Guidelines for Effective Consultation

The latest Centre of Excellence publication promised to improve the relevance and value of long-term care (LTC) research. Partnering for Progress: A Guide for Meaningful Engagement of Residents and Caregivers in Long-Term Care Research provides a structured framework for the meaningful engagement of LTC residents and their caregivers.

Researchers in all fields increasingly recognize the importance of directly engaging and involving the people most likely to be impacted by their work, particularly during the design of studies. While the concept has various names, including community engagement and public participation, its advantages are clear: the focus of research tends to be more relevant, for instance, and the findings more useful. Despite these potential advantages, however, LTC residents and caregivers rarely play a meaningful role in the design of studies likely to directly impact them. The Guide provides researchers and LTC leaders with the practical strategies, guiding principles and concrete tools they need.

The Guide is the product of a multi-phase Centre of Excellence project that began in 2023. The centrepiece of the project was Partnering for Progress, a structured consultation session held at Perley Health in 2024 and attended by more than 30 residents, caregivers, researchers and LTC workers. The project also included a review of relevant literature, a small survey of LTC residents, and participation in a series of resident-council meetings.

“We're doing this not only for today's residents but also for future residents,” says Devora Greenspon, who participated in the Partnering for Progress event. A tireless advocate for residents, Ms. Greenspon lives at Hillel Lodge, an Ottawa LTC home, where she serves on the Resident's Committee. She is also a longstanding member of the Ontario Association of Residents Council. “I think it's important for the residents to tell these young people how we want to be treated and how we want to live our lives.”

View "Guidelines for Effective Consultation" PDF

Sue Davies, an educator, advocate and former nurse, participates in a round table discussion at the Partnering for Progress event.