Business View Magazine - September 2015

90 Business View - September 2015 Business View - September 2015 91 Talking Seniors’ Care: Donna Rubin 30 minutes with the CEO of the Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes and Services for Seniors (OANHSS) BUSINESS VIEW: I saw the founding date was around 1919 and your association is coming up on a signifi- cant anniversary. DONNA RUBIN: Yes, we’ll be celebrating 100 years in 2019. We’re one of the oldest healthcare associations that I’m aware of in this part of the world. BUSINESS VIEW: You may be one of the oldest of any kind of association we may be aware of as well – not too many of them last that long, no matter what they’re doing. RUBIN: Yes, it’s interesting that people came together at that time and decided that an association of provid- ers was important. They had a common mission to pro- vide care to the elderly -- and infirm -- at that time. They shared a belief in not-for-profit delivery of services and that has stood the test of time. BUSINESS VIEW: What were some of the reasons back in 1919 that made the founders think this was what they needed to do and this is the time to get it done? RUBIN: At the time, people were put into houses of refuge (as long-term care homes were called then), because they were often poor or didn’t have family to look after them. The homes were like poorhouses, and the people were often made to work -- yet they needed care as well. So there were matrons that looked after these people, but it certainly wasn’t the person-cen- tered model of care that we support today. BUSINESS VIEW: Talk about the association and the role back then vs. the role now. Obviously, 96 years changes some things and the realities today are far different than they were back then. Can you talk about how the organization’s role has changed over the years? RUBIN: We now very much look at the person as a whole, and person- centered care is a philosophy that per- meates many long- term care homes and is a focal point for our membership. Our members also continue to believe very strongly in not- for-profit delivery. They’re mission- driven and not bot- tom-line driven, and those values continue today. So they are very much trying to support the individual. And they also support each other. Being not-for-profit, they’re willing to share with their colleagues, and share advice, support and information in a way that makes the association a very special environment. BUSINESS VIEW: What sorts of numbers do you have Dona Rubin Healthcare Healthcare