Strategic Directions
We recently completed the first year of our new strategic plan and I could not be prouder of the structure it provides to hold us accountable to ourselves and our community in delivering on the ambitious expectations and goals we set for ourselves. This year, we made great strides in resident-directed service and care, creating inclusive and supportive places to work, upping our service excellence game, delivering on community commitments and fiscal responsibilities, and deepening our dedication to sustainability.
Our founding vision to improve life for seniors remains the hallmark of the organization and will continue to motivate our leadership and every one of our team members as we strive to accomplish the goals of this plan.
Jason Shannon
Highlights from the past year
ISO 50001
Recertified
1st Senior’s living organization to hold certification
3% Energy Intensity
Reduction
60% to 5-year target
26.5% Increase in Waste Diversion
88% to 5-year target
2023 Carbon Hero Award
Recognized by BOMA NS
Shannex Cares
- Donations exceed previous year
- Supporting more Elder Allies
DEIB Strategy Complete
352 elective DEIB courses completed
Training Programs Delivered
- 292 employees through our Centre for Excellence
- 821 Lead Blue course completions
6 New Communities
Welcoming residents across N.B. and N.S.
New Childcare Centre Partnership
YMCA Southwestern N.B. to open childcare centre at Parkland in the Valley and Embassy Hall
Opened 1st Nursing Home in First Nations Community
Kiknu, Eskasoni, N.S.
Quality of Life Survey
Overall increase in positive responses
More Great Rewards for Great People
Visual healthcare, banking and mortgage options, discount program and more
Occupancy Levels Remain High
Continued need for seniors’ accommodations
Accredited with Commendation
Excelling in Leadership Cohort Graduates
New Model of Care
Shannex to open Transitional Care Centre in N.S.
Employee Engagement and Retention Targets Met
More Great People are growing with us
Safety Profile Score
Targets met and 91% to 5-year target
New Innovative Learning Programs
Work while you learn for CCA and LPN
Strategic Directions
Resident Wellbeing
The wellbeing of our residents encompasses all aspects of their lives. Wellbeing includes physical, social, intellectual, professional, spiritual and emotional dimensions so that residents are living their best lives with us. It also means residents are safe in their environment and in the care and service we provide.
We will elevate the voice of the resident; we will treat them with respect, protect their dignity, see them, hear them and continually improve upon our delivery of resident-directed care and service.
Strategic Expectations and Five-Year Goals
Resident quality of life is upheld and enriched by living with us
Residents are meaningfully engaged and enjoy their community through recreation and social activities
Resident clinical and safety outcomes meet or exceed national standards
Our services positively impact resident wellbeing
Residents have an exceptional food and dining experience
Progress Report 2023-24
A significant increase in Quality of Life survey engagement and overall results, Accreditation with Commendation and continued growth of innovative approaches to care. Our goals for the coming year include comprehensive clinical improvement projects and data driven solutions that improve resident wellness outcomes.
Accomplishments
- Increased Quality of Life average positive response rate by 3.87%
- Improved Quality of Life Social Life Engaged Category score
- Reduced new and worsened pressure injuries
- Improved Quality of Life Food Category score by 5.63%
- Accredited with Commendation
Sharing and Caring
Cindy Marble, Manager, Behavioural Health and Carla Clarke, Social Worker at Parkstone Enhanced Care introduced a new program for family members who feel overwhelmed by the transition to long term care to share their feelings and emotions.
Wading into Life’s Changing Tides
Mary Ryan is a remarkable soul with a lifetime of stories. Her new book reflects her experiences living at Thomas Hall and reflections on Shannex’s Guiding Principles.
Strategic Directions
Employee Experience
The health and happiness of our team members matters to us. We are focused on creating fulfilling experiences for our Great People throughout all stages of their work life with us.
Safe, supportive, inclusive and respectful environments that prioritize the wellbeing of every team member make us an employer of choice everywhere we operate.
Strategic Expectations and Five-Year Goals
Employees are safe and well
Employees feel included, respected, valued, and appreciated
Employees stay and grow their career with us
Our employees speak highly of us
We attract great people who want to work with us
Progress Report 2023-24
Our Great People are more engaged and satisfied with their career at Shannex than ever before. This year, we’ll work to deepen trust and engagement with all team members so they feel safe and well, want to stay and work with us, and attract others to a career at Shannex.
