Difficult Decisions to Inspiring Solutions 

In March of 2020 at the start of the pandemic, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH), like many hospitals across the province faced the difficult decision to close the doors to visitors, leaving patients and families separated. Janice Kaffer, President and CEO, along with the staff and physicians struggled with this decision. "I remember when we made the decision, we had our Patient and Family Advisory Council involved and it was a difficult decision for all of us. I then found myself on the units rounding and our staff, too, were struggling with closing our doors. We knew following SARS in 2003, that we needed to be concerned about the emotional harm this was going to cause our patients. We knew we had to find a solution," explained Kaffer. 

Paving the Way

One of the first of its kind in Ontario, HDGH's Designated Care Partner program was co-designed with the HDGH Patient and Family Advisory Council to ensure the patient voice was represented in program development. The Designated Care Partners (DCP) program, which rolled-out in June 2020, enables educated designated care partners to provide specific aspects of the care plan as defined by the patient and care team in a carefully planned and coordinated approach. HDGH's active participation with the Ontario Caregiver Organization's Partners in Care/Caregiver ID Learning Collaborative has allowed other organizations to learn from them and helped pave the way for other essential caregiver programs in Ontario.

Program Impact

After a year of implementing the DCP program, HDGH has trained over 852 individuals as DCPs. Joanne Laforet, a past DCP, credits the hospital for implementing this program. "I am certain had my loved one not been allowed a DCP she may have never been motivated enough to come home," explained Laforet. The hour and a half orientation session provided by the hospital outlines safety guidelines, Infection Control and Prevention training and an opportunity to learn from trained staff to better assist their loved ones. Surveys from a group of DCPs show that 97% of DCPs felt confident and prepared as a DCP after participating in the training. Further, 98% felt they had gained the knowledge and skills necessary to fulfill their role as a care partner. 

Moving Forward

The momentum built on the DCP program will continue to grow as HDGH, alongside the DCP Advisory Council, looks at a post-COVID model to strengthen the role of designated care partners, especially for patients with more long term, complex care needs. Kaffer is thrilled at the program's success: "Since October 2020, DCP's have dedicated over 20,000 hours at HDGH with their loved ones. The emotional impact this program has had on our patients cannot be understated."