Announcing four partnerships ready to start Changing CARE

Today The Change Foundation is excited to announce four community partnerships poised to make positive impacts on the experience and interaction family caregivers have with Ontario’s health care system.

Through Changing CARE, partnerships in London, Huron and Perth counties, Cornwall and Toronto will develop local supports, programs, and/or resources that address four thematic needs identified by caregivers and health providers: communication, assessment, recognition, and education. 

“These four partnerships truly understand the needs of caregivers in Ontario today,” said Change Foundation President and CEO Cathy Fooks, “Each showed an astounding commitment and willingness to co-design new strategies, practices and initiatives with caregivers for the benefit of Ontarians.”

Each partnership was developed with caregivers in key design and decision-making roles, which will continue throughout the partnership. The partnerships are also intently community driven and engage a variety of organizations across health care settings and community services. 

The partnerships moving ahead under Changing CARE bring important focus to different facets of the caregiver experience from a multitude of perspectives including different care settings, demographics, and geographic locations.

Changing CARE will consist of the following partnerships:

Connecting the Dots…Smoothing Transitions for Family Caregivers

Partner Organizations: Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance; One Care Home and Community Support Services; North Perth Family Health Team; STAR Family Health Team; South West Community Care Access Centre; Southwest Local Health Integration Network

Location: Huron County and Perth counties, Ont.

This partnership is focused on addressing the needs of family caregivers through defining and recognizing their role, and co-designing systems of care provision and communication that meet caregiver needs. Read our overview about family caregivers or  click here for more details about our report.

Embrace

Partner Organizations: The Cornwall & District Family Support Group; Cornwall Hospital, Community Addiction and Mental Health Services

Location: Cornwall, Ont.

Through several new work streams, this partnership will develop practices with family caregivers to better support, recognize, and embrace their vital role in the recovery of their family and/or friend with addiction and mental health issues. Click here for more.

Improving CARE Together

Partner Organization: St. Joseph’s Health Care London 

Location: London, Ont.

St. Joseph’s Health Care London will build on past learning and successes to further strengthen family caregiver partnerships in all its programs and services. This partnership will feature a number of activities and mechanisms designed to make impacts across the organization, including, communication resource toolkits, formal caregiver assessments and new education and support initiatives. Click here for more.

Cultivating Change: The Caregiver Friendly Hospital and Community Hub

Partner Organizations: Sinai Health System and WoodGreen Community Services

Location: Toronto, Ont. 

Sinai Health System and WoodGreen Community Services are proudly partnering with family caregivers to fundamentally redesign the caregiver experience using the concept of the Caregiver Friendly Hospital and Community Hub. Click here for more.

Changing CARE partnerships will each receive a maximum of $750,000 per year for the next three years from The Change Foundation.

Starting in late January, four regional launch events will take place to celebrate and showcase each Changing CARE project.

For more information, please visit www.changefoundation.ca/changing-care.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Communications at info@changefoundation.com

For program information, please contact:

Genevieve Obarski, Executive Lead, Program Implementation at gobarski@changefoundation.com.