Grace Manor Family Council Resources
“Working together to improve quality of care and life for residents”
Family Council Resources
HCH & Grace Manor Information and Reports
The document below provides a description of roles and responsibilities of management at Grace Manor and HCH, as well as contact information.
Management Contact Information
The document below is a list of alternative services providers (dental, hearing, etc.) and is based on recommendations from GM Family Council members. This is a living document which is updated as we receive new recommendations.
All LTC homes receive periodic visits from Ministry of Long-Term Care inspectors. Reports on Grace Manor can be found below.
Grace Manor LTC Inspection Reports
Supports for Families & Residents
During the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario (RNAO) created a private Facebook group for people with loved ones in Long Term Care to share experiences, concerns and information.
RNAO LTC Support: Connecting Families
Family Councils of Ontario holds regular, informative webinars and workshops on a range of topics (eg. impacts of new legislation, understanding resident-centered care) and have a lot of helpful resources on their website.
Ontario Association of Residents Council provides a wealth of information and resources on their website.
Ontario Association of Residents’ Councils (OARC)
The document below is a list of useful products for seniors with dementia or physical challenges and is based on recommendations from GM Family Council members. This is a living document which is updated as we receive new recommendations.
Resident Centered Emotion-Based Care
Resident-centred, emotion-based care is widely recognized as the gold standard that Long-Term Care homes should be working towards. There are many models to draw from and no one-size-fits-all approach, but the goals are similar: to ensure a relationship-based approach to care where resident needs and preferences sit at the centre of all decision-making.
In 2022, Holland Christian Homes committed to creating a culture of resident-centred, emotion-based care at Grace Manor and Faith Manor.
Here are a few resources:
1. What Does Emotion Based Care look like in Practice?
Webinar with Sally Knocker on the Butterfly Model
2. Report by research team on different models of resident-centred care led by Pat Armstrong (commissioned by the City of Toronto)
Models for Long-term Residential Care
3. Book by Toronto Star reporter Moira Welsh on best-practices in resident-centred Long Term Care from Canada and internationally
Happily Ever Older: Revolutionary Approaches to Long Term Care
4. Existing Models: Eden Alternative, Green House, Butterfly andHogewey.
Provincial Legislation & Definitions
Long-Term Care is regulated by the Provincial Government under the Fixing Long-Term Care Act. Familiarizing yourself with the legislation is the best way to understand how Long-Term Care is regulated, the obligations of Grace Manor as well as the policy directives and funding realities that Grace Manor operates within.
The Fixing Long-Term Care Act came into effect in Ontario on April 11, 2022 and replaced the previous Long-Term Care Homes Act.
Fixing Long-Term Care Act – 2021
Resources for Family Councils
A Family Council is an independent group composed of the family members and friends of a long-term care home. Ontario’s Fixing Long-Term Care Act includes provisions that encourage the formation of Family Councils and require LTC licensees (if a request is made by families) to assist/support in the establishment of their Family Council. Family Council is independent from an LTC’s Administration, so while Administration assists, they do not interfere in Family Council activities or decisions.
1. Section 65 – 67 of the Fixing Long Term Care Act provides the legislative framework for Family Councils:
Family Council – Section 65 – 67 of Fixing Long Term Care Act
2. Family Councils of Ontario is a provincially funded non-profit providing support and resources for Family Council’s across Ontario. Their website has a lot of resources aimed at support Family Councils with practical matters including how to run a meeting, establishing Terms of References, succession planning, etc. They also offer a number of free workshops for Family Councils on topics related to governance and operations.
3. The Advocates for Care Reform (ACR) created this Family Council Handbook with tools and resources aimed at providing advice and a step-by-step guide to help start and maintain an effective family council.
Improving Long-Term Care
Many advocates across the province and throughout Canada have been engaged for decades in research, policy development and lobbying work to improve quality of care and quality of life for residents in Long Term Care.
Here are several resources that outline the chronic problems facing LTC (e.g. under-funding, under-staffing; poor labour practices; the lack of shared standards of care and training standards) and provide a vision for a much better future:
A Higher Standard: Setting Federal Standards in Long Term Care and Continuing Care. Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. November 23, 2020
Restoring Trust: COVID-19 and the Future of Long Term Care. Royal Society of Canada. July 2, 2020.
Long-Term Care Staffing Study. Long Term Care Staffing Study Advisory Group. Ontario Ministry of Long-Term Care. July 30, 2020
Nursing Home Basic Care Guarantee. RNAO Submission to the Long-Term Care Staffing Study Advisory Group. June 10, 2020.