Leading an Integrated Regional Program to Support Person-Centred Chronic Disease Management in Long-Term Care

In Long-Term Care (LTC), many residents live with dementia, a chronic and progressive disease that is often complicated by behavioural and psychological symptoms. A changing context, including the COVID-19 pandemic, health human resource challenges, and increasing medical complexities, has led to greater reliance on medical management of dementia, with risks to residents’ health and quality of life. In response, we have developed a regional LTC program that integrates quality, clinical practice and education, research, and nursing specialist expertise to enhance the ability of care teams to provide evidence-based, person-centred dementia care. This strategy includes dedicated quality improvement supports; innovative non-pharmacological approaches, such as optimizing care-in-place with virtual care; and collaborative research opportunities. We describe these strategies and promising results to date, which include shifting the culture of care to support the holistic physical, social, emotional, and spiritual needs of residents living with dementia.