Leisureworld homes earning accreditation
CARF commends organization’s resident-centred focus
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Monday October 29, 2012 -- Lisa Bailey
About half of Leisureworld Senior Care Corp.’s long-term care homes have been accredited until 2015, with more expected to follow suit.
Resident services clinical consultant Jacqui Hill shares the positive results as the accreditation process nears completion.
“It’s been a great learning experience for all of the homes, and it’s been very valuable in terms of being able to know that we’re doing the right things, we’re on the right track, and we’re working hard at improving all the time,” says Hill, who’s leading the accreditation project.
Home are seeking full, three-year accreditation from CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) Canada. It provides health and human service organizations with an external review process to assess and review the services they provide based on internationally recognized standards of excellence.
Hill notes that CARF focuses on continuing quality improvement and the unique needs of each person served, which match Leisureworld’s resident-centred approach to quality care. It’s why Leisureworld applied last year to seek accreditation from CARF as its previously-earned, three-year accreditation from Accreditation Canada ends this year.
CARF accreditation validates that “we are a resident-centred organization and we are driven by quality,” Hill says, adding that it’s an important consideration for individuals and families looking for a long-term care provider.
The extensive accreditation process began last year with homes working their way through more than 1,500 CARF standards relating to systems, processes and staff. Hill says homes have worked hard to understand and uphold the standards every day – “not because they’re the CARF standards but because they’re the right things to do for residents.”
Leisureworld’s 27 long-term care homes were divided into groups and CARF surveyors began making on-site visits in July. The last group of homes will be surveyed next week. Hill says Leisureworld has been fortunate to have a variety of surveyors visit as they represent different fields and can come from as far away as the U.S.
The surveyors “share their knowledge with us and give us tips on how we can do things better. And if we’re doing something really well, they’re taking that back to the organization,” Hill says. “It’s been a very valuable process for the homes because they’ve gotten a lot out of it.”
At the same time, the homes’ team members “are being allowed to shine for the great work that they’re doing. It’s given them the opportunity to share that with the surveyors.”
“It’s a very meaningful accreditation,” Hill says.
CARF will issue a final report but to date, Hill says, surveyors have highlighted Leisureworld as a resident-centred organization.
“They very much like the structure that Leisureworld has in the fact that every level, from corporate to home to front-line staff, is very resident-driven,” Hill says. “Everyone’s focused and everyone adds their own layer onto that.”
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