their own puzzle while reflecting on what they had learned from the presentations and the takeaways they would share with their peers. It was a great activity to instill the sentiment that everyone plays a great role in their LTC communities and a reminder of all the elements that make Family Councils resilient.
The Family Councils Ontario Board and Staff team are greatly appreciative to all of the presenters and attendees that made the conference possible. Here’s to many more years ahead of Family Council Excellence!
