Our Philosophy of Care

At McCormick, the people in our care are at the center of everything we do. In keeping with the mission of the McCormick Care Group, our relationship-centred philosophy of care at McCormick Home and McCormick Dementia Services promotes the establishment of quality relationships to provide compassionate care to those persons served requiring long-term care, those living with dementia, and those requiring respite care.

We understand that a person comprise their own unique personalities, interests, backgrounds, and experiences and that those characteristics are also shaped by the people in their lives – friends, families, caregivers and community members. Our philosophy of care incorporates a person’s individual identity and relationships, including the new relationships that a person develops with members of our McCormick community, into our care model.

Our multi-disciplinary team focuses on shifting our culture to a model that builds a caring community where strong relationships between all community members improve health, sense of belonging, quality of life and quality of work life. We invest in building skills that promote teamwork and reach out to McCormick community members and other partners to help build an understanding of relationship-centred care and its benefits. In addition, we put in place programs and services to address the education and support needs of caregivers and are continually learning what this type of care means to our clients, residents, caregivers, families, volunteers and staff.

Our relationship-centred care philosophy moves away from the traditionally based medical model and achieves:

• Care that embraces the uniqueness of each person by learning about their personal interests, hopes and dreams
• A philosophy of partnership in that relationship-centred care works together with the resident, client, caregivers, family, staff, volunteers and community members
• Well-being, comfort and independence for all clients and residents
• A dynamic and flexible plan of care that supports the rights, choices and uniqueness of each individual
• Collaborative work with our external partners to improve the health and well-being of our community
• Comprehensive care and services for residents, clients, caregivers and families by implementing best practices to ensure our residents receive the best care available
• Active engagement with our residents, clients, caregivers and families in supporting and recognizing their individual rights
• A recognition that our responsibility is to all aspects of resident and client health – physical, psychological, social and spiritual
• A level of ethical conduct that reflects our guiding principles of compassion, accountability, respect, excellence and collaboration
• Adherence to policies and procedures that demonstrate our commitment to quality palliative care
• Active cooperation and collaboration with community partners to provide integrated care and services

McCormick Care Philosophy

Our McCormick Relationship-Centred Care Principles:

• Relationships are a priority
• Every person matters
• Everything is connected
• McCormick Guiding Principles for Relationship-Centred Care

Everyone in our safe, vibrant, caring community feels like they belong and make a difference. Meaningful relationships help us all feel healthier and that we matter.

The following principles guide the work we do and our commitment to continually learning about and building on our relationship-centred model:

• Our organizational growth is enhanced when those who advise and direct us model creative and supportive leadership.
• Personal responsibility and accountability for growth and development are expected and encouraged by our organization.
• High quality of care and personal and professional growth are supported by ongoing education, evaluation and monitoring.
• Each resident, client, volunteer and employee regardless of age, has the capacity for personal growth, enrichment of their living experience and personal satisfaction.
• Interaction and sharing within the McCormick Care Group enhance quality of life and add an enriching dimension to the sense of family within our environment.
• Our commitment to recognizing the importance of relationships and excellent care and to actively involving McCormick community members (clients, residents, caregivers, employees, families, volunteers) is fundamental to implementing priority relationship-centred care projects.
• We are committed to providing quality of life to persons with a dementia diagnosis who can no longer meet their own needs without assistance.