TORONTO, Jan. 26, 2017 /CNW/ - The Change Foundation is investing $9 million over three years into four community partnerships across Ontario poised to make positive impacts on the experience and interaction family caregivers have with Ontario's health care system.
Over the next three years, Changing CARE partnerships in London, Huron and Perth counties, Cornwall and Toronto will develop local supports, programs, and resources to address four key needs identified by caregivers and health care providers: communication, assessment, recognition and education.
"The role of the family caregiver across the health care sector is a vital, but often unrecognized one," says Cathy Fooks, President and CEO, The Change Foundation. "Though we know 3.3 million people in Ontario provide essential support or care to a family member, friend or neighbour, caregivers are often not respected or considered key members of a patient's care team. Health care providers want to work differently with caregivers, these partnerships will show us how to do that."
Late last summer, The Change Foundation called on health and community care partners across the province to develop Changing CARE proposals, signaling the next phase of their strategic plan Out of the Shadows and Into the Circle. After a long and detailed search, the Foundation identified four key partnerships that showed a true sense of commitment to the inclusion and recognition of family caregivers. Each will receive a maximum of $750,000 per year for the next three years.
The partnerships moving ahead under Changing CARE bring important focus to different facets of the caregiver experience from a multitude of perspectives, including different care settings, demographics, and geographic locations. Each was developed with caregivers in key design and decision-making roles, which will continue throughout the initiative.
The Changing CARE initiatives will be announced with a celebratory event in each community. All events will be open to media to attend.
Changing CARE will consist of:
Improving CARE Together
Announcement Event: January 31, 2017 from 1-2 p.m. at St. Joseph's London's Parkwood Institute
St. Joseph's Health Care London will build on past learning and successes to further strengthen family caregiver partnerships in all its programs and services. This partnership will feature a number of activities and mechanisms designed to make impacts across the organization, including, communication resource toolkits, formal caregiver assessments and new education and support initiatives.
Partner Organization: St. Joseph's Health Care London
Location: London, ON
Connecting the Dots...Smoothing Transitions for Family Caregivers
Announcement Event: February 1, 2017 from 11 am - 12 pm at Stratford General Hospital
This partnership is focused on addressing the needs of family caregivers through defining and recognizing their role, and co-designing systems of care provision and communication that meet caregiver needs.
Partner Organizations: Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance; One Care Home and Community Support Services; North Perth Family Health Team; STAR Family Health Team; South West Community Care Access Centre; Southwest Local Health Integration Network
Location: Huron County and Perth County, ON
Cultivating Change: The Caregiver Friendly Hospital and Community Hub
Announcement Event: February 7, 2017 from 10-11:30 am at Sinai Health System's Bridgepoint Active Healthcare site
Sinai Health System and WoodGreen Community Services are proudly partnering with family caregivers to fundamentally re-design the caregiver experience across the continuum of care through hospital and community.
Partner Organizations: Sinai Health System and WoodGreen Community Services
Location: Toronto, ON
Embrace
Announcement Event: March 8, 2017 from 2-3:30 pm at Cornwall Community Hospital
Through several new work streams, this partnership will develop practices with family caregivers to better support, recognize, and embrace their vital role in the recovery of their family and/or friend with addiction and mental health issues.
Partner Organizations: The Cornwall & District Family Support Group; Cornwall Hospital, Community Addiction and Mental Health Services
Location: Cornwall, ON
"These four partners truly understand the needs of caregivers in Ontario today," said Fooks. "Each show an astounding commitment and willingness to co-design new strategies, practices and initiatives with caregivers for the benefit of Ontarians."
For more information, please visit www.changefoundation.ca/changing-care.
About The Change Foundation
The Change Foundation is an independent health policy think-tank that works to inform positive change in Ontario's health care system. With a firm commitment to engaging the voices of patients, family caregivers and health and community care providers, the Foundation explores contemporary health care issues through different projects and partnerships to evolve our health care system in Ontario and beyond. The Change Foundation was created in 1995 through an endowment from the Ontario Hospital Association and is dedicated to enhancing patient and caregiver experiences and Ontario's quality of health care.
SOURCE The Change Foundation
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