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Heat and Health resources from the World Health Organization (WHO)
WHO has developed helpful infographics, tips, and resources offering practical and often low-cost interventions that individuals, communities, organizations, and governments can take to save lives and mitigate the effects of extreme heat.
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Practical Ways to Stay Safe – Downloadable Posters from The RIA
The Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA) has provided research-informed visuals and tools to help care partners and older adults prioritize wellness and hydration. These are small, easy changes that can make a big difference.
Access posters: https://shorturl.at/H8mx2
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Resource: Wildfire Smoke and Older Adults; How Recreation Professionals Can Help
In response to the recent and ongoing wildfires and air quality concerns in Ontario, Recreation Professionals of Ontario has put together a resource to aid Recreation Professionals in creating safe, supportive and engaging environments.
Access the resource here: https://shorturl.at/oqf9X
To learn more about Recreation Professionals of Ontario, visit their website: https://www.rpontario.com/
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Only Two Weeks Left! Apply for the 2026 Sharron Cooke Annual Legacy Award (SCALA) Today!
Has your home recently initiated a project where residents and team members worked collaboratively to shape their home community?
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Has your project:
- Built trust and inspired hope?
- Enhanced communication between the home and residents?
- Built compassion and empathy?
- Facilitated resident to resident peer support and friendship?
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If you answered "yes" to any of the above, then we want to hear from you! The Sharron Cooke Annual Legacy Award was created to recognize these long-term care home initiatives. Please share your story with us!
Learn more: https://shorturl.at/e1kUM
Deadline to apply is August 14, 2026
| | | Celebrating Extendicare Iler Lodge – A SCALA Notable Mention | | |
Last summer, residents and staff at Extendicare Iler Lodge enjoyed pulled pork sandwiches, sunshine and fun at their annual Family Fun BBQ Day, a meal supported by proceeds raised through the new, resident-led Tuckshop Cupboard initiative.
Responding to a resident-identified need, the President of the Residents’ Council, Laura, started the project and volunteered her time and experience to make the Tuck Cupboard a sustainable success. As a former Staples Manager, she used her career experience to not only manage the product inventory, but to strengthen communications between residents to inform ongoing inventory needs. In doing so, this Tuckshop Cupboard has become more than an answer to an initial resident need, but an opportunity for residents and their families to support their home community.
| | Have you created something similar within your own LTC home? Let us know! Apply today to the Sharron Cooke Annual Legacy Award (SCALA). Details above. | | OARC Representatives Attend Special Screening of The Green Bench Documentary | | |
OARC’s Melissa McVie and Mel Matheson were honoured to attend a special screening of The Green Bench documentary on July 24 at Mississauga’s Living Arts Centre. The invitation was extended by the Natalia Kusendova-Bashta, Ontario’s Minister of Long-Term Care and Minister of Francophone Affairs.
Created to mark the 10th anniversary of The Green Bench initiative, the documentary follows older adults from Schlegel Villages communities as they return to places of personal significance and share the stories, experiences, and memories that have shaped their lives. Filmed across Canada and the United Kingdom, the project celebrates the richness and diversity of later life while challenging ageism and encouraging meaningful conversations across generations.
Following the screening, attendees gathered for a reception to celebrate the film’s message and the importance of creating opportunities for residents to share their lived experiences. Melissa and Mel also got the opportunity to meet two of the residents featured in the film.
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The documentary’s themes strongly align with OARC’s commitment to supporting quality, person-centred care across Ontario. By honouring and valuing the voices of older adults, communities can help foster connection, belonging, dignity, and choice.
Every resident has a story worth hearing. View the documentary trailer: https://youtu.be/chz5cnoTZhM.
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Important update to LTC Home Accommodation Charges effective July 1, 2026
At the beginning of this month, new accommodation changes for residents living in Ontario long-term care homes took effect. Please see the attached letter from Sandra Lawson, Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM), Long-Term Care Operations Division, addressing a correction required to the co-payment bulletin. The monthly semi-private co-payment rate for residents admitted to newer beds on or after July 1, 2012, but prior to July 1, 2013 has been adjusted from $2,465.76 to $2,456.76.
