b'COVER STORYKey considerationsSome things to consider from peopleCares experience:1.Keep residents front and centre: At every step, ask "How will this impact residents?" Plan accordingly.For instance, ensure residents have 1:1 move-day support but be mindful that too many extra hands might feel chaotic. Schedule residents who like to sleep in on the last bus. Set each room up the way the resident likes it before they arrive. Add a welcome basket. Schedule a popular activity or musical performance in the new lounges. All the little things you incorporate into planning will add up to a big, warm person-centred welcome. 2.Involve the right people early on: An approach to planning that maximizes input from the subjectmatter experts at hand (especially your staff!) helps ensure decisionsfrom what supplies to buy, to where to put themmake sense from an operational perspective. Engaging residents, families and community partners will also help transform the building into a home. Acknowledge that change can be hard: While the benefits of moving to a newer home are many, 3. the anxiety that goes along with the change can be acute. Residents may mourn the loss of familiar surroundings. Staff must get used to different job routines, workstations and coworkers. Be aware of the need for good change management practices, including plenty of opportunities for people to be engaged and share how theyre feeling, so they can work through concerns and really get excited.4. dentify one point person to lead communications with families and volunteers: For some homes, Ithis will be the executive director, for others, the director of programs. What matters most is having established relationships, updated contacts and a commitment to keeping everyone informedin particular given the evolving and frequent info-sharing needed as opening day approaches.5.Reach out to your sector colleagues: In the lead-up to opening Meaford Long-Term Care,peopleCare reached out to other senior living organizations who had successfully opened new homes and they were generous in sharing tools, strategies and insights.6.Celebrate success along the way: Opening a new long-term care home takes a lot of time, persistence and plain hard work. Thats why celebrating milestones along the way is so important. Inspire positivity by posting construction progress photos. Take time to reflect with everyone on how great it will feel once everyone is enjoying life in the new digs. And dont forget to write little notes of thanks to team members who contribute above and beyond to your successful development project.Filiatrault, our Director, Clinicalsunny lobby in Meaford, one thing"I was a little sad to leave, but I was Services, alongside the homes clinicalthey often notice first is the name:happy to see the new home."team, with a focus on person-centredBeautiful Joe Way, and a lovely mural care planning, choice and 1:1 supportdepicting its namesake, a local terrierResident Norma Sonnenburg agrees, for residents and families.known as Canadas most famous"Everyone was so welcoming. And the dog. Residents named all the new home areas with a connection to thenew home is gorgeous. When I first Working closely with our valuedcommunitys landmarks and heritage.walked in, I thought wowthat lobby partners at Ontario Health West, theis something else!" home was full in no time, whichKatrina Tolton, Director of Programs, speaks to both the effectivenesssays this seemingly small gesture hadEngaging families was also key. We of our plan, and the growing needdeeper meaning. Naming the newcommunicated with families regularly for more long-term care in thehome areas was a lot of fun and builtthrough town halls, emails and phone community. It was a good dayexcitement and anticipation prior tocalls. Families helped their loved one when we filled the home and knewthe move, she says. And I think itpick out their new rooms (What view? we had 128 residents and all thereally reflects how we kept the focus on the needs, wishes and preferencesWhat floor? Near the dining room staff we needed to provide themof our residents every step of the way.or lounge? Private or shared? etc.). with meaningful experiences andThey also set up the new living space exceptional care, says Filiatrault. Resident Ilona Singer couldnt bebefore the move, right down to family Purpose: happier with how staff supported herphotos and mementoes, so residents Keep residents front and centrein the transition. The move went sofelt welcomed and immediately more As visitors enter the resident homesmoothly, everything was preparedcomfortable surrounded by theirarea to the left off of the brightand ready when I got here," says Ilona.own belongings. 10 LONG TERM CARE TODAY Spring/Summer 2023'