Engagement, education helps families learn about long-term care
Friday February 1, 2008 -- Deron Hamel
The initial meetings between Burnbrae Gardens’ management team and the families of new residents are important forums for establishing trust and letting family members know their loved ones are in good hands, says Mary Anne Greco, administrator and director of care at the Campbellford long-term care home.

And moving into a long-term care home is a big change not just for the resident — it’s also a major transition for their family to adjust to, says Greco.

Encouraging families to educate themselves and inviting them to come to the home to meet with staff members helps break down barriers, she adds.

When staff members meet with residents and families prior to new admissions they make sure everyone gets the full information package about the home, including all the services offered.

Staff members explain the home’s philosophy of care, as well as OMNI’s mission, vision and values to the resident and their family to ensure they are clear on what they should expect from the home.

In fact, Greco says that over time family members have become increasingly savvy when it comes to knowing what questions to ask during the initial meeting.

“We’re finding that a lot of our current families, as opposed to a couple years ago, are much more knowledgeable,” she says. “They’ll come in and ask (us) what our resident-to-nurse ratio is, as well as what the home’s philosophy on resident abuse is.”

With new admissions come new challenges, Greco notes. She categorizes these challenges into two types — resident-based and family-based.

For residents, the biggest challenge is adjusting to their new surroundings. The best way to overcome this challenge, says Greco, is to give new residents as much time and as much space as they need.

In some cases, the president of the residents’ council will be asked to escort new residents around the home to help ease them into the new setting and introduce them to other residents.

“For the families, (the greatest challenge) is helping them overcome their feelings of guilt,” says Greco. “A lot of them are just riddled with guilt because they feel that they’ve abandoned their loved one and feel that they haven’t been a success in being able to cope with them.”