New program to improve quality of care for seniors

TORONTO – Amid growing calls for systemic changes to be made to long-term care in Ontario, George Brown College is launching a first-of-its kind new postgraduate program to help improve quality of care in complex and long-term care settings.

Keeping in line with current shifts to remote learning, the program was intentionally designed for online delivery and integrates simulation and problem-based learning grounded in educational game and digital open world learning. The virtual learning environment (VLE) trains healthcare professionals working with Ontario’s growing senior population.

In 2017 the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) projected that Canada’s population of individuals aged 65 and older would jump by 68 per cent in 20 years.

Launching this fall, the Interprofessional Complex and Long-Term Care program, developed in collaboration with Ontario Centres for Learning, Research & Innovation in Long-Term Care (CLRI) at Baycrest and Ryerson University, represents a unique approach to healthcare education, aimed at providing evidence-based, collaborative training for optimal care.

“With heightened focus on critical vulnerabilities in long-term care settings, it is more important than ever to enhance the skills and core competences of healthcare providers,” says Wendy Ellis (pictured), chair, School of Nursing George Brown College. “Increasing access to programs that not only teach healthcare, but communication, inter-professional collaboration and problem-solving is crucial. This program gives students the opportunity to collaborate virtually, to learn from each other, and to work towards providing excellent client care.”

Students will participate in a variety of collaborative real-life scenarios in which inter-professional teams work together to solve clinical cases. Students will also participate in micro lectures, readings and discussions. The two-semester program consists of seven courses, taken at both George Brown and Ryerson University, and includes a 120-hour clinical field placement.

The program is open to all healthcare providers including nurses, personal support workers, dental professionals, fitness specialists and hearing specialists. Graduates can work as coordinators or managers in healthcare facilities to deliver inter-professional care.

The Inter-professional Complex and Long-Term Care program builds on George Brown’s commitment to put students at the forefront of the digital economy.

For more information on the program, visit www.georgebrown.ca/programs/interprofessional-complex-and-long-term-care-program-s417.