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August Webinar: Supporting Resident Participation in Municipal Elections
Municipal elections are an important opportunity for long-term care residents to have their voices heard. This webinar will explore how elections are conducted within long-term care homes, including voting processes, accessibility requirements, and strategies for supporting resident participation. Join us to learn what to expect and how to help residents exercise their democratic rights.
| Be part of long-term care (LTC) culture change! | |
We’re proud to introduce a new feature in our monthly newsletters that will help inspire new ways of engaging with residents in shaping the places they call home. Each month we will showcase a different resource, implementation tip, or spotlight from our Resident Engagement Toolkit, Everything About Residents Involves Residents. We hope you will be inspired to start or continue your co-design journey.
Learn more about the toolkit here: https://shorturl.at/xmEed
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6 Steps for Getting Started: New Resource
What’s the best way to start your engagement journey? We asked members of OARC’s provincial advisory group, the REAL team, what they felt residents and their long-term care home leaders might find helpful to start mobilizing the toolkit in their home. With their input, we’ve created two complimentary resources with six practical tips for getting started.
| | Reminiscing, Celebrating, and Cake at Algonquin Nursing Home | | |
A visit to Algonquin Nursing Home in Mattawa, Ontario, on June 18th provided a wonderful opportunity for OARC team members Sierra Roberti and Melissa Matheson to connect with our 2025 Sharron Cooke Annual Award (SCALA) recipients and celebrate their award-winning community initiative—with cake! While there, residents shared an update on how they used the award funds to attend a live wrestling match, continuing their commitment to re-engaging with their community. Special thanks to Ashleigh Shotter, Resident and Family Services Coordinator at Algonquin Nursing Home, for sharing photos that captured this memorable experience!
When asked to reflect on what it meant to receive the SCALA last year, Ashleigh shared how the recognition represented more than an award, but celebrated the voices, choices, and experiences of the home’s residents, and the incredible support from the staff, volunteers, and community partners. “This award also reflects the dedication and creativity of our team. We are proud of the collaborative effort that made this initiative possible and grateful for everyone who played a part in making it such a success.”
One resident shared, “being recognized with this award made us so proud. It was an incredible honour, and we had so much fun deciding how to spend the award money. Attending our very first wrestling event was so exciting—and we can’t wait for our next adventure!”
When OARC Regional Coach Sierra shared highlights from the visit with the team, she reflected on how heartfelt and inspiring it was to celebrate the Council’s accomplishments and see the impact of their work firsthand.“Seeing the Sharron Cooke Annual Legacy Award come full circle and witnessing her legacy live on through the passion and dedication of Residents’ Councils across Ontario was a truly special moment.”
We look forward to hearing about the many future adventures that Algonquin Nursing Home will experience next!
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Presenting the Toolkit to the Extendicare REACH Community of Practice
On June 18th, OARC Coach Jessica Chong and Resident Leader Gale Ramsden led a session introducing OARC’s Resident Engagement Toolkit to the Extendicare REACH Advisory Group. REACH is a national group of volunteers that brings together Extendicare leadership and decision-makers with residents and family members. The goal is to provide a platform where all the voices that make up the Extendicare LTC community are heard. When Jessica first reached out to Chris, Regional Manager, Operations, Southeast Region at Extendicare, and a REACH co-chair, he championed the idea of presenting the toolkit.
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Led by Gale, with support from Jessica, the presentation explored the toolkit, what resident engagement could look like, and the role of home leaders in setting the tone in the home for meaningful engagement. The presentation concluded with a lively discussion on ways Administrators can better understand potential barriers to resident engagement, with valuable insight provided by the residents and family members in attendance.
Bernadette, one of the group’s resident co-chairs, reflects on the experience with excitement: “I think it’s great to have involvement from everyone. With the Toolkit being new, I look forward to hearing more. REACH’s involvement is great because inclusion is important, and everyone can learn from each other. I think what OARC is doing is great and I look forward to the future.”
“I really like that it [the toolkit] encourages leaders and staff to be intentional about developing relationships with residents, listening to residents, and building trust that leads to empowerment,” Kevin Ryan, REACH’s co-chair representing Family Councils, shares. “One measure of success might be the positive feeling that a resident has from being listened to! Thank you to OARC for presenting at our Community of Practice meeting!”
