b'RESIDENT-CENTRED CAREReflectionson theButterfly ApproachJarlette Health Services and the Responsive Group P ioneered by Meaningful Care Matters in the U.K., Butterfly is one of the approaches to person-centred care that are transforming long-term care homes not only in Ontario but around the globe.While there are many elements to the Butterfly Approach, the program has a significant component that supports culture change among staff. In this article, leaders at two Ontario organizations that are rolling out the Butterfly Approach share their insights and experiences: Cristina de Santis, Vice President of Improvement and Innovation at the Responsive Group; Erin Hawker-Budlovsky, Human Experience Consultant at Responsive Health Management; and Mary Connell, Regional Manager of Special Projects and the Butterfly Lead at Jarlette Health Services. Courtesy of Responsive GroupTEACHING BUTTERFLYLearning the Butterfly Approach involves eight training sessions, typically over eight months.Team members learn about dementia and how to communicate effectively, as well as the importance of giving people choice and of avoiding harmful labels. They learn about the importance of stimulating the senses, how to support pleasurable eating, and how to engage meaningfully with residents. Sessions are taught in a way that taps deeply into staff members empathy and personal experience. Staff are asked to think about, and share, what they value and love, and how to learn more about what people living in the home value and love. They are asked to imagine themselves as someone living in long-term care and see the experience through their eyes. These sessions can be very emotional when staff realize how the traditional approach to long-term care has not provided the kind of experience they would want for themselves, their loved ones, or people living in homes. What they start to bring into the home following the training is the whole personsomeone who can see the vulnerability in others with fresh eyes, who forms new relationships with residents, and who is always looking for ways to meaningfully engage and enrich the lives of the people in their long-term care community.Leaders have a separate training program to help them implement the model and to support their staff. 10 LONG TERM CARE TODAY Spring/Summer 2024'