News & Views

DIRECTIONS AND EXPECTATIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES TO SUPPORT OLDER ADULTS ARE OPTIMISTIC!

AAG Members had the opportunity to attend a variety of conferences and gatherings across the province this Fall. This has allowed AAG to learn more about the opportunities for integrated care that will support the well-being of older adults in Alberta, while also sharing with others the collaborative work AAG is leading with the Culture Change Project to support this shift. Together, we move forward!

1. Key themes that emerged across conferences:

2. The workforce makes the future possible

• Demand for services and supports is ever-growing, but supply is finite. Multiple presentations and panels spoke to this challenge and the need for innovative service delivery models

3. Connection = the Correction

• Connection is needed for intention system and service design. This is within community, across sectors, and across government ministries.

4. Ecosystems must be person-focused

• Connecting communities for wellbeing can power our way to this future
• Reshaping continuing care homes for a future of person-centered care and optimal work environments for employees will take multi-faceted initiatives and action on  policy implications for current ways of doing things and funding.

Combatting ageism is the key underpinning to full participation of older adults as agents of personal and collective engagement and living with purpose.

Further highlights from AAG members are detailed below.

ALBERTA CONTINUING CARE ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE, “Catalysts of Change”, October 15-17th – Calgary, AB

• Premier Smith and Ministers La Grange and Nixon set a Vision for Continuing Care (https://www.alberta.ca/government-news.aspx)

“We are committed to ensuring Alberta has a continuing care system that provides Albertans with the health care, personal care services and accommodations they need to support their independence and quality of life.”

“Establishing a new provincial health agency dedicated to continuing care gives us the opportunity to broaden our efforts to care for all Albertans who need daily supports and services in continuing care homes, supportive living or through home and community care.”

“Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services Jason Nixon will become the sector minister for the new continuing care provincial health agency.”

“As the oversight minister, and the minister responsible for the health care system in Alberta, I will ensure Alberta Health works alongside the Ministry of Seniors, Community and Social Services as we continue to deliver these critical services and build towards the standing up of the new continuing care agency. Alberta Health will continue to assist in determining how services will be delivered in the future.”

Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health

“As the new sector minister for continuing care, I am committed to ensuring seniors, people with disabilities, people facing homelessness and other vulnerable Albertans are supported with comprehensive, wraparound services that meet both their medical and non-medical needs.”

“This change will not interrupt service delivery or impact funding in any way.”

“We will be looking to ensure all aspects of continuing care – including home care and community care – can be expanded in innovative ways to support people as their situations and needs evolve.”

“We will be looking to make the system easier to access. A new, unified approach will include a new, user-friendly online platform to connect partners and Albertans to continuing care supports and enable people to request the services they need directly.”

“And we won’t be doing this in isolation – we are establishing a transitional committee that will help guide the transformation, and we will be consulting with key organizations, operators and experts.”

“With the experience of health care professionals and social service specialists, we will develop services that work together, while continuing to support Albertans in choosing where and how they would like to live.”

Jason Nixon, Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services

• Keynote speaker, Colin Milner, spoke to the “The Transformative Power of Wellness for an Aging Population”.

We were challenged personally and organizationally to make individual wellness a priority, with new health behaviours and social connections. LIVE BETTER LONGER, a new mindset and narrative.

• Home Care Leader, Home Instead, challenged us to think creatively and make  “home as a  viable place for care” as our starting place in developing continuing care services and  new approaches to supporting people to live well in community.

• Navigating Recent Changes in Continuing Care Standards; Adapting to New Impacts in Planning, Designing, and Financing Eligible Capacity for the Province” was addressed by a  panel of providers developing new care home communities—Sherwood Care in Sherwood Park, Good Samaritan Society  with their West Village initiative in Edmonton, and Bethany Care Centre in Calgary. They spoke to their visions for change in the built environment with small home environments for relationship-focused care with individuals with a range of complex care needs,  innovation in staffing and use of technology as enablers for staff and team communications, the desire to collocate  a range of community services on site to improve access for community members, and the need for evolution in funding models. We await Ministry announcements of small home projects to see the scope of possibilities for change in Alberta!

RhPAP CONFERENCE, “The Next Chapter in Rural Healthcare”, October 8-10–Wainwright

Alberta Health’s Rural Action Plan (available on the Ministry website)  was profiled by MLA Martin Long, Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Health. This plan is targeting 5 Outcomes:

• Equitable access to healthcare services
• A rural healthcare approach that is modern, cost-effective and nimble and is able to evolve and adapt (one size does not fit all)
• A durable and sustainable rural healthcare system
• Engaging rural and remote communities contributing to the decision-making process to solve their unique needs
• Rural-focused health that supports promotion and prevention, providing conditions for healthy living in local setings

NORTH AMERICAN CONFERENCE ON INTEGRATED CARE, “Creating Health with Integrated Care” – October 14-17th – Calgary, AB

A CHALLENGE TO ALL OF US: IT’S 50 YEARS SINCE THE LALONDE REPORT SET OUT THE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH—WHAT’S NEXT??

• Keynote speaker, Georgina Black, Growth & Client Officer at Deloitte Canada,  set out a vision and new language for a “wellbeing economy” in her talk on” Human Level Transformation for Collective Impact”.

A wellbeing economy would allow us to take back healthcare as communities, with consumers at the core for change co-creating value for well being (which needs the social determinants of health) with the  participation of a broad range of providers (public, private and not-for -profit in a mixed market economy) , powered with innovation in technology!

