Editorial
A community now more than ever
At OMNI, 2003 was a year of change, growth and some remarkable accomplishments. It was a year in which a giant step forward was taken in building a true community.

There were trials and setbacks to be sure, but overall progress can be measured in the amount of bridge building and bonding that took place.

It was a year when shared values, shared opportunities and shared practices took centre stage.

From Fraser Wilson’s “road show” to bring his personal view of OMNI’s mission, values and vision to every home, to some strikingly innovative approaches to supportive measures, there was an overall theme of a shared purpose to improve the lives of residents.

The campaign to ensure the OMNIway mission, vision and values were shared with every member of the team has been a valuable exercise in itself, boosted by a substantial side benefit. As a result of the campaign, members of the OMNI community now have a clearer sense of the purpose and values that OMNI professes.

Perhaps nothing illustrates this year’s major thrust of community building more than the move to shared communities of practice. It was in June, that managers gathered in Peterborough to discuss the idea. That afternoon each community of practice had the opportunity to meet for the first time. The resulting enthusiasm raised the roof.

The idea struck a chord, and not surprisingly. It originally stemmed from a call from homes for more opportunities to discuss issues with peers who would understand them. Communities of practice have already reaped huge benefits, not the least of which is the bonding of people from different homes in a common purpose and values.

That interaction and bonding between homes, and between them and home office also occurred through the many educational opportunities held this year, including the New Manager’s Training course.

Bonding of staff within home office made great strides this year too. There is a new synergy and unity of purpose that has become very visible, especially in the past several months.

Other innovations introduced this year have produced positive change as well. A focus on supportive measures has highlighted grassroots innovations that can change a resident’s life for the better. It also confirms OMNI’s resident-focused approach to long-term care.

These supportive measures initiatives illustrate the efforts and genuine care and compassion that so many members of the OMNI community demonstrate.

Another example of a united sense of purpose at OMNI is the response to the postcard campaign for more provincial funding, initiated by the Ontario Long Term Care Association. OMNI homes with 3.5 per cent of long-term care beds represented by OLTCA provided 12,483 cards, an amazing 20 per cent of the signed postcards received by OLTCA.

The Nutritional Care team launched their ambitious Dining With Care initiative. Complete with a motivational mission and a way to track our success, this initiative is well on its way to establishing a standard fashioned the OMNI way.

Tena and Multi-dose were successfully rolled out. Those projects not only improved resident care and saved staff time, they helped OMNI establish a process for managing the new and exciting projects of the future.

The year has not been without its difficulties, from the trials by fire of the Norwalk Virus and dreaded SARS outbreak to the Toronto Star expose of nursing homes in Ontario, revealing some systemic problems in care of the elderly in Ontario and the need for changes.

Homes have received advice on what they can do better after compliance reviews, have battled flu epidemics, said goodbye to valued staff and grieved deaths of their residents. OMNI has opened its newest home and made major renovations to two others.

In the midst of all this, OMNI welcomed new leaders and strengthened its existing management teams. OMNI has assembled excellent leadership teams in all of its homes.

In 2003, OMNI came together as a community like never before. Every member of that community has excellent reason to rejoice, and to celebrate some marvelous achievements.

Prepared by John Driscoll
E-mail: john@newsroom5.com