YEG From Recognition to Partnership: Caregiver-Inclusive Policy Guidance

Join the Caregiver-Centered Care Team from the Department of Family Medicine, University of Alberta, and Caregivers Alberta in-person.

We are bringing together family caregivers and representatives from health, continuing care, primary care, community organizations, government, professional and accreditation bodies, research, and other system partners for an in-person Caregiver-Inclusive Policy Guidance Scoping Session.

Participants will help identify where caregiver recognition, partnership, and support could be strengthened in organizational and system policies; examine promising approaches already in use; and determine what practical guidance, templates, indicators, and implementation tools Alberta organizations need.

What we learn will inform the development of a Caregiver-Inclusive Policy Guidance Package for health, social, and community organizations. Early-adopter organizations will subsequently be invited to test and refine the guidance within their own settings.

This is a free, collaborative working session. It is an early step in developing practical, adaptable guidance.

Info: Registration, lunch, and an opportunity to connect with family caregivers, organizational leaders, providers, researchers, and community partners from across Alberta.

Info: Greetings from: 1. Darrel Gregory; 2. Leadership reflections from Assisted Living and Social Services; and 3. Table introductions: Share your name, role, and one hope for strengthening caregiver support in Alberta

Info: 1. Why do organizations need practical caregiver-inclusive policy guidance—and what could it help change? Carol Anderson 2. A shared direction for Alberta: Fran Ross introduces Innovating Integrated Supports for Alberta's Family Caregivers: A Strategic Action Framework. 3. Our purpose and scope: Carol Anderson outlines the goals of the scoping session and the practical resources it will help inform. Foundations for caregiver-inclusive policy: identifying and recognizing caregivers, including them as partners, assessing and addressing their needs, communicating effectively, and connecting them with navigation and support. The wider context: regulatory, accreditation, quality, and cross-sector drivers supporting more consistent organizational policies and practices.

Info: Family caregivers, healthcare providers, and community organizations will share what caregiver-inclusive policy looks like from their perspectives—and where current policies and practices may leave caregivers unrecognized, excluded, or unsupported. A facilitated plenary discussion will explore: What should organizations commit to? Where is clearer or more consistent guidance needed? What outcomes matter most to family caregivers? What would meaningful caregiver recognition and partnership look like in practice?

Info: In mixed-sector breakout groups, participants will identify the essential commitments that caregiver-inclusive organizational policies should address. Examples may include: recognizing and documenting caregivers and their roles; involving caregivers in care planning and transitions, with appropriate consent; assessing caregivers' capacity and support needs; providing information, education, navigation, and referrals; preparing staff to work effectively with caregivers; establishing clear responsibilities and accountability. Groups will then share their priority commitments with the full room.

Info: What will organizations need to put caregiver-inclusive policies into practice? Breakout groups will explore: leadership, governance, and accountability; workforce education and practice support; documentation and information systems; consent and information-sharing processes; navigation and community connections; meaningful indicators and evaluation; opportunities for phased implementation. Participants will consider potential actions using an impact and effort lens and identify realistic starting points for organizations with different capacities and contexts. Groups will share their recommended implementation priorities with the full room.

Info: Carol Anderson will summarize the emerging priorities and explain how participants’ contributions will inform the draft Caregiver-Inclusive Policy Guidance Package for Alberta Organizations.

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Caregivers Alberta, 12122 68 Street Northwest, Edmonton, Canada

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