Advocacy Presentation to Family Council Network LHIN 2

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Advocacy Presentation to Family Council
NetworkLHIN 2

• Gilbert Heffern
• Director of Communications and Public Affairs
• April 23, 2008

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Who we are

• OLTCA has been around for almost 50 years
• We represent the operators of
• 430 long term care homes
• Homes care for 50,000 residents
• Represent all types of providers
• Private, NFP, Charitable and Municipal

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Advocacy 1 of 4 core functions

• Advocate with the province for funding and
  policies that support Members to enhance care and
  service delivery to residents
• Advocacy is a daily process
• Meetings, presentations, partnerships etc.
• Public campaigns like LTC needs more than a band
  aid part of that process
• Appreciate the support that Family Councils have
  provided

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Outcomes vary

• Sometimes success in the short term, like with
  the recent budget
• Sometimes it takes 10 years or longer, like the
  capital renewal program for B and C homes
• Sometimes the support for a position is just not
  there, for many reasons
• Not urgent, judged impractical, too expensive,
  negatively impact others etc.

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You can maximize the potential for success
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Understand the context

• Governments seldom, if ever, automatically do
  things because it is the right thing to do
• Every stakeholder representation is the right
  thing to do
• Politics is decisions on the allocation of
  scarce resources
• There will never be enough resources to do the
  right thing for everyone
• It is a competitive, but not always
  confrontational, process
• Multiples competitors for agenda space, air time,
  policy outcomes, resources
• Sometime competitors complement, sometimes
  conflict

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Getting on the agenda

• This is a pre-requisite
• If not on the agenda, then there will never be a
  decision
• Process takes some work and time
• Up front planning pays off in
• Smoother execution with fewer surprises
• Enhanced competitive positioning vis-à-vis others

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Getting on the agenda

• Establish your credentials
• Who you are
• Why you are knowledgeable
• Why you are a legitimate representative
• Good idea to write it down
• The LHIN 2 Family Council Network is the elected
  representative of Family Councils in xx long term
  care homes in LHIN 2. Each Family Council is
  composed of the sons and daughters of the xxx
  residents who live in these homes.
• Family Councils have natural credibility as
  third party voice

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Getting on the agenda

• Specifically define your issue
• What would provide more care?
• Get the facts
• What supports, what doesnt
• Be selective what makes the best case
• Build your story
• Problem, impact, solution, benefit
• Make it real with credible, personal examples
• A theme (e.g. LTC needs more than a band aid)
  helps

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Getting on the agenda

• Get prepared to tell your story
• Who can make the decision you want?
• Provincial government, LHINs, other
• When/how does that decision get made?
• Manager, Board meeting, only at budget time ?
• Who are the prime decision makers?
• Premier, Minister, Board Chair, manager etc.
• Do you have a link with decision-maker?
• Who else does the decision-maker talk to?

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Getting on the agenda

• Position your story
• Look for the winwin
• How does the decision you are seeking line up
  with the decision-makers agenda
• Does not mean that your efforts wont be
  confrontational
• Even if they are, you are providing the
  decision-maker with a rationale for the right
  decision in the end
• Works for both public and non-public advocacy
  initiatives

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Example More staff in homes reduces emergency
room wait times

• More staff to monitor and assist residents in the
  home
• More programs and activities to enhance physical
  and mental stimulation
• Enhanced dietary services to maintain weight and
  strengthen immune systems
• Enhanced clinical assessments
• Strong infection control programs

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Getting on the agenda

• Telling your story
• Tell your members/supporters first
• Get internal buy-in. Nothing will sink an
  advocacy initiative faster than internal dissent
  that gets exposed
• Identify and brief other stakeholders who will
  likely support
• E.g. home, hospital, professional groups,
  volunteer agency, councils etc.
• Ensure home is aware
• Build conduits to, and bridges with,
  decision-makers
• Meet with elected officials, political staffers,
  LHIN Board members etc.
• Get on public agendas e.g. LHIN board meetings,
  petitions in the legislature

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Getting on the agenda

• The Media
• Make the media a part of your strategy
• Sometimes works, sometimes doesnt
• Generally works best for campaigns that require
  public awareness
• Tell your story yourself
• Focus on issues, not personalities
• Seldom a good idea to blindside elected
  representatives, home, others directly impacted
• Be prepared to respond to the media even if you
  dont proactively seek media exposure

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Build and maintain momentum

• Enlist others to deliver supporting messages
• E.g. get all family members to email their MPP
• Follow-up key meetings (e.g. MPP) in writing with
  a request for a formal response
• Piggyback on other events
• E.g. Look for the this is an example of what we
  were talking about stories that you can position
  with local media
• Formally track meetings, media stories,
  reactions, other developments
• Assess progress, ideas for future initiatives

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Build and maintain momentum

• Stay in touch with your team
• Provide current feedback and respond to requests
  for support
• Be prepared to respond to reasonable requests for
  additional information
• Stay in control of the message
• Dont let your agenda get hijacked by partners or
  others
• Avoid frustration!

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Assessing progress

• Look for signs someone is listening
• Gilbert, she yelled at me!
• Be prepared to accept that it is not working
• Dont take it personal or as failure
• Realistically assess the effort and feedback
  messages
• Be prepared to adjust and reposition
• Capital renewal
• treat all residents alike didnt work
• Time for Ontario to get rid of 3 and 4 bed
  wards did

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LHINs

• A potentially new advocacy target
• Role re LTC still evolving
• LTC funding amounts decided centrally
• Compliance is central
• Role in capital renewal program yet to be
  determined
• Suggested strategy
• Discuss LHIN relationship with home on a regular
  basis
• Educate

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Comments, Questions