Accomplishments
- Increased Safety Profile Score by 7%
- Exceeded annual Employee Engagement Survey results target
- Exceeded annual employee retention targets
- Exceeded recruitment timeline targets
- Exceeded Employee Engagement survey target for recommending us as a great place to work
Great People Month
The month of May is dedicated to celebrating Shannex’s Great People. Every one of our communities is unique but what is consistent is the presence of teams who make them great places to live, work and visit.
Accelerated Training Programs
Through a shared investment, the Nova Scotia Departments of Seniors and Long-Term Care and Labour and Skills Development, the Nova Scotia Community College and Shannex are piloting a new Continuing Care Assistant program where eligible students will graduate and begin working in six months.
Strategic Directions
Service Excellence
Residents, families, employees, volunteers, partners, and the greater community must have trust in us to deliver on our responsibilities with compassion, honesty and professionalism while maintaining the highest safety standards.
We earn this trust by consistently delivering exceptional experiences with service excellence that is inspired by our commitment to placing residents first.
Strategic Expectations and Five-Year Goals
People want to live with us
Residents have an exceptional experience during move-in and throughout the continuum
Service delivery standards are consistently upheld by all sites
Shannex is a trusted organization and partner
Shannex’s Great People uphold the Guiding Principles
Progress Report 2023-24
We’re committed to listening and responding to feedback from residents while ensuring our service excellence standards are consistent across all communities. We have made great strides and will continue to implement this work in the coming year.
Accomplishments
- Lead Blue targets achieved
- Increased Quality of Life positive responses related to team member connections and respect
- Met occupancy targets related to leads, tours and stabilization
- Progress made to rollout standardized Welcome Survey in all communities
Path to Blue
Blueprint Standards
The Path to Blue journey ensures our 6,000 Great People tell a story to the world about who we are, what we do and what we care about.
Meaningful Meals
Based on feedback from our annual Quality of Life survey, our organization is focused on improving the dining experience for residents. Led by our Culinary Centre team we’ve introduced a new dining feature over the past year to make mealtime more engaging and exciting.
Strategic Directions
Healthy Business
Ensuring we run a healthy business means we are here for the future. We are committed to growing, adapting, evolving, innovating, and improving. It means we will invest in our company, and we will be fiscally responsible so that we can deliver what our residents, team members and communities need to thrive.
Strategic Expectations and Five-Year Goals
We are financially stable and we meet our obligations
We meet the increased demand for accommodations and services for elders
We are responsible to our community, give back through Great People, sector leadership, partnerships and the Shannex Cares Foundation
We have a culture of innovation that improves the lives of residents and team members
Our properties and assets are consistently well maintained
Progress Report 2023-24
We supported more like-minded Elder Allies through Shannex Cares and opened new purposefully designed communities to meet the need for seniors’ accommodations. This year, we will deepen our understanding of the challenges facing organizations who serve seniors and take action to create change.
Accomplishments
- Opened six new communities
- Chosen by provincial governments to open three new nursing homes and a transitional care centre
- Met all Shannex Cares community giving targets
- Exceeded targets for Quality of Life, Building and Property Maintenance and Asset Management scores
Shannex Cares
Through Shannex Cares, we partner with like-minded Elder Allies in the community to influence real change and make a difference in the lives of seniors.
Kiknu
Shannex is honoured to partner with Eskasoni First Nation to create a warm, welcoming and culturally significant home where elders and seniors will be surrounded by Mi’kmaq culture and traditions. Kiknu, meaning “our home”, is Nova Scotia’s first licensed nursing home on a First Nations Community.
Strategic Directions
Environmental Stewardship
We recognize we must take steps to increase our commitment to protecting the environment with an action plan that transforms the way we prioritize sustainability.
We will create organizational policies and practices and invest in resources that engage every person who lives and works with us, empowering them to make a difference toward protecting our planet.
