ePOSTERS
This is Long Term Care 2025 ePosters
Location: Pre-Conference B
ePoster #1 - 11:45 am - 12:00 pm - The Stellar Certification Program’s Framework: Six Standards of Excellence
The Stellar Certification Program, launched by the Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) in 2024, sets standards for workplace excellence in long-term care (LTC) to create a positive workplace culture, build a sustainable workforce, and improve quality of care. The program validates organizations that support, engage, and empower nurses while promoting their well-being. Achieving Stellar certification leads to better retention, recruitment and satisfaction and, as a result, reduces moral distress (burnout). The program acknowledges LTC organizations that prioritize safety, follow best staffing practices, and support nurses’ development. It also ensures an inclusive workforce reflecting Canada’s diversity.
Presenter: Josée Morin, Lead, Stellar Certification Program, Canadian Nurses Association
ePoster #2 - 12:15 pm - 12:30 pm - Built to Create: Designing and Redeveloping Ontario Long-Term Care Homes to Embrace the Well-Being Benefits of Arts Participation
Many long-term care designs remain rooted in outdated institutional models. As operators move away from medicalized models of care towards person-centred and relational care approaches, the physical structure of the spaces where residents and staff gather and connect must reflect the needs of all those who live and work in these homes. Research highlights the essential role of arts and creativity in promoting well-being, identity, and social connection, yet there remains a gap between these valued care practices and the physical spaces that support them. Join this discussion to explore how homes can be designed and/or redeveloped to enhance well-being through creativity.
Presenters: Kate Dupuis, Schlegel Innovation Leader in Arts and Aging, Sheridan Centre for Elder Research; Erica MacTavish, PhD Student, University of Waterloo; Lia Tsotsos, Director, Research and Innovation, Sheridan College
ePoster #3 - 12:45 pm - 1:00 pm - Optimizing Workforce Stability in Long-Term Care: A Strategic Scheduling Framework in York Region
In response to Ontario’s LTC COVID-19 Commission and the Ontario LTC Staffing Plan (2021–2025), York Region’s Senior Services launched the Scheduling Optimization Development Project in 2023. This initiative aimed to stabilize the nursing workforce in two municipal LTC homes by increasing permanent full-time (PFT) nursing positions from 40% to over 70%, reducing reliance on agency staff and overtime. Guided by an internally developed Scheduling Optimization Framework, the project introduced a mix of non-rotational 7.5 hr and 12 hr. shift lines co-designed with staff input. Staff engagement and relief staffing further enhanced workforce stability, demonstrating a replicable model for LTC settings.
Presenter: Julie Casaert, Director, Seniors Services, Paramedic and Seniors Services, Community and Health Services Department, Regional Municipality of York; Sonia Henriques, Supervisor of Scheduling, Regional Municipality of York
ePoster #4 - 1:15 pm - 1:30 pm - A Pilot Online Knowledge Exchange for Family Councils
Family Councils serve as a strategy to promote family engagement within a long-term care community. The main purposes of a family council are to improve the quality of life of residents and to create a forum for family and friends of residents to share their experiences with each other and learn about long-term care. Since 2019, Councils have asked FCO for opportunities to network and build connections with other councils. This poster will present information about a pilot online knowledge exchange network for family councils in Ontario, sharing feedback and key learnings from the first year of this project.
Presenter: Cathleen Edwards, Education Manager, Family Councils Ontario
ePoster #5 - 1:45 pm - 2:00 pm - WeRPN: Building a Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Long-Term Care Home: Helping Each Other Thrive
Long-term care homes are more than clinical settings—they are diverse, dynamic communities where residents deserve to feel safe, respected, and valued. This session explores how nurses can champion Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEI-B) to create culturally safe and person-centred care environments. Presented by WeRPN, the session introduces a practical DEI-B Framework to help nurses and care providers. Through insights from interactive workshops participants will gain tools to practice inclusive communication and promote cultural humility. Attendees will leave with strategies to enhance resident dignity and staff empowerment, helping transform long-term care homes into truly inclusive communities.
Presenter: Marilyn Oliver, Professional Practice Associate, WeRPN, Nursing
ePoster #1 - 11:30 am - 11:45 am - From Frontline to Front-of-the-Room: Examining Barriers and Facilitators to Upskilling Personal Support Workers (PSWs) as Peer Educators Through Dialogic Training
This session features the Collaborative Advocacy and Partnered Education Professional Development Program (CAPE PD), which explored how dialogic facilitation training can enhance the skills of Personal Support Workers (PSWs) empowering them to serve as peer educators. The study reveals how dialogic pedagogy, grounded in mutual learning and reflection enhanced PSWs’ capacity to lead critical conversations amid structural barriers and systemic mistrust. Findings highlight dialogic training as a scalable, equity-informed model for workforce development within the unregulated healthcare workforce. This work offers new insights into inclusive professional development strategies with potential applications for long-term care, to shape healthcare in Canada.
Presenter: Ellena Andoniou, Scientific Associate, University Health Network
ePoster #2 - 12:00 pm - 12:15 pm - A New Comprehensive Responsive Behaviour Resource: A Guide to Identifying Unmet Needs, Implementing Preventative Approaches, and Responding in the Moment
Behavioural Supports Ontario has developed a publically available, evidence-informed resource for care providers who support people with responsive behaviours/personal expressions associated with dementia, complex mental health and other neurological conditions. Rooted in the understanding that behaviours are a form of meaningful communication stemming from unmet needs, the resource guides providers to identify the unmet needs being communicated, implement preventative approaches and respond in the moment to responsive behaviours. The resources integrates the behaviours recorded on the BSO-DOS©, as well utilizes the PIECESTM framework to encourage comprehensive assessment and care planning, person-centred care, and evidence-informed interventions.
Presenter: Debbie Hewitt Colborne, Project Advisor, Behavioural Supports Ontario Provincial Coordinating Office, North Bay Regional Health Centre; Courtney Stasiuk-Mohr, Project Specialist, Behavioural Supports Ontario Provincial Coordinating Office
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