Des soins plus humains grâce à l’implication des proches

The Fonds Brigitte-Perreault takes advantage of this 20th anniversary to announce today the funding of $75,000 to implement the project "Promoting Collaboration with Family Members in Discharge Planning in Hospitals."

"This marks the beginning of a true cultural shift. We want care teams to involve more family caregivers who play a significant role in the patient's life, who can reassure them, and provide relevant information to staff. In fact, the family caregiver is the expert on the patient!" explains Élise Lacombe, a trained nurse and Assistant Director of the Flow Management and Hospital Units Directorate at the CIUSSS de l’Estrie – CHUS. "I have great faith in this approach, which is currently being applied in a few units and can eventually be extended across the entire CIUSSS de l’Estrie – CHUS. This project will allow us to develop tools to prepare teams to improve collaboration with family members, particularly in the context of returning home."

This investment is made possible thanks to a donation from the late Catherine Bédard Nadeau. Inspired by the Fund's values of quality, safety, and humanized care, her numerous contributions to the Fonds Brigitte-Perreault also make her its largest donor.

Six other complementary initiatives, also focused on patient and caregiver support, have been funded in 2024:

• Installation of bedside boards to improve communication between healthcare staff, patients, and their families;
• Implementation of a prehabilitation program, utilizing community resources, to optimize the waiting period before surgery;
• Acquisition of digital tablets to entertain children before sedation;
• Creation of video tutorials on cannula and stoma care, accessible after discharge to encourage patient and caregiver autonomy;
• Training focused on ethical sensitivity and risk management to develop a concerted approach with and for patients and their families;
• Integration of artwork created by patient artists into a guide intended for mental health patients.

Over the past 20 years, the Fonds Brigitte-Perreault has invested over one million dollars in approximately 126 projects, placing the patient at the heart of care. Notable achievements include: informational tools to better understand illnesses and treatments, as well as support initiatives for healthcare staff, including tailored approaches for the elderly or those at the end of life. The Fund has also contributed to major projects such as the "Sentiers de la santé" on the grounds of the Fleurimont Hospital, offering a space that benefits the physical and mental health of staff, patients, and their families.

For more information on the achievements of the Fonds Brigitte-Perreault over the past 20 years: