'We are changing the paradigm of long-term care'

Ability to offer in-home peritoneal-care would be another step forward for Riverview Manor

August 13, 2012 -- Deron Hamel

PETERBOROUGH, Ont. - Riverview Manor is working to bring peritoneal dialysis training to registered staff members, a move that would further enhance quality of life for residents while taking the home another step forward in the changing long-term care landscape, says administrator Mary Anne Greco.

The home plans to submit a funding application to the Central East Community Care Access Centre (CCAC) in September to deliver on-site peritoneal dialysis. In recent years, the Peterborough long-term care home has seen an increasing number of residents requiring peritoneal dialysis, a treatment for chronic kidney disease that helps control fluid and electrolyte levels.

Having registered staff members trained in peritoneal care would allow residents to stay in the home for treatment, rather than be transferred to hospital.

Having the ability to provide in-home peritoneal care to residents is an important step forward in advancing quality of life because any hospital stay can negatively impact residents, she adds.

“We are changing the paradigm of long-term care — we’re enhancing the scope of services that we can deliver,” Greco tells the OMNIway.

Additionally, if Riverview Manor receives the funding for peritoneal training it would be better positioned to attract registered staff, says Greco, noting nurses are often looking for opportunities to further develop their skills but sometimes don’t see long-term care as a field offering skills enhancement.

“In being able to deliver a higher acuity level of care, I think it’s very positive for a recruitment and retention aspect for nurses,” she says.

“Historically, for new (nursing) grads, they didn’t want gerontology. Now, it’s becoming a more specialized field, a field of expertise. In addition to just geriatrics, you have a whole other element of the younger residents and the (health issues) they have.”

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