b'CULTURE CHANGEUsing the fairness triangleto resolve concernsPerspectives from Ontarios Patient OmbudsmanBy Craig ThompsonA hospitals and Home and Communityfairness into their planning to ensure long-term care home is a unique and special space. It isCare Support Services.fairness in policies and procedures a workplace, it is a setting thatand can review their own work to delivers health care while also Patient Ombudsman works with bothensure decision-making is also done offering emotional and personalsides (resident/caregivers and long- in a fair manner. The concept of support, but most importantly it is aterm care homes) to reach a using fairness standards to inform residents home.fair resolution. and validate your work at the outset is fairness by design. Though long-term care homes striveWhat do we mean by fair? Incorporating fairness by design to provide all the comforts of home,When working to resolve a complaint,How can long-term care homes make there are situations that arise wherePatient Ombudsman uses its Fairnessuse of fairness by design to proactively residents or their loved ones haveTriangle as a framework for its review.address common concerns from The Fairness Triangle outlines a setresidents and caregivers? concerns about their experiences. Theof principles that can be used when Patient Ombudsmans role is to helpanalyzing a complaint and test if aWhen developing a new policy, or address those concerns.resolution is fairit looks at whatmaking an important decision that the health sector organization (HSO)affects residents, long-term care In Ontario, Patient Ombudsmandecided, how was it decided, and howhomes should ask themselves three was established as an independent,people were treated.key questions: what was decided, how impartial office whose role is toWhat is fairness by design?was it decided, and how werereceive, respond to and help resolveThe concept of fairness doesntpeople treated?complaints from current or formeronly have to come into play when patients/residents and caregiversresolving complaints or conflicts.This includes ensuring residents about experiences in Ontarios long- Long-term care homes and otherand caregivers can meaningfully term care homes, as well as publichealth organizations can incorporateparticipate in decision-making and 22 LONG TERM CARE TODAY Fall/Winter 2022'