Photo Karen Graham.
Staff at Centennial Place celebrate the second consecutive accreditation of their organization for their dedication to improving the lives of their clients. Congratulations to all!
Late in November, staff at Centennial Place Longterm Care Home learned that the home had once again earned a three-year accreditation for its dedication and commitment to improving the lives of its clients. This exceptional recognition is provided by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). This an international, non-profit organization recognizes providers of health and human services in the area of aging, behavioural health, child and youth, vision and medical rehabilitation among others. Think of it as a stamp of approval received from an international expert in the field.
The accreditation was earned through an extensive evaluation process which begins with a site survey conducted by industry peers. It is followed by a series of written surveys and interviews with the organization’s staff, community partners and government representatives, direct observation of service delivery and the examination of a variety of supporting documents such as program evaluations. In passing the rigorous standards, CARF accredited organizations like Centennial Place have demonstrated a commitment to excellence and a standard of performance in quality health and human services.
In this second successful accreditation application, the evaluators concluded that Centennial Place meets the certification criteria based on high levels of satisfaction with the organization and the quality of services as expressed by resident families and staff. Evaluators also noted a priority placed on enhancing resident engagement, accessibility, safety and performance improvement, as well as a willingness to exceed expectations. CARF congratulated the leadership team and staff at the home for this achievement.
The evaluations concluded that Centennial Place promotes and practices a resident-centred culture, where staff is encouraged to initiate problem-solving strategies. The physical environment is welcoming and personalized and offers comprehensive programs that maximize opportunities for residents as well as programs that effectively manage the complex needs of residents with dementia.
The organization’s leadership received high praise, and was described as demonstrating a commitment to accessibility, person-centred philosophy, cultural sensitivity and diversity, management of health and safety issues as well as corporate responsibility.
One of the recommendations in the accreditation report was to encourage more involvement of staff who are interested in providing feedback and input into the organization’s strategic plan. Staff cares about their work and are eager to provide feedback and what works and what doesn’t.
Like many homes in the industry, Centennial Place has a significant number of open positions and are using a variety of recruiting methods, including signing bonuses, to fill these vacancies. The report suggested that the home might also consider reducing the number of part-time positions and creating some full-time positions to ease the staffing pressure.
For organizations like Centennial Place, accreditation demonstrates a commitment to efficiency, fiscal health and service deliver, which provides a foundation for customer satisfaction.
The CARF report concluded that staff at Centennial Place have succeeded in creating a long term care home where the residents want to live, staff want to work, and both choose to stay. Congratulations! KG
