Optimizing the resilience to COVID-19 of long-term care facilities serving linguistic-cultural minorities in Manitoba, New Brunswick and Quebec: evaluation and co-construction of innovative approaches to optimize the social participation of families and caregivers in the challenges of potential outbreaks

Google translate: In Canada, 81% of deaths from the first wave of COVID-19 occurred in long-term care facilities (LTCFs). To this heavy price is added the threat of a second wave, already started in several jurisdictions. Public health measures that reduce contact with professionals, families and caregivers, wall off LTCFs. This particular context, which includes the restriction of visits, deepens the isolation and loneliness of the elderly (AP), especially in a minority context. These vulnerabilising collateral effects for PAs, not anticipated in the response, are today strongly experienced by ESLDs. This unique and alarming situation compels LTCFs to develop promising practices for the present and future outbreaks and ensure the maintenance of social capital between PAs and their families and caregivers, as well as with staff, to break the isolation. and loneliness. In Quebec, a third of COVID-19 infections have concerned health care personnel. LTCFs, the setting par excellence for seasonal outbreaks (eg flu), are already operating understaffed, exhausted and fearful of infection. The vast majority of LTCHs do not integrate digital technologies optimally to support staff. No one was prepared for the challenge of COVID-19, but the innovations implemented so far indicate islands of success, winning practices that our project will capitalize on, focusing on linguistic-cultural minorities (English-speaking LTCFs from Quebec and francophones from Manitoba and New Brunswick). Indeed, few initiatives concerning COVID-19 are reported among these populations and the situation could be more difficult among IPs in the context of a linguistic-cultural minority who ordinarily encounter challenges in accessing the health system. Given the very limited number of LTCFs dedicated to these minority populations in the provinces, families and relatives are often geographically far away, even in other provinces of the country, digital solutions appear particularly relevant. Of the six strategic options, the project hinges on the presence of families (no. 6), as key partners in caring for and breaking loneliness. Subsidiarily, it involves the 2) preventive and 3) effective aspects. The goal of the project is to identify and implement promising best practices and policies and create a community of practice for the purposes of mitigating the isolation and loneliness of PAs in per and post COVID-19 to ensure safe and quality care in LTCFs.]