Residential Care Improvements
Last updated on December 1, 2021Action Plan Commitment: Over the next 12 months, improvements will be made to the care seniors receive in residential care through regular medication reviews, enhanced training for care providers and consistent medical oversight.
What does it mean for me?
Patients with chronic conditions often require multiple prescription medications to manage health problems they are facing. However, without proper precautions, taking multiple medications can be dangerous and have serious consequences for your health. Regular medication reviews mean that your medication is reviewed to ensure that each medication is still appropriate and required, and is achieving the desired effect.
As with any health condition, but especially if you suffer from dementia, you have the right to expect that your care provider has the skills required to provide the best quality of life for you. The Ministry of Health has committed to enhancing dementia training so that care providers can provide person-centred care that takes into account your unique qualities, abilities, interests, preferences and needs.
Finally, if you are living in a residential care facility, it is important to know that there are consistent province-wide standards in place to ensure that you receive the best quality of care. To this end, Health Authorities have hired medical directors to provide medical oversight at each facility. Some Health Authorities are also integrating nurse practitioners into the residential care setting to provide medical oversight.