Who knows? Essential Care Partners do.
- Topics
- Patient engagement
- Patient safety
- Primary and community care
- Audience
Point of care provider
Person with lived/living experience
Healthcare leader
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As an early response to COVID-19, many health and care facilities across the country implemented blanket visitor restrictions that prohibited Essential Care Partners from being physically present as partners in care. The impacts and harms as a result of these restrictions have been widely experienced by those receiving care, their caregivers and staff alike. As the pandemic continues to evolve across the country, Essential Care Partners should continue to be safely re-integrated at all times. Join us in welcoming and engaging Essential Care Partners.
The term “patient” is used inclusively to refer to people who receive care or services in a variety of settings, including acute care, outpatient and community services, long-term care, home care, etc.
Resources for Healthcare Providers and Leaders
Essential Care Partners are different from General Visitors.
Essential Care Partners (ECPs):
Are identified and designated by patients
Support throughout the care journey
Play a significant role in patient safety by providing physical, psychological and emotional support
Help their loved ones with decision-making, care coordination and continuity of care
ECPs can be family members, close friends, caregivers or any person identified by the patient. General Visitors have an important role but do not participate as active partners in care.
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Myth
The presence of Essential Care Partners is nice to have, but doesn’t impact quality or safety.
Fact
Having Essential Care Partners present recognizes the mutually beneficial partnership between patients, families and healthcare providers.
The presence of Essential Care Partners benefits patient safety, experience of care and outcomes, such as3:
Helping to prevent falls
Improving the accuracy and quality of shared information, such as their loved one’s medical history
Improving medication safety and recognizing medication errors
Identifying health risks and changes in condition (e.g. pressure ulcers, cognitive function)
Providing comfort, which contributes to reducing loneliness, isolation, depression, anxiety and improvement in overall mental health
Reducing healthcare provider stress, moral distress and burnout while increasing the level of person-centred care necessary for patient safety and well-being
Bringing Evidence to Life and Busting Myths through Stories
Hear first hand from Essential Care Partners and healthcare professionals the difference ECPs make as they tell their stories that bring evidence to life and bust some common myths.
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The Essential Together Pledge
Organizational leaders are invited to Take the Essential Together Pledge to show your organization recognizes and values the role of Essential Care Partners and is committed to working together with those who are receiving care, caregivers and staff to develop and implement policies that support patient and caregiver partnership in care.
Essential Together Tools and Resources for health and care and leaders
Use the Essential Together Tool to identify your organizations strengths and improvements to reintegrate Essential Care Partners
Policy Guidance for the Reintegration of Caregivers as Essential Care Partners
Resources for Patients and Essential Care Partners
Essential Care Partners are different from General Visitors.
Essential Care Partners (ECPs):
Are identified and designated by patients
Support throughout the care journey
Play a significant role in patient safety by providing physical, psychological and emotional support
Help their loved ones with decision-making, care coordination and continuity of care
ECPs can be family members, close friends, caregivers or any person identified by the patient. General Visitors have an important role but do not participate as active partners in care.
Together with the patient*, Essential Care Partners should be welcomed by the care team to play an active role to support decision-making, care plan coordination, transparency and continuity of care3,4. Whether you’re a patient wondering how to ensure your loved one can stay by your side, or a caregiver who wants some help to ensure your essential role is recognized by the care team, we can help.
Essential Care Partners can help their loved ones best by:
Learning about their loved one’s health issue so they can ask the right questions and know how to best assist care teams.
Being a second set of eyes, ears and voice for their loved one if needed.
Comforting their loved one physically, mentally and emotionally.
Being a champion for their loved one by encouraging them and documenting their progress.
Tools and Resources for patients* and Essential Care Partners
* The term “patient” is used inclusively to refer to people who receive care or services in a variety of settings, including acute care, outpatient and community services, long-term care, home care, etc.
1 Farmanova, Elina, Maria Judd, Christine Maika, and Graeme Wilkes. “Much More Than Just a Visit: A Review of Visiting Policies in Select Canadian Acute Care Hospitals.” Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement (2016).
2 Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement. “Policy Guidance for the Reintegration of Caregivers as Essential Care Partners.”(2020).
3 Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement. Evidence Brief: Caregivers as Essential Care Partners. (2020). Retrieved from Evidence Brief: Caregivers as Essential Care Partners