Ensuring quality of care for residents in the four County of Simcoe long-term care (LTC) facilities is an ever-evolving process, and one staff say they are always looking for ways to improve on.
On Tuesday, councillors were presented with the county’s most recent long-term care quality improvement plans (QIP) for 2025 and 2026, which will focus on four key areas, explained Jane Sinclair, the county's general manager of health and emergency services.
The plans are a yearly requirement under the Excellent Care Act of Ontario, which came into effect in 2010, and requires all LTC facilities to focus on quality improvement of all of the programs and systems in the home.
For 2025-26, Sinclair said the focus will include resident safety, patient flow, resident experience and equity.
“This requires the home, the entire leadership team and staff — as well as input from resident and family councils — to look at the process happening in the long-term care home (and) where are there areas for continued improvement,” she said.
By engaging the various stakeholders, Sinclair said they are able to develop a plan, which is then reviewed.
“It’s a very extensive program and demands long-term care homes really focus on quality improvement in their facilities," she said. "(It) also requires involvement of all stakeholders, including governments such as county council.”
Åsa Klint Piggott, the county's manager of performance, evaluation and reporting, said the process is not a “one and done” type of thing, either.
“We do start the process of developing the plan in the fourth quarter of every year," she said. "It is a six-month process where we engage front-line staff, the leadership team as well as staff, residents and families.
“Once it’s developed and approved at council here, we then work with those stakeholders to roll out that plan to make sure it’s implemented appropriately and tracked accordingly," Klint Piggott added.
The county owns and operates four long-term care homes, including Georgian Manor and Village in Penetanguishene, Simcoe Village and Manor in Beeton, Sunset Manor in Collingwood, and Trillium Manor in Orillia.