When Fairmount Home, a 128-bed long-term care (LTC) home near Kingston, Ontario, joined RNAO’s Best Practice Spotlight Organization® (BPSO®) program in 2023, RN Erika Van Schelven and recreationist Katie Johnson had two goals: to excel at resident care and to more fully engage residents and their families in decisions about that care. 

Important discussions “weren’t happening early enough, and when they were happening, they weren’t always documented,” says Van Schelven. “We also noticed that residents, staff and family members weren’t comfortable discussing end-of-life. Some were scared off, so staff were hesitant to bring up those issues.” 

To address this gap, Fairmount began implementing RNAO’s Person- and Family-Centred Care best practice guideline (BPG), which was released as a third edition in September 2025, titled People-Centred Care (learn more in the sidebar below). As an LTC BPSO pre-designate, Fairmount used RNAO’s Clinical Pathways – an online resource based on BPGs – to more precisely document and update each resident’s care preferences. 

The program, which is delivered by RNAO in partnership with PointClickCare, allows the home to track preferences. If a resident wants to be transferred to hospital if they become unwell, for example, the program helps staff to ensure that wish is recorded, respected and fulfilled.