Community Governed
Organizations P.O. Box 48044, Mill Cove PO
965 Bedford Highway
Bedford, NS B4A 3Z2
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Website:www.cgons.org
June 26, 2018
Recently, the Nova Scotia Department of Health and Wellness released its new plan to address serious incidents of pressure injuries in long-term care facilities.
Our membership of not-for-profit long-term care homes in Nova Scotia have long been committed to delivering high standards of person-centred resident care across our province, and to working together as a sector in collaboration with the Department of Health and Wellness to meet changing standards.
We believe in achieving success through collective capacity, which means we work together in order to be innovative and accountable. Our member homes provide care and services for thousands of residents every day. It’s a responsibility we take very seriously as we work diligently to ensure the comfort, safety and well-being of our residents. Our care delivery systems and quality of care is reviewed annually by the Department of Health and Wellness Compliance Officers.
We support the Department of Health and Wellness’ actions to address pressure injuries in the province’s long-term care homes, including the provision of expert support for caregivers and the introduction of revised standardized wound care protocols. It’s important to understand that with the growing fragility, disease burden and increased complexity of our residents, greater action beyond revised protocols will be required, and we welcome the opportunity to help advance this work.
CGO would be interested in contributing to a provincial human resource strategy which includes; revisiting long-term care staffing levels, a strong focus on education, training, and professional development and, providing support for building and maintaining staff capacity within our homes. Additionally, a renewed focus on leadership development for registered staff is imperative. Such a comprehensive strategy is essential to addressing the complex challenges associated with delivering safe, effective and sustainable quality care.
Approximately two years ago a provincial wound care strategy was developed and delivered to the Department, with considerable input and commitment from the continuing care sector. We would like to work collaboratively with the Department to help advance this strategy. The strategy will be further helped by ensuring there is a consistent data measurement system which will allow homes to standardize individual care assessments across the province and produce evidenced-based data. In addition, putting in place performance metrics to assess the quality of care in our resident care will bring Nova Scotia up to standards that are in place in other provinces in Canada.
Our long-term care homes are places of joy and vibrant communities, yet many of our residents experience complex health challenges. We know that every day, Nova Scotians are depending on us to provide quality care for their loved ones. We take this responsibility very seriously, and are fully committed to working collaboratively with government, our partners, and the community to ensure quality, safe, person-centred care across the province.
COMMUNITY GOVERNED NURSING HOME SOCIETY OF NOVA SCOTIA
“Success through collective capacity”
