Family Centred Care

Last night I thought I had published a blog entry but it did not post properly so it seems to be lost forever. Luckily it was a fairly short one so no harm done. It was a quick update on what the boys are learning - Donovan has been counting by tens, threes and twos at home (for fun - he likes math!) and Malcolm is ready to learn his shapes I think - he can identify many different animals so I just need to make shapes fun (ideas?!) and no doubt he will catch on quite quickly.

So that's basically what I thought I had posted last night. I think I also made the comment that it is harder than I thought to write something on this blog every single night for a whole month. At any rate, on to tonight's topic...

I attended my monthly Family Leadership Council meeting at the hospital today. I'm a "family advisor" on the Council, which is comprised of representatives of patients and family who are receiving or have received care, as well as staff at all levels - upper administration, physician, nurse, other staff. The purpose of the group is to promote Patient and Family Centred Care (PFCC) at the hospital. Part of our time is spent on consults - providing advice on initiatives that various groups in the hospital may be considering. Part of our time is spent on devising ways to promote PFCC within the hospital, which is a huge culture shift. Most children's hospitals, and some adult hospitals, in the US and Canada have these types of bodies that are trying to promote patient/family advocacy and involvement in care, which ultimately leads to better outcomes, such as higher quality of care and a safer environment for patients.

I became involved with the group in 2009, about 8 months after Malcolm was born. Hearing the stories and experiences of some of the other family advisors, I hardly felt qualified to be a part of the group (several of them had had lengthy hospital stays and some had lost their children). Fast forward to today - I have no qualms about stating my views and hoping that they will be heard. I look forward to the coming year and promoting PFCC at the hospital so that other patients and families feel more valued and involved in their care. Surely it is a shame that this is not already embedded in hospital culture?

Mary Ellen