Long-Term Care Task Force on Resident Care and Safety to Develop Action Plan to Protect Residents

Consultations to Address Abuse and Neglect in Long-Term Care Homes

TORONTO, Feb. 16, 2012 /CNW/ - A task force has been established to address incidents of abuse and neglect in long-term care homes, as well as the potential underreporting of these incidents.

Led by an external chair, the task force has broad representation from across the sector, including family and resident councils, nurses, physicians, unions, personal support workers, long-term care provider associations and advocates.

"I feel privileged to have been appointed to chair the task force and look forward to working with all of the members on this very important initiative," said Dr. Gail Donner, Dean and Professor Emerita, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto. "While the subject matter is very challenging, I believe we have a real opportunity to affect meaningful change," Donner added.

The task force will consult with long-term care residents, families, friends, volunteers and staff, as well as researchers, academics and other subject matter experts to gather information to understand the factors in long-term care that contribute to safe, high quality resident care and promote an environment of openness and respect.

The goal of the task force is to deliver an action plan that will support the prevention of incidents of abuse or neglect in long-term care homes, advance the current zero tolerance of abuse policy and overall culture of openness and transparency, and restore public confidence that long-term care residents are receiving high quality care and are being treated with dignity and respect.

"People interested in contributing their views to the task force will have several avenues to do so," said Dr. Donner. "It is important for us to consider wide ranging input if we are to develop an action plan that is truly responsive to the needs of residents and care providers."

The task force has a defined mandate, and as a result, will be seeking responses to a key set of questions that will ensure submissions, while not limited, are appropriately focused. Options for making a confidential submission to the Long-Term Care Task Force on Resident Care and Safety include:

• Online: visit longtermcaretaskforce.ca and click on 'Your Voice'
• Mail: submit your responses to the Long -Term Care Task Force,1938 Bloor St West, P.O. Box 30026, Toronto, ON M6P 4J2
• Telephone: Call 1-866-399-6073 to record your responses
• Fax your responses to [phone] between the hours of 8:00am - 8:00pm.

Submissions will be accepted until March 19, 2012.

The task force will meet several times over the next few months to review and consider input received, and develop the action plan targeted for sector and public release by the end of April 2012.

Task Force Members/Member Organizations

	Concerned Friends of Ontario Citizens in Care Facilities
	Family Member of Long-Term Care Resident
	Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes and Services for Seniors
	Ontario Association of Residents' Councils
	Ontario Family Councils' Program
	Ontario Long Term Care Association
	Ontario Long Term Care Physicians
	Ontario Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse
	Ontario Nurses' Association
	Personal Support Network of Ontario; PSW Ontario
	Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario
	Registered Practical Nurses' Association of Ontario
	Resident of a Long-Term Care Home
	Service Employees International Union

Gail Donner, RN (Ret.), PhD, is Professor and Dean Emerita in the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto, and a Partner in donnerwheeler Career Planning Consultants. Her varied professional experience includes Chair, Department of Nursing at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Ryerson University) (1976-82); Executive Director of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (1984-89); and Director of Nursing Education and Research at the Hospital for Sick Children (1989-92). In July 2001, she retired as Professor and Dean from the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto where she had been a Professor since 1992.

Dr. Donner has held a number of government and community appointments, including member of the Metro Toronto District Health Council Hospital Restructuring Committee; Chair, Air Ambulance Review, Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care; and Vice-chair of the Director's Advisory Committee on the Long-Term Future of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). Among other roles, Dr. Donner is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of the Hospital for Sick Children where she chairs the Quality Committee.

Dr. Donner has been honoured by several organizations for her contributions to nursing, health care and the community.

There are 634 long-term care homes in Ontario. These homes are a mix of private, public, not for profit, charitable and municipally run that operate close to 78,000 long-term care beds and provide care and services to over 77,000 residents.

Lesley Atkinson
LTC Task Force on Resident Care and Safety
416.710.3384
[email protected]