Long Term Care

*NEW* Smart Tips for Stroke Care - a healthcare provider's guide

"Smart Tips for Stroke Care- a healthcare provider's guide to caring for persons with stroke" is a new resource that highlights common changes due to stroke and strategies for managing these changes. The resource is designed for Personal Support Workers (PSW) working in Long Term Care in Ontario, however anyone interested in stroke care can benefit from using this resource, including PSWs in the community, family members, etc.

The guide covers 15 stroke care topics, each a single page (double-sided) and includes custom illustrations to support the information. The guides are designed to be a quick way to get the information you need. Each Smart Tips topic may be used individually or as part of a series. The Smart Tips can be downloaded and printed for free as a full document or individually according to staff and organizational needs.

Click here to access Smart Tips for Stroke Care Booklet  (English)

Click here to access Smart Tips for Stroke Care Booklet (French)

 

Click here to watch short videos about each of the Smart Tips Topics (with thanks to the Central East Stroke Network)

The Brain, The Body and You Workshop Series

This series is designed for front-line health care providers (eg. PSW, RPN, RN, Rehab Assistants and Restorative Care Aides) caring for stroke survivors and other related patient populations in the following care settings: long term, community, acute, rehabilitation, complex continuing care, and other related areas.

This series is being paused for the forseeable future- if you are interested in education about these topics for you or your organization, please reach out to heather.jenkins@kingstonhsc.ca.

Video Recordings of the topics covered in the sessions are linked below:

Introduction to Stroke  19:15

Common Deficits after Stroke 15:14

Risk factors for Stroke  9:34

Swallowing and Feeding   22:49

Communication after Stroke: Aphasia  23:41

Bladder Function after Stroke  13:44

Cognitive changes after Stroke 33:24

Apraxia 6:47

Vision and perception changes after stroke   19:43

Behaviour changes after Stroke    19:07

Post-Stroke Depression   19:50

Hemiplegic Arm     9:42

General Principles of Mobility  28:47

Moving in bed   15:06

Transfers     27:03

Positioning (Bed and Chair)   20:03

Walking and stairs  12:51

Meaningful Activities   5:58

Best Practice Stroke Care Plans for Long Term Care Homes

Provincial Release of Updated Best Practice Stroke Care Plans for Long Term Care Homes (LTC)

The LTC Stroke Care Plans were updated again in March 2020 and are intended to enable all Ontario LTC Homes to incorporate best practice stroke care into resident care planning.  Twelve LTC Stroke Care Plans have been developed:

  • Activities of Daily Living
  • Behaviour Change
  • Bladder and Bowel Continence
  • Cognition
  • Communication
  • Depression
  • Leisure
  • Mobility, Positioning & Transfers
  • Nutrition, Hydration & Swallowing
  • Pain
  • Perception
  • Skin Care & Hygiene

The Stroke Care Plans can be accessed through the CorHealth website. This will also link you to additional documents (i.e. Background, FAQs, Implementation Tips, Stroke Best Practice Care Plans for LTC slide deck) to support implementation of the Stroke Care Plans. Sandra Liu, the Regional Stroke Community & LTC Care Coordinator for the Stroke Network of Southeastern Ontario is available to support implementation, to answer any questions you may have and to assist with educational needs. Sandra can be contacted at sandra.liu@kingstonhsc.ca or by phone at (613) 532-2728.  

Newsletter for LTC Homes: Pathways to Recovery - Best Practice in Stroke Care

This quarterly publication provides evidence-based insights on stroke care for LTC settings.  Each issue highlights best practices,  resources, and practical strategies to support stroke recovery and improve quality of life.  

Contact Regional Community and LTC Coordinator, Sandra Liu at Sandra.liu@kingstonhsc.ca for more details or any questions. 

Educational Posters

These educational posters are available at no cost in Southeastern Ontario for display at your location in Long Term Care. They are available in wall mount format. The posters have been developed for the education of frontline care providers and are formatted to provide critical learning points in a highly visual way.

The poster topics include:

To access posters for display in Southeastern Ontario, please contact Sandra Liu Regional Stroke Community & LTC Coordinator (Stroke Network of SEO) at 613-532-2728 or by email sandra.liu@kingstonhsc.ca. 

Taking Action for Optimal Community and Long-Term Stroke Care (TACLS)

This resource replaces the Tips and Tools for Everyday Living Manual. It is closely linked with the HSF Canadian Stroke Best Practice Recommendations and is an evidence-based resource that provides guidance around how to provide safe care for people who have had a stroke and are living in community and long-term care settings. Developed primarily for healthcare workers such as personal support workers, health care aides, home care attendants, and rehabilitation assistants, it can also be used by organizations engaged in education or orientation for these healthcare providers, and any other healthcare professionals who work with people who have had a stroke and their families.

Click here to link to the TACLS section of the Stroke Best Practices website

Oral Health Videos for Long Term Care

Members of the SHRTN Oral Health Community of Practice have produced 13 education webinar-based videos on various oral health topics for long-term care.

Community and Long Term Care Resource Listing

This resource listing provides supports and services which may be of interest to persons who have experienced a stroke, their caregivers, and their health care providers. The listing includes embedded links where available. There are two separate documents: One for healthcare providers and one for clients and their families.