| Diversity in Action: March 2008- This unique and comprehensive tool kit is packed with practical ideas, tools and tips for organizations to put cultural diversity into action at every level. It is the outcome of the excellent report, Creating Welcoming Communities in Long-term Care Homes, prepared for Concerned Friends in February 2007 by Joan Christensen and Ellen Rajzman of Christensen Community Consulting. The tool kit is a wonderful resource and it is amazing that such an attractive, informative and very readable package was developed within such a short time. It was only last spring that the Ontario Seniors' Secretariat announced a one-time grant to Concerned Friends and the Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes and Services for Seniors to develop the cultural competency tool kit! Thanks to the hard work of the two consultants, Marje Cope and Thora Smaller, along with support and feedback from the Steering Committee members, this user-friendly tool kit will soon be available. It is now in the final stages of editing and is being translated into French. We expect it to be released by the Seniors' Secretariat in both a print and an electronic version in May. The tool kit has stories interspersed throughout that illustrate how the smallest thing can make a big difference in showing respect for another person. It has information about the spiritual aspects of end-of-life care in various cultures. It includes examples of steps some residences have taken to offer culturally relevant food options. It has care-planning tools, tools for training and education, management strategies, stories that illustrate effective partnership approaches with culture-based organizations and much, much more. It even has delicious recipes from a variety of cultures! We are proud of the Diversity in Action Tool Kit and hope that it will have a positive impact on the quality of life for all those living and working in residential settings in Ontario. |