Continuing the conversation: Mobilizing collective action for long-term care reform in Canada

 RNAO organized a path breaking Cross Country Meeting to engage Collective Action for Long-Term Care Reform in Canada. This special Health System Transformation & COVID-19 Webinar happened on Monday, November 9. See the press release for the November 9 event here. You can watch the webinar here.

The overwhelming response and active engagement during the November 9 webinar is indicative of the urgency and opportunity for collective action. To this end, we are hosting another Cross-Country Meeting. We will continue the conversation on Monday, December 14, 6:45 to 8:00 pm. You can register here.

The December 14 webinar will once again be moderated by The Globe and Mail columnist André Picard, the author of Neglected No More: The Urgent Need to Improve the Lives of Canada's Elders in the Wake of a Pandemic, and the panelists will be (in order of presentation):

• Nathan Stall, staff geriatrician at Sinai Health System, will update on COVID-19 outbreaks in LTC in Canada, with particular attention to Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario and Nova Scotia. Dr. Stall will also share emerging research regarding COVID-19 and its impact on residents and staff in LTC. 
• Carole Estabrooks, nursing professor, University of Alberta, expert on knowledge translation in LTC, will challenge us to reject quick fixes and ask about our collective vision for LTC in Canada. Dr. Estabrooks brings a wealth of knowledge from the research program of TREC (Translating Research in Elder Care) and its impact during COVID-19 and beyond.    
• Morgan Hoffarth, RNAO President and Director of Care at Mount Hope Centre for Long Term Care, will discuss current challenges and opportunities faced by front line providers and managers in LTC homes. She brings real life experience from a leader who was inspired to join an LTC home during COVID-19.  
• Wendy Francis, Family Councils Collaborative Alliance (FCCA), will share the vital role of family councils during COVID-19. The FCCA brings a collective voice to inform the challenges of families during the first and second waves of COVID-19, as well as learning for a post COVID-19 era. 
• Doris Grinspun, RNAO CEO, will inspire a call to action. Our feisty CEO and sophisticated analyst and strategist will remind us this is our “last kick at the can.” We should honour the lives already lost – due in part to government failure, ageism and discrimination – and the anguish of their families, by securing a brighter future for all who call LTC their home. Dr. Grinspun will offer thoughts for targeted action.

Everyone from across Canada, and internationally, is invited to attend. If you care about seniors, and want to join forces to ensure our provincial, territorial and federal governments turn tragedy into action by establishing national standards for LTC, this meeting is for you!  

Register for the upcoming December 14 webinar and register here.

Information on past webinars, including videos and presentation slides, can also be found here.