Resident experiences with rules | Health Quality Alberta Focus

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Continuing Care Homes: Type B

Formerly
Designated Supported Living

Resident experiences with rules

How residents rated the reasonableness of rules in a 2022-23 survey. (see data definition)

Please note: Site-level results in the 2022-23 FBCC Resident Experience Survey Report are not available because most sites did not meet our public reporting criteria.

What do you think?

  • Why does it matter if a resident feels site rules are reasonable? What aspects of care might be impacted by this element of resident experience?
  • Are there differences between zones? Between providers? Between mainly rural and urban zones or sites? What factors could account for these differences?

Understanding “resident experiences with rules”

In a survey conducted in 2022-23, Health Quality Alberta asked residents living in continuing care homes – type B (formerly designated supportive living):

Are the rules here reasonable?

Residents could choose “Yes, always / Yes, sometimes / No, hardly ever / No, never”

Rules, or the standards, policies, and procedures a site has in place to support operations, can sometimes feel restrictive to residents. Residents understand that rules are in place to increase resident safety and ensure smooth operations.  However, sometimes rules can create real or perceived barriers to improving a resident’s quality of life or empowering residents to live as independently as possible. For example, there may be an established schedule when breakfast is served, to ensure staff time is being well-managed. However, this may reduce the time available for residents to complete their morning routine (e.g., dress themselves, bathe, etc.) and limits their choice of when to have their meals.

Considerations when viewing the results:

There are a number of factors providers and leaders can consider to better understand and improve resident experiences with rules. Some questions they could ask before taking action include:

  • Which rules are residents thinking about when answering this question?
  • What is it about the rule(s) that feels unreasonable to residents?
  • How might the rule be revisited to allow for more individualized care?
  • Are staff interpreting the rule correctly and applying it in a way that may be impacting residents?
  • When was the last time the rules were reviewed, updated, and/or eliminated, if they are no longer relevant or necessary?
  • How can residents and their loved ones comment or make suggestions about the rules?
  • Who should be involved in discussions to improve these results? How could residents and/or family members be engaged to develop solutions? What other collaboration might be required to make improvements in this area?

For information about Health Quality Alberta’s Facility-based Continuing Care survey, please visit Health Quality Alberta’s website.