Sparking Change in the Appropriate Use of Antipsychotics

The Kickstarter Award recognizes teams who take early initiative by registering for the program and preparing to improve the appropriate use of antipsychotics in their care settings. This award is a great way to kick-start your team’s efforts, gain early recognition and receive support for your commitment to positive change.
There’s no separate submission form required. Each team registered in the program receives one ballot.

First Kickstarter Award winners 

• Theodore Health Centre

• MDAA Parc de la Montagne

  Loch Lomond Villa

• Valleyhaven

• Parkland Place

• Gateway Lodge

• The Agnes Pratt Home

• St. George Community

• Gemstone Care Centre

• Kennebec Manor Nursing Home

• Christina Cole Memorial Residence

• Centre Hospitalier du Pontiac

• NL Grand Falls-Windsor LTC Centre

• AgeCare Sagewood

• Swan Valley Lodge Interior Health

• Kings Way Care Centre

• Whitemouth PCH

• Chenchenstway Care Home

• St Patrick's Mercy Home

• Apotex Jewish Home for the Aged

• Bayside Personal Care Home

• Garry J. Armstrong

• Nakile Home for Special Care

• Thomson Centre

• Pavillon Landry

• St Angela Merici Residence

• Weyburn Special Care Home

• Kipling Integrated Health Centre

• Centre d'accueil Champlain

• Fisher Personal Care Home

• Wynyard Golden Acres

• Dunrovinc Park Lodge

• Bethany Cochrane

• Blue Crest Nursing Home

• Caribou Memorial Veterans Pavilion

• Gordon Hall

• Three Links Manor

• Glen Hill Strathaven

• Weston Terrace Commlunity

• The Saul & Claribel Simkin Centre

• Big River Health Center

• Eriksdale Personal Care Home

• Prince Edward Home

• Lions Manor NH

• Foyer d'Youville

• Midland Gardens

• Hamilton Village Care Centre

• Frederick Hall Shannex

• Betel Home Foundation - Gimli

• Notre Dame By Memorial Health Centre LTC

• Bethany Harvest Hills

• Centre Vallee-de-la-Lievre

• Pleasant View Towers

• Outlook & District Health Center

• Riverview Manor

Second Kickstarter Award winners

• Franklin Gardens LTCH

• Extendicare Bonnyville

• Stuart Nechako Manor

• Saint Vincent Langara

• Dr. Hugh Twomey Health Centre

• Corner Brook Long Term Care

• Ocean View Continuing Care Centre

• Bonnyville Health Centre

• Youville Residence

• Clayton Heights Care Community

• Mont St. Joseph Home

• Arborg Personal Care Home

• River Park Gardens

• Lakeside Manor Care Home

• Extendicare Leduc

• Fillmore Health Centre

• Monarch Hall

• Stewart Memorial Home

• Extendicare Mapleview Sault Ste Marie

• Chancellor Park

• Sherbrooke Community Centre

• A.M. Guy Memorial Health Centre

• St. Paul's Home

• Glen Rouge Community - Sienna Senior Living

• Pioneers Lodge

• The Elliott Community

• Flin Flon Personal Care Home

• Musquodboit Valley Home for Special Care Braeside

• Park Lane Terrace

• CHSLD Petite-Nation

The Improvement Plan Award recognizes teams that develop thoughtful, inclusive plans to improve the appropriate use of antipsychotics in care settings.

Evaluation Criteria

To be eligible, teams must submit a detailed Improvement Plan Submission Form, evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Team Approach: Clearly defined roles and responsibilities, diverse perspectives and alignment with HEC’s AUA Approach. Consideration is given to resident, family or essential care partner involvement.

• Background, Aim Statement & Change Ideas: Background context, a problem description and a SMART aim statement. Change ideas align with the AUA Approach, emphasizing person-centred care and workforce safety.

• Measures & Data Collection: Clearly defines the targeted population, selects measures that demonstrate impact (including balancing measures) and outlines feasible data collection strategies.

• Creativity & Innovation: Showcases originality and innovative approaches to improving antipsychotic use.

• Project Management: Includes realistic timelines, resource considerations, plan–do–study–act cycles and change management strategies.

