The President's 2008/2009 Report to the Annual General Meeting

November 5, 2009 

North Toronto Memorial Community Centre

200 Eglinton Avenue West

Toronto , Ontario

It is no exaggeration to say that the past year has been an incredibly busy one for the Concerned Friends' Board. We have traveled to make a presentation, participated in consultations, written letters of support for projects we would endorse, continued to advocate on behalf of individual residents/family members with specific concerns, been members of committees to provide input and feedback to the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, briefed the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, fielded questions from the CBC, were interviewed by graduate students, attended summits and forums, and submitted our response to government proposals. Concerned Friends continues to be an active partner in the Family Councils' Program.

Presentations:

•  Lois Dent and I traveled to Georgetown to make a presentation about the work of Concerned Friends to the Georgetown University Women's' Club. Local news reporters were also in attendance and the presentation resulted in new memberships in Concerned Friends .

Consultations :

•  Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care

The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has undertaken many initiatives. These initiatives include reviews of the funding to long-term care homes, a complete transformation of the compliance inspection system, and the creation of the regulations under the new Long-Term Care Homes Act (2007). Concerned Friends participated in the Ministry consultations around these initiatives, and the creation of the regulations. We submitted a response to the initial proposed draft regulations to the team responsible for forming the regulations.

•  Ontario Health Coalition

I attended consultations with the Ontario Health Coalition around key issues in long-term care. As well, board member Gay Thomson and I attended a briefing and policy conference on regulating long-term care homes to improve care.

Committees:

•  Compliance Transformation Advisory Group

We have attended the regular meetings of this group and provided input to the development of the new inspection process. We were also able to have the Compliance Project Team involve the Family Councils' Program in order to have family council members participate in roundtable conversations about the progress of the project, and for the team to receive family member input.

•  Toronto Long-Term Care Homes and Services LGBT Diversity Initiative -Welcoming Communities LBGT Steering Committee.

Concerned Friends was a member of this steering committee that focused on the needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgendered residents in long-term care homes, and the challenges that they face. This committee was responsible for the development of a manual,” Diversity Our Strength - LGBT Tool Kit” that was launched early in 2009.

•  Ontario Health Quality Council

Concerned Friends has become involved with the Ontario Health Quality Council and the activities that this Council is developing around improving the quality of long-term care, and its development of a public reporting website.

•  Ontario Seniors Secretariat Long-Term Care Advisory Committee

Board members attended regular meetings of this advisory committee. We provided input concerning long-term care and received information from the various seniors groups that are represented on this committee. The meetings are chaired by the Senior Secretariat's Assistant Deputy Minister.

•  Family Councils' Program Advisory Committee

In accordance with the terms of reference for the Family Councils' Program Advisory Committee, Concerned Friends appointed me as the Chair of this committee. The chair sets the agenda and conducts the meetings of the Committee. This committee meets four times a year, and has the mandate to support and assist the Family Councils' Program in reaching its goals. In all, three board members of Concerned Friends attended the Committee's meetings. In the past year, the Committee has discussed concerns about personal support workers, heard information from the stakeholder members about legislation that affects long-term care, provided advice to the Program and participated in a strategic planning meeting with Program staff, Family Council Facilitators, Regional Family Council Network Chairs and the Program Partners (Concerned Friends and the Self-Help Resource Centre)

•  Ontario Caregivers Coalition

Alzheimer Society Ontario hosted a summit for the newly formed Ontario Caregivers Coalition. The focus of this coalition is the caregiver of someone who suffers from Alzheimer Disease or a related dementia. These caregivers are very often a family member who is voluntarily providing long hours of care that can take a large emotional and physical toll. This group has communicated with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care as the government projects the increasing caregiver needs over the next few years. Concerned Friends was invited to the summit and subsequent meetings. We are seen as being able to provide a link in the transition from a home to long-term care, as well as providing information about how the caregiving by a family member continues but changes in the move into long-term care.

