Strength in connectedness: 2018 so far
by Family Councils Ontario
It’s hard to believe, but July is right around the corner! Many Councils are planning for the fall, reviewing their year so far, and taking breaks for the summer months. For FCO, the summer months are quieter which means that we have time to reflect on our year so far, plan our fall 2018-spring 2019 events, and work on projects. Plus take our breaks AKA vacation! Our blog will also be taking a vacation until September, so let’s wrap up the first half of 2018 with a review of the highlights so far!
FCO growth
In the spring, FCO hired two new staff people! After operating as a two-person staff team for many years, it was incredible to bring on board Tiffany Fearon, Client Services Coordinator, and Natacha Dupuis, Bilingual Outreach Coordinator. Tiffany and Natacha bring a wealth of skills, experiences, and knowledge to our staff team and are excited to be working with Family Councils and LTC homes. We are so pleased to have them on board!
Osteoporosis Knowledge Exchange project
In collaboration with GERAS and Osteoporosis Canada, FCO has developed resources for Family Councils to help increase awareness and knowledge of osteoporosis and fracture prevention. We’re in the midst of finalizing the resources and plan to release them in fall 2018.
Presentations & webinars
We’ve presented and hosted several webinars so far this year, including Making Good Meetings, and guest webinar presentations on Antibiotic Stewardship, the Law Commission of Ontario’s Improving the Last Stages of Life Project, and “Your Life. Your Legacy. Plan to make it right,” by Dignity Memorial.
In March, we presented at the Centres for Learning, Research and Innovation (CLRI) Walk With Me Conference. Our session, Walking together: Walking with your families on the culture change journey, was well received by attendees and sparked many conversations about how to authentically and collaboratively involve families and Family Councils in culture change. We are already looking forward to the next conference!
Celebrating Family Council Week
To celebrate this year’s Family Council Week, FCO hosted a presentation of I’m Still Here! a research-based play that illuminates the realities of living with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The goal of this fully-researched 50-minute production is to help caregivers and families better understand the patient's everyday realities so they can reduce unnecessary suffering and make their interactions as productive and meaningful as possible.
Everyone in attendance was moved the play and after its conclusion, we engaged in a heartfelt and supportive feedback session where attendees shared their experiences, gave and received support, and asked questions about the disease process. It was an incredible experience for everyone.
System planning and research
Throughout this year, we have continued to engage in system planning and research with our sector partners including the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Behavioural Supports Ontario, Baycrest, and others. At each and every sector table, we bring forward the perspectives, challenges, concerns, and successes of Family Councils.
Supporting Families Research Project
In November 2017, we launched the “Supporting Families Project.” This project was brought about in response to growing concerns from both service providers (Social Workers and Social Service Workers) and caregivers about the availability and offerings of social service supports for families in Long Term Care. The report was published in June and coincided with a webinar on this topic hosted by the Bruyere CLRI. We will be continuing work on this subject so stay tuned!
Strategic planning
In May, the FCO board and staff team met to develop our 2018-2020 Strategic Plan with goals and activities. Based in part on last year’s Needs Assessment Report and what we’ve heard from Council members and LTC home staff, we developed a plan to guide our work for the next three years. In addition, the staff team is currently developing strategies, goals, and activities to implement the plan. A copy of the plan will be available once approved.
The success of all of these activities lies in our connections with Family Council members, LTC home staff, sector and government partners and other people dedicated to family engagement in care. We couldn’t have done it all without you!
We’re taking a blogging break for the summer and will be back in September.
Have a great summer!