Strategic Expectations and Five-Year Goals
We reduce our greenhouse gas emission and are energy efficient
We divert waste from landfills
We manage our water consumption using best practices
We source materials and purchase goods responsibly and sustainably
Our building designs and standards are environmentally conscious
We grow and support a community of team members and residents who are environmental stewards
Progress Report 2023-24
Environmental stewardship is embraced at all levels of our organization and this is reflected in our success delivering on the goals in this area. This year, we’ll further this work by focusing on green building standards and increased efficiencies that reduce our environmental impact.
Accomplishments
- Exceeded energy reduction and waste diversion targets
- Recertification obtained for ISO 500001
- Exceeded target to implement site-level Green Teams
- Sustainable Procurement Policy drafted to align with ISO 20400:2017
- Corporate Sustainable Building Standards developed
2023 Carbon Hero Award
In December 2023, Shannex received the prestigious Carbon Hero Award at BOMA Nova Scotia’s Annual Holiday Luncheon. The award was presented in recognition of our outstanding commitment to environmental stewardship and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
EcoPilot® Drive Change
In 2020, Shannex installed Ecopilot®’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) for HVAC software in seven communities across Nova Scotia and saw impressive results in the reduction of total building energy consumption. Based on this success, the organization is taking the next step to implement Ecopilot® in 24 more communities across New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Ontario.
Leading the Way
A Look Forward
Healthy Aging Starts Now
Shannex is leading the way to a healthier future for aging adults with total donations of $3.5 million to three universities in Atlantic Canada. Dalhousie University, University of New Brunswick and Mount Saint Vincent University have received gifts. We are investing in research, programs and education in Artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies to inform decision-making and policy planning at every level of the healthcare continuum, improved support and care for individuals during transitions as they age, opportunities for specialized nurse and caregiver education, innovations for food and nutrition for seniors, and strategies to improve overall wellness and quality of work life for long term care staff. We are embracing the long life, the healthy, engaged and contributing life, and we believe the sector and universities need to work together to find solutions through research that addresses the huge demand for healthy aging support that is ahead of us, to ensure we have a longevity-ready society, one that is inclusive and focused on the opportunities of this wonderful new reality.
Transitional Care
Every day, we see the difference personalized and appropriate care planning, delivered by skilled team members, makes for the people we serve. In March, the Province of Nova Scotia announced that it would partner with Shannex to expand the transitional care centre in West Bedford, Nova Scotia. Through this agreement, Shannex is completing renovations on the existing building and constructing a 110-suite addition for a total of 178 suites. Shannex has been at the forefront of community care for more than 35 years and transitional care is a natural progression of our longstanding dedication to providing quality care that meets evolving healthcare needs.
Great Places to Work
A great workplace promotes trust, pride, and a shared commitment to excellence. It is important our Great People to come to work knowing they are valued, recognized, compensated fairly, and that their best interests will be protected. To guide us in delivering on this commitment, we will continue to listen and respond to team members while inspiring leaders to create the right conditions for a fulfilling employee experience. To support this work, we are implementing a new survey tool through Great Places to Work, a recognized third-party. Surveys will be administered independently providing consistent measurable results and actionable feedback to create a truly great experience for every Shannex team member.
Measurement and Reporting
The success of our strategic plan will be rooted in the awareness and support of our Great People. That’s why, we’ve clearly articulated and communicated each of our five strategic directions, associated expectations and five-year SMART goals. Executive leaders assigned to each direction will oversee annual priority and goal-setting processes. Progress toward these goals through quality improvement initiatives, projects and operational work plans will be monitored through quarterly scorecard reporting. Teams will also have access to quality improvement, project and change management expertise and structures to support their work.
Along the way, we’ll share results annually through a report to community that will track our progress against the strategic directions and to reflect our environmental, social and governance impacts.
Recognizing that many things can change over the course of five years, we’ll use a quality management and accountability framework that assesses progress through regular analysis and reporting and considers external factors and other influences. This way, we can make adjustments as needed during our annual planning cycle to keep us appropriately focused.
Shannex Cares
Our Shannex Cares community program seeks to strengthen the strong interconnectedness between the people who live and work with us with the greater communities through partnerships, access to funding and the sharing of knowledge and resources. Specifically, we prioritize support in areas that reflect the values of residents and team members.
