A Message from Akos Hoffer, CEO

Perley Health's strong and ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic has inspired our Board of Directors to make a new commitment: double the number of seniors and older Veterans we serve by 2035. The tangible progress made during 2023 on all elements of our strategic plan supports our ability to achieve this ambitious target.

A significant achievement is the successful completion of Perley Health Foundation's Answering the Call campaign, which raised $10 million! Thanks to your support, work is well underway on several projects that support Perley Health's goal of transforming care for Seniors and Veterans. The various initiatives and accomplishments described in this report demonstrate that Perley Health continues to drive change and is increasingly recognized as a leader in the sector.

A strong example involves a series of recent developments related to the Lead and Advocate for Change pillar of our strategic plan. In late October, I visited Queens Park alongside Board Chair Margaret Tansey and Katrin Spencer, Director of Strategy, Partnership and Growth. We met with Minister of Health Sylvia Jones, and attended a session of the Ontario Legislation, where John Fraser, Member for Ottawa South and interim leader of the Liberal Party, introduced us to his fellow MPPs. We also met with senior provincial officials.

A key takeaway is that an issue for the officials leading LTC reform is also a strength for Perley Health. The issue involves caring for residents living with both dementia and multiple other health conditions. Perley Health's community-of-care model, which includes the Specialized Behaviours Support Unit, Respite House and Day Program, along with the supports provided to both residents and tenants were of particular interest to officials, as were our rent-geared-to-income apartments for seniors.

In November, Minister of Long-Term Care Stan Cho enjoyed his first tour of Perley Health. The Minister visited the arts studio and the Commons apartments, sang along during a music class, and addressed a group of Algonquin College RPN students in our Living Classroom. The Minister also met with Kim Hiscott, Executive Director of Andrew Fleck Children's Services, our partner in the intergeneration playgroup and childcare projects described elsewhere in this report.

Establishing an on-site childcare centre will also support another pillar of the strategic plan: Focus on Our People. As detailed elsewhere in this report, we continue to make progress on this project in partnership with Andrew Fleck Children's Services. And our recruitment efforts this year continue to bear fruit; one campaign alone led to 46 hires.

I'd also like to link a few items mentioned elsewhere in the report to strategic-plan pillars. Assuming management of the Interprofessional Clinic, along with the Registered Nurses' Foundation of Ontario's award of $20,000, will improve revenues. And earning Exemplary Status from Accreditation Canada is one of several accomplishments that align with the Excellence in Care and Services pillar.

Common to most of the accomplishments documented in this report are effective partnership and a determination to improve the lives of the people we serve. A current example involves a project with the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to address antimicrobial resistance, an increasingly prevalent problem among seniors. As many people recognize, excessive use of antibiotics can result in infections for which there is no effective treatment. Healthcare providers often prescribe antibiotics when they suspect a patient has a UTI (urinary-tract infection). Research has shown, however, that many seniors are prescribed antibiotics even when neither a UTI nor any of the associated symptoms are present. To combat the problem, PHAC invited the Perley Health Centre of Excellence to partner on to partner on a behavioural science approach project that involved essential care providers—typically family members and members of our healthcare team. Under the project, essential care providers and members of our healthcare team received information and guidance about effective non-medicinal strategies—ways to prevent UTIs. Our Infection Prevention and Control Team is tracking the impacts of the project and will share the results.

Perley Health's ability to deliver exceptional care and to continually increase our contribution to the community is made possible by broad collaboration among staff, volunteers, residents, tenants, families, donors and various organizations. This sense of shared purpose defines the Perley Health community and inspires each one of us to do our best. Together, we are transforming care for Seniors and Veterans.

Akos Hoffer, CEO, Perley Health