• Developing new structures and systems gain traction with new approaches to quality improvement and system integration:

…Like the new Continuing Care Quality of Life Framework from Health Quality Council of Alberta (check out their website)

…and the new standards from the Health Standards Organization,
Integrating People-Centered Health Systems Standard (Can/HSO 76000:2021)

…And this initiative being pioneered by Imagine Citizens re Care Opinion (check out their website)

AGE-WELL ANNUAL CONFERENCE, “Shared Visions, Shared Futures: Transforming Aging Together” – October 23-24 – Edmonton, AB

• A Panel at AGEWell  addressed the topic “Home Reimagined: New Perspectives for an Aging Population”.

…Frank Van Dillen was a pioneer in designing Holland’s dementia villages with their lifestyle approach, recognizable environments, safe environments, opportunities to stay connected, and with supportive technologies. He spoke to recent shifts in Holland to social inclusion and common sense long-term care (open communities, intergenerational communities, wellness)

…Conference attendees were introduced to NORCS, Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities, by a leader from New York regarding their work to engage individuals in high density living environments for older adults to co-create services, socialization and recreation, volunteer/leadership with residents. Check out HealthCare Excellence Canada’s website for Canadian resources re NORCS.

…Paul Lea, an individual with dementia spoke to the importance of  technology for individual wellbeing (ALEXA, smart sensors, smart home technologies, Apple watch) to allow him to live independently and be connected with family and friends and his care team! Key to his success, a TECH savvy friend!

CANADIAN ASSOCIATION ON GERONTOLOGY – “Agents of Change: Unraveling Complexity and Advancing Transformation” – October 24-26, 2024

• A Panel at CAG, spoke about research to develop the evidence for the impact of Adult Day Programs, both for the recipient of service and care partners for respite and the system, with metrics for impact.

…Dr. Mattias Hoben is the leader for this project. He is a leader on measuring quality of life and was a key speaker in AAG’s Webinar on this topic in April 2022. He is advising the Continuing Care Quality of Life Working Group on metrics for the new Quality of Life Framework in Alberta.

    …Alzheimer Calgary is part of this important study with their Adult Day Program.

• Social Prescribing was a topic of interest with presentations by our leaders for social prescribing, Healthy Aging Alberta and Beth Mansell.  HAA folks also attended the Canadian Conference on Social Prescribing the first week of October.

… Summary observations below reinforce the importance of Alberta’s work to enhance  non- medical supports for persons living in the Community, with leadership by Healthy Aging Alberta —check out their resource guide for Social Prescribing in Alberta!

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/leanne-wells-276b76140_primaryhealthnetworks-activity-7250025793651650560-9uvS/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android

READ very relevant observations from the Canadian Conference.

CAREGIVERS ALBERTA CONFERENCE, “Caregivers Together”, November 1-2 – Edmonton

• Momentum is happening in Alberta

…with great momentum at Caregivers Alberta—watch for News and Views for an update on their conference Nov 1 & 2 and their work.

…With new education modules for professional learning from the U of A (caregivercare.ca)

…With a collaborative initiative being lead by Dr. J. Parmar and Dr. S. Anderson from the  UofA Family Medicine to develop a Caregiver Strategy for Alberta.

• A National Caregiver Strategy

…YES—it is taking shape thanks to leadership by the Canadian Center for Caregiving Excellence and cross-Canada collaboration.

—watch for the next NEWS & VIEWS where you can become part of this movement for change!

TWO FINAL THOUGHTS FROM KEYNOTES REGARDING OUR JOURNEY OF CHANGE

• Georgina Black, from Deloitte, spoke at the North American Integrated Care Conference  about the reality, “we change at the  speed of trust”.

…Three trust accelerators:

1. Collaborating partners agree how to work together (work through scenarios)
2. Collaborating partners declare what competencies are/are not important with clarity about intentions
3. Collaborating partners process learning together.

.. Three conditions that Challenge Trust

1. Asymmetry in power relationships; encourage traditional power players (eg institutional system to reach out)
2. Disconnections that emerge and that are not dealt with
3. Governance is over-looked or comes late

• David Irvine, final keynote speaker at ACCA’S conference had a motivational presentation

” The Renewed Power of Caring Leadership”

…with a key messages for the journey of change: “we need to distinguish between change, transition and transformation”!

• CHANGE: an event; the act of moving from one state/system/practice to another.
• TRANSITION: typically takes months: occurs inside a person AND outside in organizations and the environment we live and work in –needs forethought to designing change  and ongoing support
• TRANSFORMATION: the desired new state/perception/culture. Habits take years to change and need continual reinforcement and change in underpinning structures and processes.

IN ALL CONFERENCES, IT WAS CLEAR ALBERTA IS ON THE MOVE; ALBERTA IS RECOGNIZED AS A LEADER WITH A UNIQUE COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT—ACROSS SECTORS and MINISTRIES!

ONE OF ALBERTA’S LEADERS WAS DR. JANET FAST, PROFESSOR AT THE UOFA WHO PASSED AWAY SUDDENLY SEPTEMBER 2024. 

• She was researcher, champion and colleague for change for caregivers locally, provincially and nationally.
• Her work with AAG lives on in her contributions to Family Caregiving in our Webinar January 2024 (check out Resources on our Website)
• AGEWELL recognized her on October 24^th with the Dr. Janet Fast Caregiver Support & Research Advancement Award
• Caregivers Alberta recognized her on November 1^st with their first Caregiver Research Award.