The Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO) has selected long-term care homes in London and St. Thomas to join its best practice spotlight organization program.
Mount Hope Centre for Long-Term Care in London and Valleyview Home in St. Thomas are part of a cohort of 15 Ontario nursing homes that will be implementing evidence-based care under the program. The homes were selected through a "rigorous proposal process," the association said. The program provides nurses and other health-care workers with up-to-date evidence-based knowledge, meant to improve care, quality of life, and health outcomes for seniors.
Under the agreement to join, the selected long-term care homes will have to implement a minimum of three of the association's more than 50 clinical best practice guidelines over a three-year period. This will be done with support from best practices program coordinators.
“We are thrilled that these LTC homes are joining the global community of health organizations dedicated to clinical excellence to improve the health and wellbeing of the populations they serve," said Dr. Doris Grinspun, the RNAO's CEO and program founder. "We commend these homes for their commitment to optimizing everyday care and outcomes for residents, and know that the program will bring strength to their staff and residents through evidence-based practices and robust staff engagement."
Other southwestern long-term care homes selected include Heron Terrace Long Term Care Community in Windsor and Fiddick’s Nursing Home & Retirement Home Ltd. in Petrolia. Five homes in Ottawa, three in Toronto and one each in Stoney Creek, North York, and Arnprior have also been accepted into the program.
The homes will use an international data system to monitor progress and evaluate outcomes of the program. Following a pre-designation period, the homes can graduate to full best practice spotlight organization status and mentor future cohorts.
The program, launched in 2003, currently has more than 1,500 best practice spotlight organizations in Ontario, Canada, and internationally. These include various long-term care providers and hospital networks such as St. Joseph's Health Care London and the Middlesex Hospital Alliance.