At Vancouver’s first — but not last — Open Talk on Home Health, the discussion was frank and focused on the issues that matter most to our Home Health teams and clients.

Organized in response to a request from Home Health staff, the gathering took place on August 20 and attracted more than 50 people to the Robert and Lily Lee Family Community Health Centre, where the room filled to capacity.

Our goals were three-fold: provide an update on the context we’re working within, answer questions to the best of our ability and – above all else – listen.

It’s hard work

The wide-ranging discussion covered a lot of ground but, for us, the conversation kept coming back to two issues.

One, you care. Of course, this isn’t a surprise, but it’s still heartening to hear your passion for providing best care.

What we heard at the centre of staff’s issues is a very real concern about the client. How can we continue to give our clients the level of care and support they need? Are we receiving referrals we shouldn’t – at the expense of those who really do need our help? How can we spend more time with clients and less time at a computer?

Two, it’s hard work. Again, this isn’t news. Everyone in health care is feeling the pressure as the number, complexity and acuity of clients increase.

Still, that doesn’t make it easy for us to hear that staff are skipping their breaks or putting in unpaid overtime. Nobody wants that – for your sake or for the sake of our clients. We need to make changes to ensure our people can continue providing quality care without sacrificing their own wellbeing.

Reality check

The reality is that the demand for care – and more complex care – will continue rising. The other reality is that we can’t spend what we don’t have, and we must operate within our means.

And, still another reality is that we have opportunities. We see opportunities for Acute and Community physicians and staff to better understand each other and respect the expertise we both can bring to serve our shared patients/clients.

Within Home Health, we see opportunities for cross-training, new workflow, shifting care to community agencies, where appropriate, and seeing more clients at clinics — to name just a few. Solutions like Telephonics and GP case conferencing will make a positive difference, too.

Given our realities, we need to weigh many priorities and – we won’t lie – it won’t be easy. Redesigns never are, but what we can say to everyone in Home Health is that we need you and your exceptional skills more than ever.

Let’s figure it out

We don’t have all the answers, and we may not always get it right the first time. That’s why we’re looking to you to help us figure it out.

At the July All-Staff Forum we asked participants for their savings ideas and we received more than 100 to explore. We could use more.

Whether you work in Home Health or not, we encourage you to share your insights, feedback and suggestions for ensuring patients receive the right care in the most appropriate care setting. If you have ideas on how we can consult with you more, we’re interested in that, too.

Email us at: OneVancouver@vch.ca. And, thank you, as always, for caring.

Our next Open Talk on Home Health will be held on September 10. Register with CCRS at: https://ccrs.vch.ca/Catalog.aspx?cid=4482.