“Elderly Advocacy Resources through a Legacy Teaching Culture” was initiated by Denise Bedard, who felt that the regimented care provision prevalent in many long term care homes alienated residents, resulting in a decreased quality of life.

Hoping to restore the ‘personhood’ of residents and increase social interactions between staff and residents and build meaningful community within long term care residences, Bedard began by implementing the project at Meadow Park London, where she is administrator.

Through a series of surveys and workshops for residents, staff, and family members, Bedard began to compile different methods for redesigning and re-thinking long term care. Increased social interactions through workshops and surveys altered the home’s climate.

“This pilot project has fostered a culture that has delivered an innovative and measurable achievement in health care delivery by dramatically increasing the psycho-social interaction of health care providers, residents and family members,” wrote Bedard, in a proposal for an ‘Innovations in Health Care’ exposition.

Now the project has blossomed, involving Dr. Al Salmoni, a professor and director of the University of Western Ontario kinesiology program. The project will also be piloted in five London-area homes, and will involve a team comprised of Bedard, Salmoni, Dr. Marita Kloseck, U of W Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, and four graduate students.

Over a two year period the team will run a series of workshops in the homes, and develop the project as a certificate course, with a ‘Train the Trainer’ feature. The hope, says Bedard, is that the project will be accepted by the Ministry and eventually taught by a specialized team across different health care sectors.

This feature of the “Legacy Teaching Culture” project, she says, was mainly inspired because of the lack of sustainability of many educational initiatives in long term care.

“What often happens is that an administrator or director of care or staff member will attend an educational workshop but simply not have the time to follow through. This has to be a sustainable program,” says Bedard.

Partnerships – the ideal behind the new LHIN system – are also integral to the success of “Legacy Teaching Culture,’ says Bedard.

Bedard has developed a number of London-area partners, including Parkwood Hospital, Alzheimer Society of London, and the Alice Saddy Association, a nursing home advocacy group. Sprucedale Care Centre, located in Strathmore, is the first home to sign on to the project.

“The seeds have been dropped,” she says.