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New Residents’ Council Week Expanded Celebration Planning Resource
Get your whole home excited about the importance and contributions of your Residents’ Council this September 14th- 20th! To help with your planning, OARC has developed an expanded planning week resource, to help spark your creativity.
Inside you’ll find suggested themes for each weekday, as well as celebration activity ideas, links to webinars, resources and templates.
Access the Residents' Council Week Celebration Planning Guide: https://shorturl.at/s66lT
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Have You Found Your Blue Ticket?
This year, we’ve hidden six Blue Tickets in our Residents’ Council Week Celebration Packages…
did you find one?
If you did, snap a selfie with your ticket and box contents to redeem your special prize pack, which includes additional OARC merchandise for your Council.
Send your selfie to Stephanie Buosi, at sbuosi@ontarc.com.
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Show Us Your Brag Board – Contest Reminder
Our 2026 Residents’ Council Week Contest, “Show us Your Brag Boards,” invites you and your Residents’ Council to reflect and celebrate your achievements and positive impact. But how do you create a Brag Board?
Your Brag Board can take many shapes, from poster board to video slide shows or scrap books. You can learn more about the contest here: https://shorturl.at/N6dWu
Get Inspired by Resident Leader Jolene Glenn!
This contest was inspired in part by Jolene Glenn, who created a Brag Board lobby display full of poster collages that captured moments from her Residents’ Council at St. Lawrence Lodge. From meetings, outings and everyday life, Jolene’s display transformed their home lobby into a vibrant space that caught everyone’s attention.
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“People stopped, looked, asked questions, and most importantly, connected. It gave us a chance to showcase our voices and our contributions in a very real way.”
The contest deadline is September 14, 2026.
We’re so excited to see how your Residents' Council decides to showcase your story.
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Coaches Corner brings you helpful tips, insights, and resources directly from our four new Education and Home Support Regional Coaches. This month, inspired by a recent home visit, Jessica Chong encourages new residents to make small, but impacful steps to shape their experiences in their home.
Redefining Life in LTC: Purpose, Leadership, and New Beginnings
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When people picture long-term care (LTC), common misconceptions too often overshadow the rich reality inside these communities. The narrative is frequently wrapped in passive imagery—residents simply passing time in a room or hallway. But during my home visits, I see a strikingly different picture: a landscape where residents thrive, lead, and create a whole new meaning to life.
Just last month, I had an inspirational conversation with a resident leader who shared her journey into LTC. Prior to this chapter, she held a strong connection to her community, which fueled her willingness to get involved. From organizing fundraisers to fulfilling key responsibilities on the Residents’ Council, she proves life in LTC is full of action.
Crucially, this work relies on teamwork. Working side-by-side with home leadership and the Residents’ Council Assistant (RCA), she gets the support needed to turn ideas into reality. This
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collaboration creates space for past skills to shine brighter while highlighting the fundamental value of choice—empowering residents to shape their environment, from choosing daily meals and paint colours to styling shared resident areas.
We often talk about fulfilling dreams as something reserved for early retirement, but we don’t speak enough about the opportunities for personal fulfillment within LTC. Leadership and everyday choices are vital pathways for dignity, autonomy, and purpose. When we foster teamwork, honour choice, and recognize the rich skill sets residents bring, we ensure LTC remains a place where people don’t just live, but truly thrive.
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Where to begin—in three steps:
1) Start small. You don’t need to lead a project on day one. Start by sharing your voice. Attend a Residents’ Council meeting, share your thoughts on daily choices like menu items or décor. Small steps build confidence and open the door to bigger leadership opportunities.
2) Consider your interests. Think about the skills and hobbies you loved before moving into LTC. Whether you enjoyed organizing, crafting, gardening, or planning events, there will be dynamic ways to bring those talents to life in your new community.
3) Work with your Residents’ Council and Home leadership. Let them know your desire to do more. Expressing an interest in a specific activity to your Residents’ Council Assistant (RCA) or Council President allows them to partner with you and support your leadership journey.
