TORONTO, January 26, 2012 —According the the latest report, the number of nurse practitioners has more than doubled over five years, including a 25-per-cent jump in a single year. At the end of 2010, there were 2,486 NPs practising in Canada, up from 1,129 in 2006, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information.
With the rise of NPs in healthcare settings in Canada, a national debate has sparked in the media and general healthcare industry about this growing trend. To learn more about what the latest research says about integrating NPs in LTC in Canada, check out SHRTN’s webinar notes available here: http://bit.ly/wDPZlP
TORONTO, December 2011—As the baby boom generation begins to turn 65 this year, the aging of Canada’s population will accelerate and the health care system will need to adapt to meet the future needs of a growing demographic. To read this new publication by the Canadian Insitute for Health Information (CIHI), please visit our Resource Centre.
Poor oral health tied to chronic disease and worse overall health
TORONTO, October 27, 2011—Forty-five per cent of Ontarians 65 years and older did not see a dentist in the last year, increasing their risk of chronic diseases and a reduced quality of life , a new study by researchers at St. Michael’s Hospital, Women’s College Hospital and the Institute for Clinical and Evaluative Sciences (ICES) shows. Read more
On September 8, 2011, the SHRTN Collaborative Board of Directors approved the privacy policy and terms of use which are now available on our resource centre and homepage. For more information on how your information as a member and the terms of use for all shrtn.on.ca users, please review the report.
One of SHRTN’s board members, co-chair Josie d’Avernas who works as the associate director of The Schlegel-University of Waterloo Research Institute for Aging is pleased to share some exciting news. The Schlegel-University of Waterloo Research Institute for Aging (RAI) and Schlegel Villages have received international recognition for their “Working Together to Put Living First” program being implemented across 11 Schlegel Villages.
RIA is being recognized for its “Working Together to Put Living First” program, an innovative approach to changing the culture of aging in long term care using an appreciative inquiry approach. Working collaboratively with staff, residents and family members of Schlegel Villages – a group of 11 Long Term Care Homes in Ontario Canada – the project demonstrated substantial shifts over 20 months towards a social model of living versus an institutional model of care, on each of the 9 domains assessed including such things as moving away from hierarchical departments toward collaborative teams, having more flexible routines, and more consistent assignment of staff to the same residents.
RIA will accept the award at IAHSA’s International Conference, taking place 16 – 19 October 2011 in Washington, DC, USA. The program will be profiled in an award ceremony along with an organization from the Netherlands and the Excellence in Ageing Services Award winner, Feros Care from Australia. The IAHSA explains “Our three honourees represent the latest innovations in aging services programmes and projects that provide outstanding benefits to the people they serve."
The SHRTN Collaborative has partnered with the Ontario Long Term Care Association (OLTCA) for our 2011 Learning Day. This year we will hold our event on November 23, 2011 at the Allstream Centre in Toronto, as part of the Long Term Care, Seniors Care: Community & Home Applied Research Education Day
The Call for Presentations for deadline has been set for Friday, July 15, 2011. To submit an abstract or for more information, click HERE. For more information, contact Deirdre Luesby, Executive Director at dluesby@shrtn.on.ca
VANCOUVER—The Remaining Light journeys through an often invisible part of Canada’s health care system — the community-based services that provide care to seniors as they age and die. The film features the stories of seniors and their families, and explores themes of dignity, preventing illness and social isolation, and keeping health care costs under control as the boomer generation ages.
Watch the film and learn about how you can help promote a public dialogue about seniors care. To order a copy of the DVD and/or organize a community screening, contact us: bcseniors[at]policyalternatives[dot]ca, 604-801-5121 x223. The Remaining Light is presented by the CCPA and the Hospital Employees’ Union.
Can we rely on family caregivers as the sole source of support for frail seniors? This is just one of the many important questions asked in a 2011 report published by Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) which addresses the sustainability of our long-term health and seniors’ care.
As life expectancy pushes into the late 70s for men and well into the 80s for women, more people want help so they can live their lives to the fullest for as long as possible but how will demographic and labour market trends affect the supply of family and friends available to care for us? Should family carers and friends be better supported, and if so how? Can we attract and retain care workers is it just a matter of paying them better? Will public finances be threatened by the cost of providing care in the future? What should be the balance between private responsibility and public support in care-giving? Can we reduce costs by improving efficiency of long-term care services? Learn more by clicking HERE
OTTAWA—The CIHR Knowledge Transfer Branch has partnered with the Health Canada Strategic Policy Branch to help foster positive exchanges between health researchers and policy makers, helping to bridge the gap between the worlds of science and policy making. The CIHR KT Branch and the Health Canada Strategic Policy Branch will provide support through short-term policy assignments at Health Canada for highly qualified individuals who are engaged in health research to participate in and contribute to the policy making processes while learning first-hand about the intersection of science and policy.
The stipend levels vary according to career stage:
Application deadline: June 1, 2011
Funding start date: September 1, 2011
For more details, please visit the CIHR website
On March 2, the Conference Board of Canada released a strategy report entitled, “Elements of an Effective Innovation Strategy for Long Term Care in Ontario.”
The report which was commissioned by the Ontario Long Term Care Association concludes a more innovative long term care sector in the province would deliver both improved care for an aging population and cost savings for the provincial healthcare system.
Click HERE to download the reportSept. 20, 2010
Download a copy of the SHRTN Collaborative Evaluation Report: February 2009 – March 2010 Dr. Conklin recently completed the Feb. 09 – Mar. 10 evaluation and presented report findings and recommendations at the September SHRTN Board meeting. Among the successes, he highlighted:
Results reveal that SHRTN’s biggest contributions are:
Though SHRTN is performing well, the report indicates that the Collaborative still faces challenges. Its capacity to deliver services is currently stretched to the limit. Staff and volunteers reported facing issues such as lack of available time and funding. It suggests that a knowledge network should aim to find balance between autonomy and coordination. Findings show that some resistance to change persists due to the strength of structural barriers. This, even when faced with compelling evidence and strong facilitation.
The Evaluation Committee made 8 recommendations to guide the ongoing evaluation of the SHRTN Collaborative, including:
Thank you to Dr. James Conklin and the Evaluation Advisory Committee members: Josie d’Avernas, Jan Figurski, Megan Harris, Anita Kothari, Manon Lemonde, Deirdre Luesby, Paula Neves, and Deborah VanOosten.
Aug. 13, 2010
CIHR recently announced a three year operating grant for the “Knowledge to Action Processes in SHRTN Collaborative Communities of Practice” worth $365,500. This project aims to increase our understanding of the knowledge-to-action processes mobilized through communities of practice (CoPs) that are working to improve the health of Ontario seniors. Knowledge-to-action (KTA) refers to the movement of research and experience-based knowledge between social contexts, and the use of that knowledge to improve practice.
This research is being led by Dr. James Conklin, Associate Scientist at EBRI and Assistant Professor of Applied Human Sciences, Concordia University. The evaluation team also includes Principal Investigators, Co-Investigators, and Collaborators
The project also has many collaborators from across Ontario, including: