Personal Care Home Program

The WRHA Personal Care Home Program Team

The WRHA PCH Program team is an interprofessional team who provides leadership and support for the personal care homes in Winnipeg. The team monitors quality of care, identifies opportunities for improvement and promotes best practice in long‐term care.

Quality Improvement

To ensure that residents receive high quality care and services, quality improvement initiatives include:

• Participation in accreditation. Through Accreditation Canada an independent group of health professionals compare the care and services provided at the PCH to national standards
• Manitoba Health and PCH Program complete an assessment of compliance with provincial care standards every two years
• Monitoring of care practices
• Complaint management process
• Occurrence reporting process
• Resident/family satisfaction surveys

Complaint Process

Each PCH has a posted process for complaints resolution. If a problem is encountered, it is always best to speak to the person or people most directly concerned with the issue. It can also be helpful to ask a friend or relative for advice on how to proceed.

Concerns/complaints can be expressed to any member of the staff by the resident or family. An independent advocate could be asked to make a complaint on the resident's behalf. It is important to provide a thorough summary of the facts including relevant dates and times.

If the concern is not resolved successfully at this level, the WRHA Complaint Management process can be accessed by calling the WRHA Clients Relation Coordinator at 926‐7825. The Complaint Management Process offers residents and families a way to express their concerns regarding a PCH or the long term care system.

While it is important to express feelings, it is important to stay focused on the facts so that the concern will have a successful resolution and the situation improves.

Manitoba Health Protection for Persons In Care

The WRHA PCH Program works closely with the Manitoba Health Protection for Persons in Care Office. This Office, an independent body, receives and investigates reports of suspected abuse or neglect in hospitals and PCHs in Manitoba. Calls are taken in confidence by calling 788‐6366 (in Winnipeg) or toll‐free 1‐866‐440‐6366 (outside Winnipeg).

Resident Safety

The WRHA PCH program is committed to a culture of safety within the homes. PCH staff receives continuous education around resident and workplace safety including, but not limited to:

• WHMIS (how to control hazardous products)
• Safe resident movement (transferring and repositioning)
• Pressure ulcer prevention
• Falls assessment and management
• Safe feeding and swallowing practices, including choking
• Emergency codes, disaster planning, fire drills and procedures
• Safe medication administration
• Infection control
• Elder abuse prevention

The PCH program has developed several brochures which are available to residents, families, friends and visitors. These include brochures on:

• Swallowing Difficulties
• What You Should Know about Resident Mobility and Safety
• Side Rail Use
• Restraints (e.g. seat belts on wheelchairs)
• Infection Prevention and Control
• Fall Prevention Information

These brochures are available at PCHs

Residents, families, friends and visitors can assist the personal care home in keeping the physical environment safe for everyone by:

• Encouraging your loved one to use any recommended equipment. This may include walkers, wheelchairs, hip protectors, etc.
• Reporting unsafe practices or unsafe environments to the management of the PCH immediately so that corrective action may be taken.
• Reducing infection rates by staying away from the home while you are ill, covering your cough, practicing good handwashing and receiving yearly flu shots.