NEWSLETTER
Shining a spotlight on collaborative and innovative ways to help you achieve better health outcomes for older adults across the continuum.
December 2017
This month we highlight easily accessible nutrition resources, 4 words that older adults and their caregivers use to describe what senior friendly care means to them, and the QI Coach's tips for maintaining momentum for your QI initiatives over the holidays.
Free + easy access to dietitians is important to older adults

We learned many things from older adults and caregivers at our recent co-design workshop for a Senior Friendly 7 (SF7) toolkit (SF7 = c ognition, mobility, nutrition, polypharmacy, continence, pain, and social engagement ). Among the learnings was the fact that older adults and their caregivers would like evidence-based information on nutrition, but do not want to see their doctor for a referral to a dietitian.

Eat Right Ontario provides the free and easy access to dietitians that older adults are looking for. A toll free number 1-877-510-510-2 and email connect anyone in Ontario to a  Registered Dietitian, who can help patients and their caregivers make healthier food choices and answer nutrition questions. They also have printed material available, including "A Guide to Healthy Eating for Older Adults"

Which 4 words do older adults use to describe what senior friendly care means to them?

Our 2017 Annual Report illustrates the collective impact we have had on senior friendly care through many initiatives, and highlights wise words from older adults and their caregivers, including their top 4 words on what senior friendly care means to them (see page 8).

Coach's Tip - How to keep your QI initiatives on track over the holidays
Tis the season for many healthcare providers to take time off, but contrary to popular belief, your QI initiatives need not derail over the holidays! Here are 2  sure-fire ways to keep up the momentum that you can implement right now:

 

Create a special (realistic) holiday plan 

Review your current plan and highlight a manageable task to accomplish despite team members taking time off. Find a way to work collectively to accomplish the goal. Divide 1 task between team members or pick up someone else's task.

 

Create a memorable stakeholder engagement activity - soliciting input is important at all stages of an initiative, even post implementation. Find creative ways to ask for people's opinions and ideas, such as: 
  • Contests - Ask your stakeholders to name a new process, and offer a prize.
  • Graffiti boards - identify a problem area and ask how to fix it, or ask for ideas on how to improve on what has already been implemented. (Tip from a very successful team - post this in the staff washroom)
Do you have tips or tools to share with the senior friendly care network, challenges you need help with?  Click here to connect with a coach
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