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Jessica Chong
Education & Support Coach, Eastern region
jchong@ontarc.com
T 905-731-3710 ext. 330
| | If you have any questions about getting started in a leadership role, or would simply like to connect with Jessica, we encourage you to reach out | | A Creative Approach to Residents’ Rights Education at Dearness Home | | |
When OARC Coach Erin Westwood visited Dearness Home back in April, she was given a sneak peek into an upcoming creative resident-led initiative: Residents’ Bill of Rights Placemats!
Reviewing the Residents’ Bill of Rights is a monthly topic at Dearness Home’s Residents’ Council meetings. During Erin’s visit, she introduced the CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario) Residents’ Bill of Rights Resource, which explains each right in easy-to-understand language, and can be used as a tool to enhance monthly discussions. The Council loved it and incorporated the resource into their monthly review. The CLEO resource also formed the basis for the placemat design–which was created by Recreation Coordinator Matthew, with Council approval.
The idea for the rights-based placemat also came from a Council meeting. Council President Karen Walton felt that breaking down the rights at their meetings helped enhance understanding, and she wanted all the residents of the home to benefit. Placemats were a natural choice as an education vehicle, as thematic ones are often created with resident feedback as part of the home’s recreation planning process.
“We do a placemat on Residents’ Council Week to promote it. We also have monthly themed placemats to promote the country of the month, and we do the theme food for the meal too. Residents love the placemats!” Cheryl Gilmour, Manager, Community Life at Dearness Home, shared. The Residents’ Rights placements will be unveiled during this September’s Residents’ Council week, starting with Right #1. Thank you to Dearness Home for sharing their Placemat template to inspire other homes and Councils.
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| Nominate someone for the Person-Centred Language Award! | |
Nominations are open for the fourth annual Person-Centred Language (PCL) Award, hosted by the Ontario CLRI at the RIA and Behavioural Supports Ontario.
This Award recognizes the extraordinary efforts of PCL champions who are dedicated to creating supportive and life-affirming environments for residents, family care partners and team members in long-term care (LTC). Nominate yourself or a dedicated champion whose passion and commitment to person-centred language is actively fostering an environment of compassion, dignity, and respect. The winner will be recognized at this year’s OLTCA This is Long-Term Care 2026 conference, and be award prizes including a complimentary pass to the conference.
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First-of-its-kind partnership to transform long-term care in Northern Ontario.
Whitefish River First Nation, Sagamok Anishnawbek, the Town of Espanola, and Espanola Regional Hospital and Health Centre have announced a new partnership to build a long-term care home that will serve the region and support people in aging closer to home.
“This project is about building a future where our people can age with dignity, surrounded by their culture, their families, and their community,” said Chief Rodney Nahwegahbow of Whitefish River First Nation. With growing demand, and limited LTC spaces in the Espanola-Manitoulin area, families are forced to seek care far from their homes and communities. This partnership will help establish a new model of care that will strengthen services and access to care closer to home.
Read the full article: https://shorturl.at/NwImr
| Podcast: The Golden Villages—Reconnecting People with Dementia to Nature and Community | |
“I realized[...] care can be different, that care can be communal, that we can create a new system for people, particularly rural people, to know that they have somewhere to go when they may need to.”
Larissa Stadnichuk speaks about her inspiration, challenges, and excitement regarding the Golden Villages – a proposed land-based dementia care community located in Mount Pleasant—on the latest episode of the Strengthening a Palliative Approach in Long-Term Care Alliance (SPALTC) podcast.
Listen: https://shorturl.at/ZwgxQ
| How-To-Guide: Recently updated, Partnering with Caregivers in Long-Term Care | |
Is your LTC home looking to enhance its Essential Care Partner (ECP) program? Perhaps you’re looking to improve relationships between your LTC home and family and friends who support residents.
Co-designed with five LTC leaders and team members, two caregivers, and one resident, this recently updated how-to-guide features stories from Ontario LTC homes and step-by-step processes to develop or improve essential care partner (ECP) programs. Created in collaboration with the Ontario Caregiver Organization and the Ontario CLRI at Bruyère Health, this tool can help support a culture of caregiver inclusion in LTC homes.
