"They deserve better," Armstrong thought. So she pulled together a team of 26 researchers from six countries (Canada, Britain, Sweden, Germany, the United States and Australia) to reimagine institutional long-term care. Could it be a humane, dignified, financially viable option?
The team included doctors, pharmacists, architects, economists, psychologists, social workers, historians, philosophers and communication experts. It began by collecting success stories from Europe and North America and identifying the most promising practices and best ideas in the field.
That was five years ago. Armstrong and her colleagues have now done 25 site visits in 10 jurisdictions; interviewed thousands of long-term care residents, workers, managers, policy-makers and advocates for seniors; published 50 academic papers and released an 86-page public report entitled "Promising Practices in Long-Term Care."