Improvement Plan Award winners

• Yorkton & District Nursing Home

• Cohen Hall

• CHSLD Petite-Nation

• Saint Luke's Home

• CHSLD Hôpital de Papineau

• Three Links Manor

• Tideview Terrace

• CHSLD La Pietà

• Lewisporte Health Centre

• Rexton Lions Nursing Home

• The Agnes Pratt Home

• Loch Lomond Villa

• Central Haven

• CHSLD de la Côte Boisée

• Misericordia Place

• St Angela Merici Residence

• Deerview Lodge

• Caribou Memorial Veterans Pavilion

• Victoria Glen Manor

• East Gate Lodge PCH

• The Meadows

• Whistle Bend Place

• Souris PCH

• Wentworth Manor

• The Hamlets at Duncan

• The Saul & Claribel Simkin Centre

• Bonne Bay Health Centre

• Parkstone Enhanced Care

• Czorny Alzheimer Center

• Tucker Hall

The Person-Centred Care (PCC) Award recognizes teams that have successfully implemented person-centred initiatives that reduce the use of antipsychotics while improving the overall experience of care. Eligible submissions must focus on one of the following areas:

• Care Planning & Implementation: Integration of PCC principles into care planning and execution, showing how personalized plans reduce antipsychotic use as part of holistic care.

• Staff Training & Practice Change: Programs that educate staff on PCC, non-pharmacological strategies and sustainable practice change, with evidence of improved outcomes.

• Resident and Family Engagement: Initiatives that involve residents, families and essential care partners in care decisions, strengthening support systems and fostering collaboration.

• Team Collaboration: Cross-functional teamwork that enhances communication, coordination and shared decision-making in the delivery of person-centred care.

Person-Centred Care Award winners

• Tideview Terrace

• Pleasant View Towers

• Lions Manor Nursing Home

• Saint Luke's Home

• The Agnes Pratt Home

• Rexton Lions Nursing Home

• Gemstone Care Centre

• Midland Gardens

• AgeCare Sagewood

• Cohen Hall

• Hamilton Village Care Centre

• Loch Lomond Villa

• Caribou Memorial Veterans Pavilion

• Glen Hill Strathaven

• Kipling Integrated Health Centre

• Estevan Regional Nursing Home

• Bethany Cochrane

• CHSLD Du Pontiac

• Pioneers Lodge

• Grand Prairie Care Centre

• Bridgeview Hall

• Gables Lodge

• Sherbrooke Community Centre

• Arrowsmith Lodge

• Cedarstone Enhanced Care

• St. Paul's Home

• Harbourstone Enhanced Care

• Dr. Hugh Twomey Health Centre

• The Harrison at Elim Village

• Perley Health

The Progress Award celebrates teams that are actively working toward improving the appropriate use of antipsychotics and can show early, measurable progress. Submissions should demonstrate change using program indicators, supported by at least three months of data following the baseline.

Award Criteria

• Quantitative Progress: Demonstrates improvement through outcome and balancing measures, such as a reduced rate of potentially inappropriate antipsychotic use or the discontinuation of medications where appropriate.

• Progress Narrative: A clear story of change, aligned with the AUA Approach. Qualitative evidence should complement the data, including resident and family voices.

• Sustainability & Spread Potential: A plan for continuing and expanding the initiative, with strategies to support implementation.

• Clarity: Submission is clear, concise and includes the necessary details for evaluation.

Progress Award winners

• Calder Health Care Center

• Calvary Place PCH

• Idlewyld Manor

• Private Josiah Squibb Memorial Pavilion

• Riverview Health Centre

• Rosewood Manor

• St Joseph's Hospital Foundation - LTC

• St. Mary's Villa

• St. Michael's Long Term Care Centre

• The Kiwanis Pavilion

• Trillium Community and Retirement Living

• Valley Vista Long Term Care Home

• Caribou Memorial Veterans Pavilion

• CHSLD Du Pontiac

• CHSLD Hôpital de Papineau

• CHSLD La Pietà

• Cohen Hall

• Corner Brook Long Term Care

• East Gate Lodge PCH

• Lewisporte Health Centre

• Loch Lomond Villa

• MDAA Parc de la Montagne

• Musquodboit Valley Home for Special Care Braeside

• St Angela Merici Residence

• The Agnes Pratt Home

• The Elliott Community

• The Hamlets at Duncan

• The Harrison at Elim Village

• The Meadows

• Tideview Terrace

The Workforce Safety Award celebrates long-term care teams that are making meaningful improvements to workplace safety through innovative, practical actions. Teams submit a photo essay with 5–10 photos and captions that showcase how their AUA initiative is fostering a safer, more supportive environment.

Eligible submissions focus on:

• Small Changes, Big Impact: Everyday improvements, such as better communication or equipment, that lead to significant safety gains.

• Non-pharmacological Interventions: Approaches like music therapy, sensory stimulation or personalized care plans that reduce medication use and improve safety.

• Creating a Culture of Safety: Team efforts such as training, open communication and leadership that make safety a core workplace value.

