Category Archives: News

Restraints as a Last Resort

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“There’s a new provincial policy soon to be released in Alberta, ‘Restraint as a Last Resort,’ that will limit use of restraints to the least restrictive, as a last resort. There is a belief that lap belts in chairs keeps people safe (they fasten from behind), but the experience of being restrained is distressing – and can actually lead to more injurious falls and increased antipsychotic use. In addition, the restrained person can’t get to the bathroom, and may experience skin breakdown, loss of muscle strength, loss of independence and delirium (an acute brain injury).” Verdeen Bueckert, Practice Lead with the Seniors Health Clinical Network

Click here to read how an orthopedic team in Alberta reduced the use of restraints by 84%!

Research over People?

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Living with a chronic condition can result in a number of challenges, including alienation, isolation and loneliness. Oft times, these factors can be more problematic than the condition itself. 

Fortunately, there are disease-related organizations that can assist individuals with their illness as well as other the challenges, such as those noted above. Sadly, some of these organizations are forfeiting these services in pursuit of a “cure.” As such, the person with the disease is becoming secondary to the disease itself. Click here to read what individuals with MS are facing.

Canada Offers A Healing Hand

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In the wake of President Trump’s recent travel ban, which prohibits individuals from seven countries from entering the United States, Canada has extended a helping hand. In particular, recognizing that some of these banned individuals are children requiring medical attention, these children may be obtaining the treatment they require in Canada. 

As Eric Hoskins, Ontario’s Health Minister, states:

“Canada is a country that has always looked into ways it could reach out and support vulnerable people around the world.”
(Canada Will Offer Healthcare To Critically Ill Children Affected By Trump’s Muslim Ban)

Get Involved – Discussion Groups

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Do you reside in Alberta? Have you or a person whom you are a caregiver for been diagnosed with sleep apnea? If you answered “Yes” to the above questions, here is an opportunity you may find of interest.

The Sleep Disorders Working Group of the AHS Respiratory Health Strategic Clinical NetworkTM (RHSCNTM) in conjunction with the University of Calgary and University of Alberta, will be hosting discussion groups for sleep disordered breathing (SDB). The purpose of these discussions is to develop a model of care that will improve the way patients with SDB receive care.

To obtain more information about how you can participate in these discussion groups, please email respiratoryhealth.scn@ahs.ca, call 1-866-668-8308 or click on the following links to view the associated posters.

News Flash – AUA Expansion

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A new provincial policy is seeing the Appropriate Use of Antipsychotics (AUA) initiative expanding in Alberta. In particular, the policy addresses the use of restraints in all Alberta Health Services’ facilities and partners. The four types of restraints included in the policy are pharmacologic, mechanical, physical and environmental Click here to read more about “Restraints as a Last Resort” and other important topics in the Appropriate Use of Antipsychotics (AUA) Winter 2016 Bulletin.

Have Your Say

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Do you have some thoughts and ideas of how the healthcare system in Alberta could be improved? Do you have a vision of healthcare that you would like to see become a reality? If so, Alberta Health Services and Alberta Health are wanting to hear from you.

The goal is to co-design and co-deliver a sustainable, quality health system, one that promotes healthy communities and provides access to services, programs and facilities.

From fall 2016 to fall 2017, the focus is on Calgary Zone and Central Zone long range planning. This follows planning undertaken in the Edmonton Zone, which is ongoing; the province’s North and South Zone planning will follow.

Join the conversation. Share your ideas and help us develop a vision for health services in 15 years that informs decisions today. Planning for each zone will be incorporated into system planning for the province. All Albertans are encouraged to contribute to the discussions.

Click here to continue.

In the Twittersphere 

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The following @Pts4Chg tweet has generated some good conversation and idea generation in the Twittersphere and beyond.

As one individual tweeted, “Problem needs a systems approach. A great opportunity for AHS innovation lab.”

If you have not read the article referred to in the tweet, you may wish to do so. (Thanks, Sandi, for bringing this news story to our attention.)

Do Buildings Have Rights?

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If you have been following the assisted dying discussion that is happening in Canada, you know that some patients have been denied medically assisted dying. The reason for this was not because the individuals failed to meet the necessary legal requirements, but because the hospitals/care facilities in which they found themselves would not provide the services to carry out the patients’ wishes.

In a recent article, André Picard argues that hospitals have no right to refuse a patient assisted dying. As he poignantly states:

It is reasonable for individual physicians and nurses to declare a conscientious objection and not participate in assisted death. But a hospital or nursing home has no such right. Publicly funded institutions cannot arbitrarily decide what services they will provide, nor should they be able to shunt dying patients around like sacks of rice.

Click here to read the full article.

Updates on Family Presence Work

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Hello Pts4Chg Community!

Over the last four months the materials for patients and families as partners and advisors have been refined a wee bit and are also now translated into French. Our small ‘collation of the willing’ (volunteer citizens, patient and family advisors and CFHI) also thought it important to also create a survey to help improve the materials upon use. I know that many of you provided feedback already (which I still have) and some of that has made it into the current version. Much of it has not though, as we needed to find a way to capture input that would likely also come in nationally. So please complete the two short surveys if you have time, so that your impressions on the info can be included when next edits are made, likely well into 2017.

If you are active on Twitter, here are some suggested hashtags for the overall Better Together campaign too, that this is part of, if you are tweeting this info out.

  • #MoreThanAVisitor
  • #Cdnhealth
  • #shoulder2shoulder
  • #familypresence

These two documents are designed to support the movement for Family Presence in healthcare.

1. The first document, Partner Tips, is intended to be used by patients and families at the point of care (e.g. at the bedside, in an office or clinic).

2. The second document, Conversation Tips, is intended to be a resource for patients and families in conversations with healthcare providers, or organizations, or communities.

Please feel free to download, copy, distribute and use these documents. You will need Adobe Reader on your device. You are welcome to adapt them to meet your local team’s needs.

These tips sheets are also available in French: http://www.fcass-cfhi.ca/WhatWeDo/better-together/resources

Want to have your say and Be part of the pilot for these documents!?

The volunteers with ‘IMAGINE CITIZENS Collaborating for Health’ would appreciate your feedback and comments about these two documents. Please click these links to complete the two surveys about each document:

1. “Partner” Tips Survey and
2. “Conversation” Tips Survey.

Comments received will be reviewed by IMAGINE CITIZENS’ volunteers so that any significant edits can be incorporated. New versions will be available periodically, every six months or so, through the partner organizations.

Thank you for your help!

Troy Stooke
volunteer
IMAGINE: Citizens Collaborating for Health & Member of Pts4Chg community