We Care
" e have the best volunteers
W
in the world at Baycrest. "
- Margaret Nightingale, donor
PARTNERING
TO IMPROVE QUALITY
Thirteen leading long-term care organizations
in North America, including Baycrest, are
combining their collective wisdom and
experience for a common purpose: to
improve the quality of the care they provide.
The Seniors Quality Leap Initiative (SQLI)
is laying the groundwork for a sustainable
quality plan. The group is focussing on key
areas such as preventing falls, managing
challenging behaviours, and the appropriate
use of antipsychotic medications. Several
non-government organizations with
expertise in quality and safety in the
healthcare industry are providing advice.
Meeting in Boston last October, the SQLI
group unveiled a "report card" or benchmark
for measuring areas of relative strength or
weakness in each participating organization,
and for recording progress. This year,
participants are working on several
quality improvement projects.
SHARING WITH THE WORLD
Health professionals from various disciplines
at Baycrest have shared their expertise this
year with their counterparts in Canada and
10 countries around the world, using a
combination of face-to-face learning and
nearly 800 tele-health sessions.
In a tele-forum, one team explored the benefits
of "huddles" with their peers across North
America. The term, borrowed from football,
refers to frequent mini briefings designed to
keep clinicians informed, review completed work,
plan next steps and move ahead efficiently.
Occupational therapy leader and teacher, Sylvia
Davidson, helped faculty at Aarhus University in
Denmark develop a course for treating dementia.
"We're exploring innovative ways of collaborating
so that occupational therapists here at Baycrest
can share our expertise in caring for older
adults and learn about some of the different
approaches they have in Denmark," she said.
