b'FAMILY CAREGIVERSFamilies and care plansFrom gatekeepingto partnershipBy Matthew BradfordG iving resident familiesimplemented a portal, had similarChaugai, CEO and Co-Founder 24/7 digital access to careconcerns when they moved to offeringof Evoke Health, which offers the information is an emergingdigital access to information. Staffportal Engage+ used by the three practice in Canadian long-term carethought there would be more familyorganizations. In any new practice homes. At OLTCAs 2025 This isconcerns, more complaints, said Nikkilike this, there are understandably Long Term Care conference, threeMann, Director of Resident Services atgoing to be concerns toOntario long-term care organizationsVilla Colombo. There were concernswork through.discussed their positive experiencesabout errors, about compliance with using a resident and family portal. exposure. Thats where the hesitancyThe three speakers highlighted the came in. benefits theyve seen to date in using Meighen Health Centre in Torontothe portal. The first point they noted was the first long-term care homeAt one time, we would sit with familieswas the way the portal strengthened in Canada to launch a portal, aboutin a room with the chart and be therefamily relationshipsthey use their two years ago. We had alwayswhile they went through it, said Lauraaccess to become stronger, more reassured our families that we didntScott, Director of Clinical Services atinformed care partners. Our most have anything to hidethat we loveOmni Quality Living. The thinking wasengaged family members have our residents, we love our jobs, andthat if families had questions, staffprinted the care plans, updated them, we want them to know that we carecould prepare, explain and provideand then sat down with our team to about them, said Monica Klein-Nouri,context, she says, noting that it didntsay, I think Mom has changed; we Executive Director of the Salvationmake sense as a family could file aneed to look at this, Mann said. Armys Meighen Health Centre. Butrequest for copies of the information. we saw that we needed to backWe build an unnecessary and falseThe portal helps families feel that up, and the portal was the bestsense of gatekeeping security. empowered, added Klein-Nouri. evidence that we stand behind ourFamilies often feel isolated words. We had to walk the talk.Each organization is currently atbecause they dont have access to a different stage in their rollout ofinformation on a day-to-day basis. Klein-Nouri said staff were initiallywhats available on their portals. SomeWhen we opened up everything to hesitant, concerned about whatpanelists noted they need to workthem, they began to trust us more families would say, how they wouldthrough questions with physiciansand participate actively in the care react to errors or imperfections, andbefore expanding access to certainplan, which was amazing. They whether the portal would open theclinical records.regained some of the power they floodgates to complaints or lost when they brought their loved enhanced scrutiny.Patient portals are common inone into the home. And that means hospitals and other areas of healtha lot. She said she was expecting Staff at Villa Colombo and Omnicare but theyre still new in long-termchallenges, but that implementation Quality Living, which have alsocare, said session moderator Varshawent smoothly. 38 LONG TERM CARE TODAY Spring/Summer 2026'