Grant: Health System Impact Fellowships - PostDoc Western Canada 2-year

The pandemic highlighted the previously hidden flaws of long-term care in Canada. Recognizing a need for improvement in Saskatchewan's long-term care system, the Saskatchewan Health Authority has sought engagement from residents, families, and staff on how to improve the system. However, a student led working group supported by the Saskatchewan Health Authority found that residents, families, and staff reported a lack of trust with each other and the long-term care system that limited the capacity to engage with each other in proving quality of life, care, and work. The lack of trust is important because trust is a necessary component of a competent and supportive healthcare system. The proposed project is the continuation of an existing project and will evaluate a program designed by recruited residents, families, and staff that aims to build trust and engagement among residents, families, staff, and leadership. The purpose of the evaluation is to create a model of the program that will inform the Saskatchewan Health Authority in the best practices to improve trust in long-term care. It will tell us 'what works for whom in what context and how'. The proposed project will include 3 phases: 1) a review of previous programs that aimed to improve trust between residents/patients, family caregivers, and staff to create an initial model of how activities may improve trust; 2) a review feedback and discussions from a working group of residents, families, and staff to adjust the initial model; 3) and an analysis of data collected from the working group on their opinions on the program and its progress to determine a final model of improving trust. The phases will inform Saskatchewan Health Authority and long-term care leadership on how to apply the model to programs to improve trust among residents/patients, families, staff, and leadership in order to increase engagement that may improve quality of life, care, and work for residents, families, and staff in long-term.