Workforce Safety Award Winners

• St. Mary's Villa

• The Hamlets at Penticton

• The Hamlets at Duncan

• Wentworth Manor

• Crocus Court

• Lewisporte Health Centre

• Bayside Personal Care Home

• Mainprize Manor & Health Centre

• Glen Hill Strathav

• Holy Family Hospital LTC

• Caribou Memorial Veteran's Pavilion

• Victoria Glen Manor

• St. Michael's Long Term Care Centre

• Youville Residence

• Rexton Lions Nursing Home

• Lions Manor Nursing Home

• Wawanesa Health Centre

• Gemstone Care Centre

• Bethania Mennonite Personal Care Home

• Calder Health Care Center

• Loch Lomond Villa

• Fillmore Health Centre

• St. Joseph's Special Care Home

• Private Josiah Squibb Memorial Pavilion

• CHSLD Ernest-Brisson (CISSSO)

• St. Paul's Home

• Arborg Personal Care Home

• The Hamlets at Westsyde

• Mountain Lea Lodge, LTC Facility

• Rufus Guinchard Health Centre

The Impact Award recognizes teams that have achieved measurable, sustained improvements in the appropriate use of antipsychotics. Submissions should reflect both strong data and compelling stories that highlight the real-world impact of these improvements on residents, families and staff.

Award Criteria

• Quantitative Results: Demonstrates measurable improvements across required and additional indicators. Must show reduction in antipsychotic use and alignment with the initiative’s aim.

• Impact Narrative: Tells the story behind the data, including resident and family experiences. Aligned with the AUA Approach and focused on improving dementia care.

• Sustainability & Spread Potential: Presents a feasible plan to continue and expand results beyond the initial setting.

• Clarity: Submission is organized, specific and easy to evaluate.

Impact Award winners

• Hamilton Village Care Centre

• The Elliott Community

• Sunnybank Centre

• CHSLD de Saint-Joseph de Sherbrooke

• The Agnes Pratt Home

• Evergreen Hamlets at Fleetwood

• St Angela Merici Residence

• The Hamlets at Duncan

• MDAA Parc de la Montagne

• Rosewood Manor

• Corner Brook Long Term Care

• Riverview Health Centre

• Tideview Terrace

• The Hamlets at Vernon

• Gemstone Care Centre

• Copper Ridge Place

• Whistle Bend Place

• Musquodboit Valley Home for Special Care Braeside

• Glen Hill Strathaven

• Unité de soins de longue durée Centre hospitalier du Pontiac

• Apotex Jewish Home for the Aged

• CHSLD La Pietà

• East Gate Lodge PCH

• Loch Lomond Villa

• Tucker Hall

• The Harrison at Elim Village

• The Wellington Nursing Home

• Hawthorne Place Care Centre

• Perley Health

• Wawanesa Health Centre

All long-term care (LTC) homes in Canada, whether public or private (for-profit or not-for-profit), are eligible to participate in this program. LTC homes include residential care spaces which provide a wide range of health and personal care services for residents with medical or physical needs who require access to 24-hour nursing care, personal care and other therapeutic and support services.

Sites are not eligible to participate if they are:

• A retirement home

• Located outside of Canada

• A department or agency of the Government of Canada

• Do not otherwise satisfy the requirements set out in the Terms and Conditions (PDF 492 KB) 

Sites located in British Columbia must be pre-approved by Health Quality BC to register for the program. For more information on the registration of sites from British Columbia, please contact longtermcare@healthqualitybc.ca.

Your team can register here, anytime up until October 1, 2025. We encourage you to register early to take advantage of all program offerings and opportunities.

Joining the program is simple and can be done in under 10 minutes!

Registration will open on November 20, 2024, at 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) and close on October 1, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET. The team lead(s) will be required to complete the registration process for their team through the program portal. The team lead(s) will be required to submit the:  

• name and contact information of the team lead(s);  

• name and contact information of the site that will be associated with the team;  

• name and contact information of the senior officer or director within the site, demonstrating endorsement of participation in the program; 

• name and contact information of each team member that will be associated with the team; 

• organization (business name) that will receive the award(s), if successful; and 

• name and contact information of the financial contact within the organization who can provide all necessary banking information for depositing award funding, if successful. 

Additional team members can be added to the team at any point during the program.

Yes, multiple LTC homes that belong to the same organization or corporation can register for the program. Each home must register as a single site with an established team. Team members can register to participate on more than one team.

Yes, each site must register separately. Since the structure of the program supports activities and rewards progress at a site level, each home must apply as a single site with an established team. This means that multi-site teams, including multiple homes that belong to one organization or corporation will not be accepted into the program as a group.

