1. Caring for Canada’s Seniors
Recommendations for meeting the needs of an aging population
February 7, 2018
caltc.ca

2. Who We Are
The Canadian Association for Long Term Care (CALTC) is the national voice of long-term care providers delivering publicly-funded health care services to seniors across Canada, when they can no longer live at home. Since its inception in 2002, CALTC has been working together to share information, best practices and evidence in order to improve the quality of care provided to residents in long-term care, no matter where they live.

3. Canadian population aged 65 and older will rise by approximately
Current Trends
Canadian population aged 65 and older will rise by approximately
25% by 2036.
The number of seniors 80 and over is predicted to double between and 2036.

4. Current Trends
Significant changes in resident profiles.

5. Current Trends
Seniors are occupying beds in hospitals at a much higher cost to the health care system – approximately $842 per day versus $126 per day in long-term care.

6. Standardize Data Collection
Measuring Resident’s Care Needs and Quality
Seniors are entering long-term care at a later stage in life, more frail and with complex care needs, now more than ever before. Residents have unique care needs and benefit from the creation of an individual care plan.
These critical care plans are developed using the Resident Assessment Instrument Minimum Data Set 2.0 (RAI-MDS 2.0), which contains over 500 data elements to assess the clinical and functional characteristics of residents in long-term care.

7. Standardize Data Collection
A quarter of Canada’s long-term care homes are still unable to implement this important initiative.
A portion of residences in British Columbia, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan are not reporting RAI-MDS 2.0. No residences are reporting in Quebec.

8. Standardize Data Collection
Measuring Funding and Ensuring Operator Accountability
Management Information Systems (MIS) are national standards of reporting financial and statistical information related to the daily operations of Canadian health services organizations.
These standards improve the effectiveness and efficiency of Canada’s long-term care through better information and performance measures.
Currently, 40% of long-term care home are not reporting MIS data and not all jurisdictions are using the same version, causing discrepancies in reporting and comparing.

9. Standardize Data Collection
The Information Challenge
Many long-term care homes are unable to collect comparable clinical and financial information.
This causes challenges in multiple ways:
Care providers are lacking the right information to provide appropriate care for each resident.
Long-term care homes are unable to effectively organize their systems and plan for demand.
And health systems are unable to direct funding and establish policies.

10. Recommendation Standardize Data Collection
Fund and mandate a national, standardized system for collecting residential and financial performance data in long-term care homes using RAI-MDS 2.0 and MIS.
Support the provincial governments by investing $13.5 M to implement and $28M annually to operate RAI-MDS 2.0 nationally.
Support provincial governments by investing $19.5M to implement MIS nationally.
Enhance the RAI-MDS 2.0 system to capture behavioural needs of dementia residents.

11. The Need for New and Modernized Homes
Building new homes and rebuilding old homes
Across Canada, long-term care homes are finding themselves increasingly constrained as a result of out-of-date infrastructure.
Many facilities were built to design standards that are not suitable for today’s seniors.
New or renovated homes feature modifications that increase privacy, which is particularly important for residents with dementia.
Canada has a severe shortage of long-term care beds and is not prepared to care for more.

12. Many long-term care homes are in dire need of modernization.
The Need for New and Modernized Homes
Many long-term care homes are in dire need of modernization.
Some long-term care homes still feature 3- and 4-bed rooms. That is not representative of a home-like environment.

13. New, modern homes, increase quality of life.
The Need for New and Modernized Homes
New, modern homes, increase quality of life.
Newer homes eliminate the 3- and 4-bed rooms to improve privacy and dignity.
This is integral for those living with dementia and other forms of Alzheimer's.

14. The Need for New and Modernized Homes
Every aspect of a long-term care home should provide for a good quality of life for our loved ones.
This goes beyond an individual’s private living area, but to the common areas including dining rooms.
Dining rooms in older long-term care homes are often too small to accommodate residents with mobility needs.
Newer long-term care homes have updated, spacious dining rooms so residents can dine more comfortably.

15. Recommendation Standardize Data Collection
Increase capacity for infrastructure projects by allowing Health Accord funds to be used to build new and renovate old long-term care homes across the country.

16. Summary
CALTC is eager to partner with the federal government to ensure that our long-term care system meets the needs of our growing and aging population.
Mandating and funding a standardized data collection solution across Canada to provide a baseline of data which will improve the quality of services in long-term care.
Preparing to better care for our aging population by building new long- term care homes, modernizing old homes.