Module 5: Resident and Family Engagement: Material Use Guide

Learning Objectives:

• Define resident- and family-centered care.
• Describe the key concepts of resident-and family-centered care in long-term care (LTC) facilities.
• Explain the importance of engaging residents and family members.
• Describe different methods to engage residents and family members in safety initiatives, especially in the area of reducing infections due to urinary catheters.
• Discuss the roles of resident and family advisors and LTC ombudsman programs in nursing homes' safety teams.

Topic: Defining Resident-and Family-Centered Care
Method: Invite members of your facility's resident council to participate in the education session. Ask participants to describe what resident- and family-centered means to them. Use the slides and facilitator notes to expand on the team's input.
Materials: Slides 4–10
Audience: All staff, including administrators and frontline staff; residents and families

Topic: Defining Resident and Family Engagement and its Benefits
Method: Invite members of your facility's resident council to participate in the education session. Ask participants how they would define resident and family engagement. Compare the definitions provided by the team to those presented in slides 4–5. Discuss staff perceptions of resident and family engagement and how their perceptions compare to those of residents and families. Use slides 6–7 to supplement the discussion. Review how the staff and resident views align with the facility's culture.
Materials: Slides 12–13
Audience: All staff, including administrators and frontline staff; residents and families

Topic: How To Engage Residents and Families
Method: Review the Get To Know Your Health Care Team tool and the Establishing a Relationship and Participation in Care Plans videos with team members at a meeting. Include members of your facility's resident council in the discussion. Discuss how staff can support residents and family to get to know the team. Talk about any barriers or concerns that staff or residents have concerning fully engaging residents in care planning. Discuss solutions and ideas to expand resident and family engagement in your facility.
Materials: Slides 14–19, Get To Know Your Health Care Team tool, Staff Communication video, Communication and Engaging the Family video
Audience: All staff, including administrators and frontline staff; residents and families

Topic: Communicating With Residents and Families: Ideas and Challenges
Method: Invite members of your facility's resident council to participate in the education session. Start the session by reviewing the slides using the facilitator notes. Discuss ways your facility successfully communicates with residents and families. Share stories that demonstrate positive and productive communications. Discuss opportunities to improve communication with all residents and family.
Materials: Slides 20–28, Communication in Action video
Audience: All staff, including administrators and frontline staff

Topic: Engagement Using Resident and Family Advisers
Method: Invite members of your facility's resident council to participate in the education session. Talk about the characteristics of resident and family advisers and how advisers can or do provide valuable input into the facility's safety programs. Discuss new ways to enhance inclusion of advisors in planning, implementing, and evaluating programs and services. Discuss any staff or resident concerns with engaging advisers as partners.
Materials: Slides 29–33, Communication Tools video
Audience: All staff, including administrators and frontline staff; residents and families

Topic: Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
Method: Invite your facility's ombudsman representative to the education session. Discuss the roles and responsibilities of the ombudsman. Review ways in which the ombudsman can support enhanced resident and family engagement in your facility. Review how the team can engage ombudsmen in your facility's safety program.
Materials: Slide 33
Audience: All staff, including administrators and frontline staff; residents and families