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Family Councils Ontario – FCO Week Tour Resources
Held this year from June 6-12, Family Council Week saw FCO visiting and connecting with three Ontario communities in person, and a virtual event open to the entire province. At each location, participants explored different themes including:
- Building trust and strengthening relationships between families and care teams
- Creating welcoming and inclusive communities within long-term care homes
- Supporting Family Councils through practical tools and strategies
- Finding opportunities to collaborate together and more.
Following the conclusion of the tour, FCO has developed resources to help participants continue the conversations and bring ideas back to their communities.
You can explore the resources on their website here: https://shorturl.at/ggP1v
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Harm-Less Care Labour Project: Sentiments of Appreciation.
Do you have a positive story to share about your Personal Support Care worker (PSC)?
The Department of Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Waterloo is conducting a study to understand the needs for reporting and addressing gender and race-based harm (GRBH) incurred through PSC labour, and develop worth-affirming practices of gratitude for Canadian PSC workers.
You can share your story through voice memo, drawing, poem, letter, or other media of your choosing, submit anonymously or include your name. For more information, and to participate, visit here: https://shorturl.at/PtIoX
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Participate in the RIA’s Quality of Life Assessment for People Living with Dementia Research.
Are you a person with cognitive impairment or changes in your thinking or memory? A co-designed team of individuals living with dementia, care partners, and researchers at the Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging (RIA) has developed a quality-of-life assessment tool—and needs your help to test it.
This study is looking for participants who speak English and live in Kitchener, Waterloo, Hamilton, or Burlington. If you are interested in participating, please contact Maral Ghodsi at mghodsib@uwaterloo.ca.
Learn more: https://shorturl.at/VTbE0
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Feedback for Patient Ombudsman Commitment to Service
Help ensure the Patient Ombudsman’s updated Service Charter is clear, meaningful, and easy to understand.
Patient Ombudsman has developed a new Commitment to Service that better reflects their values, explains what people can except when working with them, and what they require to help resolve health care concerns. They are now seeking feedback.
To participate:
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Research Study Opportunity: Understanding Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Researchers from the National Institute of Ageing (NIA) at Toronto Metropolitan University are seeking volunteers to participate in a study focused on developing and improving educational resources about AI for older adults in Canada.
Participants will receive monetary incentives for completing one virtual session and a follow-up survey.
For more information:
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Study: Understanding the Experiences and Needs of Care Partners of Veterans
Are you a care partner to a Veteran? If yes, we want to hear from you!
Conducted by Perley Health, in collaboration with the University of Ottawa, the goal of this study is to identify the unique needs of individuals caring for Veterans and to better understand how the caregiving role impacts their own health and well-being. Ultimately, the findings will help inform and improve community programming for older Veterans and their families.
Participants are asked to complete a 40-minute online survey. For more information, and links to the survey, please reference the information posters below:
You can also contact Annie Robitaille at arobitai@uottawa.ca for more information.
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Free ISMP Canada Webinar: Driving Medication Safety in Health Care Through Continuous Quality Improvement
ISMP Canada, in partnership with The Value Collaborative, is offering a free webinar that builds on the success of the Strengthening Medication Safety in Long-Term Care Ontario program. This 60-minute session will explore how Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) can help health care organizations strengthen medication safety, foster a culture of ongoing improvement, and empower staff to identify and address opportunities for change within their everyday work.
As demand for health care services continues to grow, identifying and addressing local improvement opportunities has never been more important. Join health care professionals from across Canada on September 17, 2026, to learn about a new CQI program designed to support safer systems and better outcomes.
For more information, please contact education@ismpcanada.ca.
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We encourage you to share this information with residents in your home.
Have a LTC Spotlight story you'd like featured in our next newsletter? We love to hear from you - email Stephanie Buosi, sbuosi@ontarc.com with your questions, stories and ideas.
| | Check Out Our Services and Programs | | | | OARC is funded by the Ministry of Long-Term Care, membership dues and other revenue. The views expressed in this publication are the views of OARC and do not necessarily reflect those of the Province. | | |
Ontario Association of Residents' Councils
T 905-731-3710 | 1-800-532-0201
F 905-731-1755 | info@ontarc.com
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