Category: News

Reprinted from Haldimand County News

Haldimand County and Niagara College Canada have once again partnered to offer the Personal Support Worker (PSW) college certificate program at Grandview Lodge in Dunnville starting in January 2023.

A drop-in information session will be held on November 16, 2022 from 5 to 8 p.m in the Grandview Lodge Auditorium (657 Lock St. W) for those interested in learning more about the program and whether it may be a good fit.

Individuals who enroll will participate in 8 months of hands-on PSW training at Grandview Lodge, gain their Ontario College certificate and enter the job market with an established portfolio of PSW work experience.

Financial assistance is available for qualifying individuals, and anyone experiencing economic barriers is encouraged to contact Grandview Lodge staff at 905-774-7547 to learn more about tuition supports offered.

Graduates of the program will not only earn their college certificate, but have the unique opportunity to:

• Foster relationships with PSW colleagues and establish professional networks for future employment references
• Develop marketable skills necessary for success in the workplace
• Access job opportunities in Dunnville upon successful completion of the program

“We’re thrilled to partner with Niagara College Canada to offer this innovative program in our community,” said Jennifer Jacob, Grandview Lodge administrator. “This exciting partnership allows students to be immersed in a long-term care environment while completing their practicum, which gives graduates the advantage of real-life experience when entering the job market,” Jacob noted.

“We are excited to work with Grandview Lodge again to help meet the education needs of prospective students and the healthcare needs of the community,” said Angela Butt, Niagara College Interim Dean, Health Sciences. “Our partnership with Grandview Lodge really facilitates Niagara College in living its vision of enriching lives and fulfilling dreams through applied learning and real-life experience!”

Individuals who are interested in the PSW profession or have an interest in pursuing a career within the healthcare sector are strongly encouraged to attend the November 16 information session to learn more.

More information about the Personal Support Worker certificate program is available on the Niagara College website. Anyone interested may also contact Grandview Lodge (905-775-7547 or grandview@haldimandcounty.on.ca) or Niagara College (myfutureNC@niagaracollege.ca for further details.

As a testament to the value of the program it is offering, Near North District School Board (NNDSB) has just created its third and fourth Memorandum of Understanding in two weeks. West Nipissing General Hospital (WNGH) in Sturgeon Falls and Algonquin Nursing Home in Mattawa plan to provide living classrooms in order to train Personal Support Workers (PSWs).

WNGH and Algonquin Nursing Home are the two most recent organizations to commit to working with NNDSB to provide a living classroom, in which students will learn theory in an on-site classroom, then apply those skills on the floor of the hospital. Students will do their clinical work on WNGH’s long-term care and complex continuing care units, and in the long-term care home in Mattawa.

Student costs of this program will be subsidized; tuition is covered by NNDSB.

Cynthia Dèsormiers, President and Chief Executive Officer of WNGH, says the hospital is eager to partner because, “there is a critical shortage of Health Human Resources (HHR) throughout Ontario and in our community as well. This is a program that allows us to think outside the box while fulfilling a need at WNGH and in our community. This program will provide a great opportunity for people in our community to kick start a new career in health care, and with the tuition being waived in the first year, it is like a gift for those who may have financial difficulties.”

NNDSB’s Director of Education Craig Myles says the board has worked hard to bring this hands-on learning opportunity to learners 18 years and older. “We’re excited to offer this training, which is accredited through the Personal Support Worker Professional Association. NNDSB will be training PSWs who will be ready to begin work upon completion of the course.”

The PSW program is a collaborative effort of the board, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and community organizations. The other partnerships will see living classrooms set up in Cassellholme in North Bay, and Belvedere Heights and Lakeland Long-Term Care in Parry Sound. (Hyperlinks are to media release about those partnerships.)

Dèsormiers says the program and partnership “is a win-win for both the hospital and the students. This is an opportunity for us to grow our own PSWs, which usually leads to recruitment and improved retention when they are from the community.”

Jay Aspin, Chair of the Board of Trustees of NNDSB, says the PSW initiative is a great way to re-engage adult learners while addressing a critical shortage of healthcare workers. “NNDSB is proud of its role in helping to educate and train skilled PSWs that are in high demand in all areas of the board. This innovative program serves so many purposes in our communities, including marvelous opportunities for our students.”

Dèsormiers says WNGH is “grateful for the opportunity to partner this year and in future years to fill a huge need in healthcare, while providing great employment opportunities and careers for people in West Nipissing and surrounding areas.”

Spaces in each program are limited. Anyone interested should plan to attend the information session on Thursday, Nov. 18 at 6 p.m. online. (Meeting is hyperlinked.)