•  Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care Mental Health and Addictions Summit

Concerned Friends received a personal invitation from the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care to attend his ministry's summit to respond to a discussion paper and a consultation for a 10 year strategy for all aspects of mental health and addictions. The invitation came to us on the recommendation of the Seniors Secretariat. In the discussion and consultation sessions, Concerned Friends was able to raise issues and concerns about seniors' mental health as they relate to long-term care, and the staffing/educations needs that are required.

Interviews:

•  Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

We have been contacted several times over the past year by CBC producers/reporters for comment about long-term care issues as they arise, or for story ideas. We constantly raise the need for more funding, long-term care staff and training for personal support workers.

•  Graduate Students

Board members met, or were interviewed by telephone, by graduate students. A McMaster graduate student in occupational therapy met with us to discuss the potential positive effect of this therapy for depression suffered by residents in long-term care homes for a final paper that she was writing. She wants to actively work in educating long-term care staff and expressed a passion for this area.

A group of Health Sciences students from the University of Western Ontario contacted us about issues in long-term care, particularly those around incontinence. They had found us on the internet.

•  Long-Term Care Physicians

Board members met with Dr. Norman Flett, President of the Long-Term Care Physicians who were undertaking strategic planning for what they do as physicians with responsibilities in long-term care homes. We discussed the doctors that undertake these responsibilities, their accessibility and interaction with family members.

Briefing the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care:

Lois Dent and I met with David Caplan, the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, in his constituency office to brief him on the effect that the proclamation of Long-Term Care Homes Act (2007) will have on the Family Councils' Program. The proclamation means that there will be new legislation for family councils and their powers. We can anticipate that there will be increased demands on the activities of Program's staff. The anticipation of the legislation has already increased the staff's workload. The briefing note that the minister was given was developed cooperatively with our Program partner, Beth Hoen, the Acting Executive Director of the Self Help Resource Centre.

I was also able to have a few words about long-term care mental health, funding and staffing needs with the minister at his Mental Health and Addictions summit.

Advocacy:

In the course of advocating for individual residents or family members, our Advocates contacted compliance advisors, a senior manager of Compliance and Enforcement, and met with the Director of the Performance Improvement and Compliance Branch of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. While some of the calls we receive are ones where we can make suggestions and provide information quite easily, others are very difficult, very emotional, and, unfortunately, have no easy resolution. However, we are able to bring individual situations to our systemic advocacy and propose change as is appropriate.

Appreciation:

The board of Concerned Friends is an actively working board. I thank each board member for the work they have done for Concerned Friends and for the support that each of them has given to me in my first year as president. As she leaves the Board, I thank Gay Thomson for her committed work over the past several years as a board member, advocate and member of several committees. She has contributed greatly to these committees, our advocacy and to the Board. Raymond Tse is also leaving the Board because of personal commitments that will be taking a great deal of his time. As a member of our Compliance Committee, Raymond reviewed the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care compliance reports for each of the homes in the area of the province for which he was responsible. I appreciate the time that Raymond has given to Concerned Friends and his contribution to the discussion at board meetings.

We have been most fortunate to have the services of Marlynn Jolliffe as our part-time Board Assistant. In additional to her administrative service, she contributes information to the board and is enthusiastic about what we do. She provides the administrative help that we sorely need, and I know she gives us additional hours at no cost.

Lorna Snelling has faithfully checked our mail at the office, and sent out receipts and memberships. Her assistance is invaluable, and we value and thank her for her help to Concerned Friends. Kathy Pearsall's volunteer editing of our newsletter and managing of our website is very important to the communication of our activities and is much appreciated.

As well, I would like to acknowledge and thank Bev Grasser for the work that he has done voluntarily over the years in computerizing our membership lists and sending out the renewal notices.

I extend special thanks to SPRINT , and its executive director Jane Moore for the building space that they give free of charge. Our gratitude also goes to Carewatch for providing and helping us with the sound system used at our annual meeting.

We have been very busy, and there is much to be done. When we consider our financial report, I think that this report shows that we have been able to do a great deal with very little. As we review of membership numbers and our finances, the Concerned Friends board sees that we have the challenges of expanding our membership numbers, and increasing our financial resources.

-Phyllis Hymmen

Board of Directors