The Long-Term Care (LTC) Best Practices coordinator role was introduced to the LTC sector as a pilot project funded by the Nursing Secretariat in 2005. Many successes in LTC Homes have been achieved through this project, including improved quality of care for residents and the facilitation of an evidence-based practice culture by front-line staff through the implementation of best practice guidelines (BPG).
In April 2008, the Ontario Ministry of Health and LTC's Performance Improvement and Compliance Branch approved funding to continue this initiative under the management of the Registered Nurses' Association of Ontario (RNAO). The Initiative supports LTC Homes in adopting evidence-based practices that support systematic and consistent approaches to providing quality care for residents.
All LTC Homes are encouraged to get involved! Benefits of this initiative include:
- Enhanced capacity for knowledge transfer
- Improved quality of care and resident outcomes
- Support for leaders, nurses and staff in LTC Homes in implementing BPGs
- Improved quality of work life
While the Initiative is not mandatory, it provides an important opportunity for LTC Homes to access expertise in implementing evidence-based practices to enhance resident care.
Newsletter and resources
Long-Term Care Best Practices Toolkit
The LTC Toolkit is designed to offer point-of-care staff, nurses, educators and leaders access to the best available evidence-based resources and tools. It supports the use of best practice guidelines (BPG), program development, implementation and evaluation to enhance the quality of resident care and create a healthy work environment (HWE).
