The following article comes to us from C.A.R.P. Ottawa LTC committee which is a grassroots movement on Long term Care (C.A.R.P. Halton Chapter is a part of this group)
The focus is to continually raise awareness of the situation in LTC. Halton Chapter will be postings articles in this regard on a regular basis.
The walls of the Redstone unit at Malton Village in Mississauga
There are over 78,000 people living in one of 630 long-term care homes in Ontario. These homes are controlled by more than 300 regulations that keep staff focused on the tasks of feeding, scheduling, and cleaning – all documented for government collection. Every day, at least 60 minutes is spent by staff filing ministry updates. They tap icons for mood, mobility, meals, and bowel movements. But there are no icons for laughter, conversation, human touch, or sense of purpose. It’s a detached, antiseptic end to life which some have called a culture of malignancy.
A long-term care home in Peel has moved away from a traditional model of care. They took a gamble on fun, kindness, and affection. Malton Village in Mississauga focuses on laughter, friendship, energy, tenderness, freedom, and hope. That is not to say that they are not meeting the Ministry regulations. They are. But they’re doing it with a different model of care. A recent article in the Toronto Star focused on Bill. He had been kicked out of multiple long-term care homes because of violent tendencies. But when he arrived in a Butterfly home, he became docile, enjoyed his days and staff came to know him as a ‘lovely man’. Or there’s Roger. In the article, his dietary aide quietly talks to him about her childhood memories visiting peach groves while encouraging him to finish his dessert.
Watch the transformation of Peel Region’s Malton Village. https://projects.thestar.com/dementia-program/
Do we want our seniors to live out their days in long-term care homes that dehumanize their existence? You can help by supporting change to transform our long-term care homes into innovative models of care such as the Butterfly model of care.
Support Transformative Culture Change in Ontario’s Long-Term Care Homes by sending an email to [email protected]
Email your local MPP
Email your City Councillor