Bridges to Care Long-Term Care Project

Bridges to Care - LTC Project

Overview
Knowledge-to-Practice Workshops and Resources
Bridges to Care Summits
Project Partners and Collaborators

Overview

This interprofessional quality improvement project, funded by HealthForceOntario, was aimed at improving evidence-based knowledge-to-practice resources for clinicians within Long Term Care.

Over 18 months the Centre for Studies in Aging & Health at Providence Care partnered with organizations in Kingston, Ottawa and Thunder Bay to improve the care and quality of life for residents and improve satisfaction and quality of work life for caregivers.

This initiative evolved into a collaborative resident-centred model whereby teams engaged in a quality improvement process that positively impacted care and practice.

Interprofessional educational modules following a quality improvement framework in a collaborative learning environment were developed and offered, focusing on the most relevant care issues, as identified by Long Term Care homes.

The materials, including care plans, decision-supports and communication-collaboration aids were specifically targeted for interprofessional practice in LTC and built upon existing resources available, evidence and best practice guidelines. This was a participative action research strategy, using a mixed methods evaluation to determine success in identified outcomes.

The model which was piloted in six sites has demonstrated success in terms of engaging and empowering team members and creating an environment supportive of adult learning and collaborative practice. Sustainability has been demonstrated through continued local and provincial support and spread of this initiative with additional funding at partner sites.

On January 25, 2011, the Bridges to Care Project shared knowledge and lessons learned about the project at the IPE (Interprofessional Education) Ontario 2011 Conference in Toronto, Ontario.

To view a presentation from this conference, click on Bridges to Care: Fostering Interprofessional Teamwork, Shared Learning and Creating Long Term Care (LTC) Learning Organizations.

Knowledge-to-Practice Workshops and Resources

Two Bridges to Care Knowledge-to-Practice Workshops were held in Kingston, Ontario on November 9-10, 2009 and March 29-30, 2010.

To view highlights of each workshop, click on November 2009 Workshop Highlights Poster or March 2010 Workshop Highlights Poster.

To view workshop details, click on Bridges to Care Long-Term Care Knowledge-to-Practice Workshops.

After conducting an environmental scan and needs assessment for each pilot site, the resource development team developed tailored Knowledge-to-Practice Resources including Tool Kits for the following common care issues in Long-Term Care:

Acquired Infections in LTC: Pneumonia
Acquired Infections in LTC: Urinary Tract Infections
Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia in LTC
Preventing Falls and Injuries in LTC

To find out more, click on Bridges to Care Long-Term Care Tool Kits.

Bridges to Care Summits

Summits to review the activities and findings of the Bridges to Care Project were held at each of the project sites in 2010.

To view presentations from these summits, please click on the respective links:

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