Local seniors living in the Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network (WWLHIN) are starting to see changes in how care is provided in long-term care homes, hospitals and the community.
Through the Behavioural Supports Ontario (BSO) project new services, programs and training are now being introduced to provide appropriate care and support for an increasing number of seniors across Ontario and their families and caregivers, who live and cope with dementia, mental illness or other neurological conditions.
“The Alzheimer Society of Ontario applauds the progress BSO has made towards improved quality of life for this group of Ontarians, especially those living with dementia. We’re encouraged by these early signs of success and look forward to working with the LHINs as the project continues to roll out across the province” said Gale Carey, CEO, Alzheimer Society of Ontario.
First announced by the province last August, BSO represents a comprehensive system redesign that has successfully broken down barriers, encouraged collaborative work, shared knowledge and fostered partnerships among local, regional and provincial agencies.
The result is a cultural transformation; a new way of thinking, acting and behaving.
In the Waterloo Wellington LHIN, health service providers worked to develop a local action plan that focuses on increasing specialized Behavioural Support Registered Nurse (RN), Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) and Personal Support Worker (PSW) positions in the 35 long-term care homes across the LHIN.
For a 100 bed facility, that means an increase of approximately 20 hours per week of staff time to focus on improving care for residents with responsive behaviour.
BSO has allowed local health service providers to hire new staff including nurses, personal support workers and other health care professionals.
Meanwhile, the project has also leveraged existing, complementary services and resources, galvanizing a LHIN-wide approach to caring for this population in a coordinated, integrated way.
“This collaborative approach to health care, being led by LHINs from across the province, clearly demonstrates how the system can work together to create new models of sustainable and patient-centered health care delivery,” said Bruce Lauckner, CEO, WWLHIN.
As a result, both new and existing workers have received specialized training for the skills required to provide patient-centered care to seniors who have responsive and complex behaviours.