Students who do not yet have their Grade 12 are eligible to apply. They can earn up to six credits towards their diploma while taking this training.

NNDSB is seeking partnerships with local long-term care homes in all regions of the board to re-engage learners who are 18+ interested in training to become a PSW. Any long-term care home interested in partnering should contact Liana Blaskievich, NNDSB’s Officer Corporate Affairs at 705-472-8170 ext. 5056 or liana.blaskievich@nearnorthschools.ca.

Reprinted from Impact Stories, Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging.

Personal support workers (PSWs) provide hands-on care for more than 80,000 long-term care residents across Ontario. Their role in our healthcare system is vital to the well-being, health and quality of life of older adults.

In early 2020, a report from the Ontario Health Coalition drew attention to the escalating issue of PSW shortages in the province, which are now at crisis-level. The report raised daunting concerns for resident care and safety.

The Living Classroom partnership model addresses these challenges and profiles long-term care (LTC) and senior living as a rewarding career opportunity.

The Living Classroom partnership model was first implemented in the province in 2009 through a collaboration with Conestoga College, the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging and Schlegel Villages. Stemming from a shared vision to improve quality of life and care for LTC residents by training work-ready PSWs, the Living Classroom brings employers, educators, students, and residents together. Training takes place directly in LTC homes, providing real-world experience for students and mentorship opportunities for residents, while enabling employers to hire new graduates who understand the sector and are more confident about working with older adults.

The Living Classroom partnership model has been tested and evaluated in long-term care and retirement homes in both Guelph and Waterloo, with a recent publication in the journal Educational Gerontology providing evidence to support its success.

With support from the Ontario Centres for Learning, Research and Innovation in Long-Term Care at the RIA, the Living Classroom model is being shared across Ontario. In 2020, the model was adopted by the St. Louis Adult Learning and Continuing Education Centres with the Waterloo Catholic District School Board.

“We were looking for creative solutions to address space constraints and to enhance the learning experience,” says Tammy Cantin, Program Manager of PSW Training at St. Louis.

“I heard about the Living Classroom through network meetings. It seemed like the ideal approach to meet both the needs of St. Louis and the community. We worked through the Implementation Guide provided to us by the RIA and then began looking for care partners who might be ready to try out this model with us.”

After eight months of exploring potential partnerships, St. Louis identified local care providers interested in adopting the model. Fairview Seniors Community in Cambridge, Ontario was ready to collaborate.

St. Louis and Fairview partnered and worked to transform unused space at the seniors community into a new classroom, complete with equipment to build hands-on skills, as well as a kitchenette and break room.

The first cohort of St. Louis students began their learning experience in October 2020.

“We wanted to explore innovative ways to encourage people to get involved in the rewarding field of caring for seniors,” says Elaine Shantz, CEO of Fairview and Parkwood Seniors Communities.

“The Living Classroom allows students to experience the incredible privilege of working with older adults. Not only are they learning practical skills to work in their field, they’re also fostering rich interpersonal skills – building relationships, evaluating how this work fits with their career goals, and gaining real-life experience so they can hit the ground running after graduation. It’s a unique learning opportunity.”

The partnership and adoption of the Living Classroom model also benefit residents and employers.

“Our residents enjoy connecting with younger adults; they benefit socially and mentally from the rewarding interactions with students,” says Shantz.

“From a workforce standpoint, we get to know students and can hire directly out of the program. The transition into employment is smooth and comfortable for students. The process is efficient for us. When the experience is mutually beneficial, we see higher retention rates. And that’s exactly what Ontario needs right now.”

While COVID-19 has affected the program’s enrollment capacity and interactive features for 2020-2021, both St. Louis and the Fairview Seniors Community expect that the Living Classroom experience will only get better.

“We’re excited to see how this model will look without pandemic restrictions,” says Tammy Cantin.

“But already we’re seeing meaningful impact for everyone involved. If we could run all of our classes this way, we would.”

The Living Classroom model is a prime example of how the RIA drives innovation to solve real-world problems and enhance quality of life and care for older adults.

To learn more about the Living Classroom, click here.

With a growing need for PSWs, Bruyère is working with La Cité to bring staff into the workforce more quickly. CTV’s Leah Larocque reports.

Reprinted from Bruyere News

Over the course of the past year, frontline health care workers have been a vital support to the long-term care sector. Whether personal support workers, nurses, allied health professionals, or support staff, these roles serve our residents and their loved ones each day.

The devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have shown the challenges faced by the sector and the need for greater capacity in these roles. By the end of 2020, the Ministry of Long-Term Care launched a call to prioritize the education and recruitment of health care workers to strengthen long-term care and invest in a better future for the sector’s workers and residents.

In response, La Cité, in partnership with Bruyère’s Saint-Louis Residence, launched a Living Classroom designed to accelerate the training for new personal support workers in our community. The partnership integrates practical education sessions directly into the long-term care home to support workforce development in the sector through a culture of shared learning and real-life experience. The Ontario Centres for Learning, Research and Innovation in Long-Term Care (CLRI), which has been an integral support in the program’s launch, brings knowledge and expertise to support improvements to quality of life and care in the sector through applied research, education, and training.

“Saint-Louis Residence is thrilled to be part of this collaboration with La Cité to launch a francophone living classroom within our home,” says Melissa Donskov, VP of Residential and Community Care Programs at Bruyère. “Learning from staff within a long-term care setting is a fantastic way to prepare future personal support workers for a career in the sector. It is also engaging for our current long-term care heroes, offering them opportunities to develop in their careers and to share all of their knowledge and expertise.”

With dozens of students enrolled in the first spring training cohort, Bruyère expects to see more than 20 additional students benefit from an education directly embedded in the workplace before the end of summer. Covering many of the basic techniques for residential care, including supporting mobility and transfers, students are gaining skills firsthand and stepping into careers with confidence. In this experiential learning environment, students are learning side-by-side with our dedicated Saint-Louis Residence’s frontline staff who have stepped up as teachers and supported the program.

“This is a good opportunity for personal care work students to gain valuable knowledge at Saint-Louis Residence,” said Jesule Balmir, a student in the first classroom cohort. “This program that leads to a certificate will open the door to other related training that may be useful in the future. Our teachers are highly qualified. They give us training based on years of experience so that we are well prepared for the personal support worker profession.”

Despite still navigating the challenges of COVID-19, the outpouring of engagement and interest to train the next generation of health care workers has been overwhelming among staff members. The response from staff at Saint-Louis Residence to foster a space for compassionate and integrated learning once again shows the incredible generosity and strength of our teams that continues to ripple through the community.

“It is a privilege to be able to share the knowledge I have gained in my 40-year career as a personal care attendant. The live class not only teaches the theory, but also allows for direct practice with the students and validates if the different approaches and methods have been understood. For example, when working with a resident who has dementia, there are tips and tricks that make the experience better for the resident. Being able to directly relay these different nuances to them is great!

I love my experience as a living lab teacher at Saint-Louis Residence. We’re training the next generation of attendants, the heartfelt people who make all the difference, especially with our residents who are so vulnerable!”

—Monique Van Den Akerboom, personal support worker

“It is very motivating to take up this challenge as a living classroom teacher,” says Mireille Nduami, RPN at Saint-Louis Residence and former student at La Cité. “It is a great opportunity to bring my contribution during such a difficult time when the demand for health care workers is really a priority. By training the next generation, I too am growing and strengthening my knowledge. I am so grateful to be part of this innovative program!”

“It is truly a lesson that inspires the whole life. We had very good teachers,” said Hortense Mugandakazi Cikwanine, another student in the program.

“I find this experience very dynamic as we interchange our ideas and experience the theoretical lessons with practice which allows for a more direct and easy assimilation.

It will help us better understand the functioning of patients, their physical and psychological environment, to define our relationship with them and our responsibilities towards them.

I learned how to use the different tools necessary for the comfort and transfer of patients; I also understood the best attitude to have depending on the condition of the client to facilitate and embellish his daily life.”

— Nicole Bernisse Nkakanou Tchokotcheu, student

The Living Classroom partnership model was first implemented in Ontario through a collaboration with Conestoga College, the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA) and Schlegel Villages. Conestoga and the RIA, with support from the Ontario Centres for Learning, Research and Innovation in Long-Term Care, are working to spread the model and support workforce development for the senior living sector.

By Julie Power, Brisbane Times.

Aged care workers are among the lowest paid and the least qualified in the sector with many feeling like they had “drawn the short straw” if they ended up in their jobs.

New models of “teaching nursing homes”, though, had improved retention with many seeing a job in aged care as a career, the Royal Commission on Aged Care Quality and Safety heard on Tuesday.

Yet a highly successful Australian program that provided on the job training, research and education in 16 aged care facilities was dropped in 2015 because the federal government wouldn’t fund it.

A report found the Teaching and Research Aged Care Services (TRACS) program had proved the value of providing “ongoing education to the existing aged care workforce to further build their skills and understanding of care for older people”.

Read the full story at Brisbane Times…