OMNI administrators endorse new OLTCA advocacy campaign
Wednesday March 24, 2004 John Driscoll
Two administrators at OMNI homes have come out with a strong endorsement of the upcoming Ontario Long Term Care Association’s new advocacy campaign for more long-term care funding.

This year’s campaign has a new twist, with a survey that asks people to choose their top five priorities for improving long term care from among 12 potential priorities listed, and then rate their five chosen priorities.

“This is a consultation that asks people most involved and most affected in long term care how they feel,” says Karl Samuelson, administrator at Garden Terrace in Kanata. “I endorse it 100 per cent and hope people see it as a marvellous opportunity to express their thoughts,” Karl says.

“This is a good campaign in which we are being asked what our personal priorities are,” says DarleneThibault, life enrichment co-ordinator at Almonte Country Haven. “I am very excited about it and we have already put a box out at our home for surveys to be dropped off.”

Darlene and Karl attended an OLTCA information session in Ottawa last week to get details of the campaign, set to be officially launched within days and winding up in April.

The media has already weighed in on what should be done in long-term care, as have bureaucrats, politicians and special interest groups, Karl says. “This is an opportunity for residents, families and staff, those who matter most in long-term care, to have their say.”

The 12 potential priorities cover causes that have been championed by OLTCA as well as causes championed by the Liberal government, Karl says. One of the priorities listed is more funding for in-care services which is something no one can argue with, he says.

For Karl, the central problem remains the chronic state of underfunding in long-term care. “The Ministry’s own research has determined that Ontario is the lowest funded jurisdiction in Canada and lower than those surveyed in the United States,” he points out. “It’s hard to argue with your own research. We’re in bad shape.”

There are potential priorities having to do with tougher penalties for infractions in long term care, how complaints are addressed and a registry of those convicted of abuse of residents.

People will have to put some thought into answering the survey, Karl points out. A potential priority calling for two additional baths for every resident every week sounds good but leaves questions unanswered, he says. “It says nothing about guaranteed funding for that to happen.”

It also doesn’t provide funding for other options, he says. One person may not want three baths a week and another may have a skin condition that requires other care than bathing, he says.

The OLTCA campaign should appeal to the public as well as to residents, staff and families, says Darlene. “People are much more aware of what long term care is all about,” she says. “I remind people when I speak as an advocate that one day we could be in long term care ourselves.”

OMNI has been a leader in participation in the past two OLTCA campaigns, Last year OMNI, with 3.5 per cent of the beds represented by OLTCA gathered 20 per cent of the post cards gathered in the campaign.
“I believe we’re going to be a leader again this year,” says Darlene who plans to introduce the campaign at a family night this week. “If you don’t advocate, you won’t get what you need.”

Karl says he is taking the campaign very seriously and plans to include an in-service program for staff and residents as well as meetings with families. “Any worthwhile project is 80 per cent planning and 20 per cent execution and we are already in the planning stage,” he says.

“I’ve always been an advocate for the elderly and I am devoting all my passion to this.”