Peel's long-term care homes get top grades from experts

Peel's five long-term care centres have received a full, three-year accreditation, with no high risk areas identified, from the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation (CCHSA).

CCHSA is Canada's leading authority for excellence among health services organizations.

This award is the highest level of accreditation that can be achieved, according to a statement issued by the Region. It was granted to only 20 per cent of organizations assessed in 2006.

Health experts from CCHSA commended Peel Long Term Care for being a leader in the field. They recognized the five Regional centres, including the Vera M. Davis Community Care Centre in Bolton, for providing compassionate, client-focused care, being receptive to new ideas, responding to the diverse needs of clients, implementing good safety practices and adopting innovative ideas in activation programming.

"For Peel's Long Term Care centres, being accredited speaks highly of how we care for our clients, how we treat each other and how we collaborate with our partners in the community," said Regional CAO David Szwarc. "By participating in the accreditation process, we build trust among our clients and instill confidence in the services we provide. The accreditation process is valuable and meaningful to our staff because they are engaged in this journey from the start and care about the outcomes."

During this year's review, the Regional homes were also required to comply with 21 new standards related to patient safety. These new requirements help identify unsafe situations, reduce risk to residents and promote safer care. The CCHSA's surveyors found no unmet patient safety standards at Peel's centres.

"The accreditation award recognizes the skills and dedication of long-term care staff," said Caledon Councillor Annette Groves, chair of Peel health services. "Thank you to everyone who participated in the accreditation journey for being open with the surveyors and providing your valuable insight on the quality of care and services we provide to our clients."

CCHSA's surveyors also identified opportunities for growth. They provided nine recommendations related to the centres' quality improvement programs, emergency preparedness practices, complaints process, palliative care, policy management and protocols for ethical decision making.

"These recommendations will be considered closely as the homes prioritize areas of improvement and build them into their day-to-day operations," said Carolyn Clubine, director of Peel Long Term Care.

During the accreditation review, Peel Long Term Care hosted two delegates from Denmark who came to learn about the accreditation process in Canada.

Accreditation of a health services organization is a comprehensive evaluation of an organization's services and programs against a set of national standards of excellence. The accreditation process includes an internal selfassessment and an external evaluation by qualified CCHSA surveyors.

The self-assessment is completed in collaboration with many stakeholders, including residents and their families, volunteers, longterm care and Regional staff, and community representatives. The on-site assessment at each longterm care centre is conducted by the CCHSA surveyors who are health services experts from across Canada.

The Region of Peel has a tradition of caring for the older adults in the community for more than 100 years. It owns and operates five long-term care homes - the Davis Centre in Caledon, Malton Village and Sheridan Villa in Mississauga, Peel Manor and Tall Pines in Brampton. In Peel's centres, residents experience a rich quality of life through personalized care, stimulating activities and an ongoing connection with the diverse communities in Peel. The homes have a long standing commitment to the accreditation process, with the first award granted by CCHSA in 1989.

All of the centres operate in accordance and compliance with the relevant legislation of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the policies of the Region of Peel.

For more information about Region of Peel's Long Term Care Centres, call 905- 799-7700 or visit www.ltcpeel.ca