Business View Magazine - September 2015

104 Business View - September 2015 Business View - September 2015 105 • Ageing Secretariat - LTCAM’s services are included in the Ageing Secretariat Age-Friendly Seniors Guide. • Annual Provincial Conference and Exhibition - LT- CAM hosts this conference where more than 500 at- tendees and industry leaders from across Canada, as well as neighboring provinces, gather to learn more about long-term and continuing care. Last May, we welcomed the Minister of Healthy Living and Seniors as our host and emcee for the Provincial Awards For Excellence ceremony. • Our website is published in English and in French, and our major new releases and other important cor- respondence are also sent in both languages. Our website receives over 15,000 page views, monthly. Website Links to the LTCAM website are found on many other organizations’ as well as Government websites. For example: RHAs, Province of Manitoba Age-Friendly Website, A & O Support Services for Older Adults. • Numerous Government departments, organizations, RHAs and other associations refer the public to our “Where Do I start” navigation section and/or our toll free line. The LTCAM website offers a one-of-a-kind, “Where Do I Start” navigation section that guides one through the options when a person or a loved one needs services, assistance, or care. We offer exten- sive information, education and guidance to the gen- eral public on a daily basis. Business View: Talk about the organization’s found- ing. What were the catalysts to it starting? Jan Legeros: It began as a group of private citizens who got together to provide care for seniors in the early 1950s. At that time, there were no care homes. These private citizens opened their homes and began to fill the huge need for care. They developed their own quality improvement standards and took turns review- ing each other’s homes, documenting the results for future improvements. They lobbied government to pro- vide funding to seniors for care. Finally in 1972, long term care residences became an insured health ser- vice for all seniors. Business View: How has the Association’s core role evolved since then, or is it similar simply with differ- ent market conditions and dynamics? Legeros: It has evolved dramatically, as mentioned, in terms of scope of membership, creation of a website, building strong relationships with other like-minded organizations, Regional Health Authorities (RHA) and Government. We have the only “Navigation Tool” for the public on our website. We receive referrals from the RHAs and Government to help people navigate the health system. Business View: What is your membership these days/how is it broken down by membership type? Legeros: We had 26 members in 2007 and we now have almost 100. Membership is much more diverse. Business View: Have there been trends up or down? Legeros: No. Just a steady escalation. Business View: What does the typical member look like and what are the usual benefits they’re seek- ing? Legeros: We have three categories of membership each with their own specific set of services. Most members are looking for support, promotion, problem solving and networking. Business View: Are there other groups/organiza- tions competing for the same people? Legeros: No. While there are many like-minded orga- nizations, none has the depth and breadth of services that we offer. LTCAM Provincial Awards For Excellence, Host Bev McConnel Dean of the Faculty of Nursing University of Manitoba Gold Partner 2015 Annual Provincial Conference Healthcare Healthcare