Yes, we encourage all teams to join – whether you have already begun working towards improving the appropriate use of antipsychotics in your home, have a well-established AUA initiative in place, or are just getting started on a new AUA initiative.

For the two awards that require data reporting, teams are not evaluated solely on the amount of improvement shown in their AUA outcome measures. The scoring criteria assesses the project's overall approach and impact. There are five awards that will be determined by random draw.

Teams joining the program at any point in their AUA journey have the opportunity to win all the awards they submit to, and all participants will gain valuable insights from coaches, experts and other teams.

An individual can begin registration but will need to assemble a team to be eligible and meet all the eligibility requirements as outlined in the Terms and Conditions (PDF 492 KB).

A team lead must satisfy the conditions outlined in the Terms and Conditions (PDF 492 KB). These include being a resident of Canada, having reached the legal age of majority in their province or territory, and having the authority and approval of site and team members associated with their team. The team lead is required to register their site into the program and identify their team members. There is also the option to share the team lead role with a second person (referred to as a co-lead).The team lead(s) will:

• be the primary point(s) of contact for Healthcare Excellence Canada (HEC) and for team members throughout the program

• act as coordinator(s) for all the team’s activities (including, but not limited to, submission before the appropriate deadlines, cooperation in any verification process and award distribution)

• be responsible for the team’s registration

• agree to receive correspondence on behalf of the team at the email address(es) provided at registration, which serves as the primary mechanism through which HEC communicates with the team.

To register, a site must have:

• a team lead (see the “Who can be a team lead?” answer above)

• a senior officer or director from the site’s organization and can approve the site’s participation in the program on behalf of the organization
  

Additional roles and expertise in areas such as provision of care, resident and/or family engagement, pharmacology and measurement and data collection may be beneficial. A quality improvement team should generally have five to eight people (at least three) to support diverse opinions and experiences, as well as to share the work, making it a team effort. See Section 3 of the Terms and Conditions (PDF 492 KB) for more information.

Yes, additional team members can be added to the team at any point during the program.

The program will provide content via webinars and coaching to assist teams on how to assess progress in a quality improvement initiative and specifically for the appropriate use of antipsychotics.

Teams are not required to report data to HEC to be eligible to participate in the program. However, to be eligible for an Improvement Plan Award, Progress Award and/or Impact Award, a team must submit the reported data to HEC in accordance with Section 10 of the Terms and Conditions (PDF 492 KB).

Teams are also encouraged to track and report additional outcome, balancing and process measures that support monitoring progress towards the aims of their initiatives and will have the opportunity to share this progress with HEC as part of the applicable award submissions.

Each site is required to submit unique, site-specific data, and must not utilize data from any other sites within the same organization. Each team must rely solely on the data collected at their respective location. The submission of duplicative data is not accepted. Please refer to Section 10 of the Terms and Conditions (PDF 492 KB) for further details.

Healthcare Excellence Canada (HEC) is a not-for-profit organization funded by Health Canada. HEC collects information as required by our Contribution Agreement with Health Canada. Data is reported in an aggregate format across all programming in our Performance Measurement Framework. This information is collected to contribute to HEC’s indicator on “potential population reach” and will not be used as baseline data for the registering home. Baseline data will only be collected by HEC from registered homes who submit for awards.

Please refer to CIHI’s indicator library for the definition, inclusion and exclusion criteria related to the potentially inappropriate use of antipsychotics in LTC to calculate the current number of residents prescribed antipsychotics without a diagnosis of psychosis at the home.

Awards will be determined either by random draw or by adjudication using a pre-determined set of evaluation criteria. For full details on each award, please see Section 8 of the Terms and Conditions (PDF 492 KB).

The sooner your team registers, the more award opportunities you will have to win! In fact, your team could potentially be awarded up to $32,000, if you are able to maximize all that the program offers. The odds of being selected as an award recipient depends on the number of eligible submissions to each award.

Please refer to Section 8 of the Terms and Conditions (PDF 492 KB) for more information.

No, there are no criteria for how the award recipient (LTC home) may use the funds.

Each participating team will be assigned a coach (in their preferred language of English or French) who will be available to provide guidance and expertise related to their AUA project as well as upcoming award opportunities.

Coaches will bring a range of knowledge, experience and expertise related to AUA and other areas such as QI and change management. Teams will be able to connect with their coach via:

• Coaching hub sessions (alongside other teams) at the start of each award period

• By requesting additional support or asking questions via a coaching support form

• Occasional one-on-one calls

Coaching support is not mandatory but is a valuable resource for all registered teams to utilize during the program.

Please contact us at AUA-UAA@hec-esc.ca. We look forward to hearing from you!