Collaborating for Change: A Co-Design Approach to Resident Engagement in Long-Term Care Homes
Jan 27, 2025
12:00PM to 1:30PM

Date/Time
Date(s) - 27/01/2025
12:00 pm - 1:30 pm
Collaborating for Change: A Co-Design Approach to Resident Engagement in Long-Term Care Homes
A Collaborative Conversation Series Webinar
Date: Monday, January 27, 2025
Live Webinar: 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. EST
Reflecting Together: 1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. EST (see further below for more details)
The Collaborative Conversations Series brings together researchers and people with lived experiences to share their journeys and lessons learned in patient-oriented research. Reflecting Together will take place immediately following this live, virtual conversation at 1:00 p.m. This is an opportunity for community members to come together and share their thoughts on the topics discussed during this event. We hope you will be able to join us as we continue the conversation and take our learnings into action.
All are welcome to attend this event. The virtual event link will be sent to you upon registration and the day of the event.
The Collaborative is committed to the accessibility and inclusion of persons with disabilities. If you require any accessibility accommodations to ensure your full participation at this event, please email collabor@mcmcaster.ca and/or let us know when you register for this event.
Webinar Details
Resident engagement in long-term care (LTC) home organizational design and governance refers to involving residents in roles where they influence decisions about their homes. It is a resident-identified priority and is legislatively mandated for LTC homes in Ontario. Yet, there are gaps in resources to support this engagement.
This session highlights the resident-oriented process and key learnings from a three-part project that identifies and promotes ways for residents to be engaged in the organizational design and governance of their homes. The project brings together the Ontario Association of Residents’ Councils (OARC), people living and working in LTC homes, and researchers to:
- Synthesize knowledge through a scoping review of existing research literature.
- Assess community capacity for engagement, from the perspectives of people who live and work in LTC homes, through qualitative interviews.
- Co-design a toolkit/resource to enable meaningful resident engagement in LTC home organizational design and governance.
Learning Objectives
- Explore ways to include knowledge users within the research process.
- Understand current practices, barriers, enablers, and impacts of resident engagement in organizational design and governance.
Guest Speakers
Jim Gilhuly, Resident Expert Advisors and Leaders (REAL) Member and Board Director, Ontario Association of Residents’ Councils
Jim has resided at Sunnyside Home Long-Term Care in Kitchener for four and a half years because of a progressive muscular disorder. He acknowledges the first-class clinical care he receives. He has learned though that more needs to be done in the long-term care homes for the well-being of the whole person. Physical and mental health, because of their interconnectivity, needs to be appreciated for the impact one has on the other; whole person-centred care must be adopted. Residents must be kept mentally alive as well as physically. The culture must be driven by a philosophy that is based on humane thinking, not institutional efficiency and profit-making economies. Jim has a background in adult education as an administrator. He advocates and practices lifelong learning for himself and for others.
Chloe Lee, Quality and Evaluation Specialist, Ontario Association of Residents’ Councils
Chloe is the Quality and Evaluation Specialist for the Ontario Association of Residents’ Councils. She is a research coordinator for the current project, Empowering Ontario’s long-term care residents to shape the place they call home. She previously completed a Bachelor of Health Sciences from McMaster University and a Master of Public Health, specializing in Health Promotion, from the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.
Gale Ramsden, Resident Expert Advisors and Leaders (REAL) Co-Chair and Board Director, Ontario Association of Residents’ Councils
Gale resides at Perley Health in Ottawa. Her goal is to raise awareness of what long-term care looks like today and work towards a new model which rights the current shortfalls dealing with mental health, loneliness, helplessness, and the lack of purpose. Gale is passionately focused on the culture change necessary to empower resident-centred living in long-term care and enable residents to live their best life and form the place they call home.
Jennifer Bethell, Affiliate Scientist, KITE Research Institute, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute
Jennifer is an epidemiologist with research interests in aging, social connection, mental health, long-term care home settings and patient engagement.
This project was made possible through the funding of Canadian Institute of Health Research, Perley Health, and the Canadian Frailty Network.