Bay Haven care conferences example of resident-focused care: Assistant DOC
Wednesday, September 29, 2004 - Roderick Benns
The focus on care conferences by Bay Haven Senior Care Community represents a top best practice at this Collingwood long-term care home, according to Lois Tamburrini, assistant director of care.

Care conferences represent full and rigorous assessments of residents upon admission to this 60-bed facility. As well, care conferences are completed through quarterly assessments, or if a resident is re-admitted to the facility after a hospital stay, or if their condition changes considerably, says Tamburrini.

She says the resident attends, as well as family members, the activity co-ordinator, the food services supervisor and a primary caregiver (front-line personal support worker or health care aide), as well as herself.

Tamburrini says the care conferences are beneficial for two reasons.

"First, it assists residents and family members in adjusting to long-term care.

"Secondly, they realize we’re interested in many different aspects of the resident’s care, whether it’s their primary health, their social needs or their dietary needs," she explains.

"I think it’s important for us as caregivers to get to know the residents," and this helps, says the assistant DOC.

The quarterly care conferences are set well in advance so family members can make arrangements to attend. Roughly, says Tamburrini, about 50 per cent of the conferences end up being attended by a family member along with the resident and care team.

"If family members can’t come for whatever reason," she says, "then we try to do a phone conference instead."

The information gathered from the care conference does not sit idle, Tamburrini notes. Soon after it is summarized and reviewed by registered staff on all three shifts and discussed with incoming staff members. "It’s always passed on for continuity of care," she says.

Tamburrini says these standards represent a continuous improvement in the lives of residents at Bay Haven. "We have better nursing care because of the care conference."