St. Joseph’s Health System opens Indigenous-patient care classroom in Brantford

St. Joseph’s Health System has opened one of Ontario’s first Indigenous living classrooms at a long-term care centre in Brantford, Ont.

The aim of the classroom is to create “new opportunities for students to learn culturally safe, person-centred care.”

Curriculum in the classroom is grounded in Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe teachings. Officials from the project say the classroom focuses on providing care with humility and transparency from a culturally-informed perspective.

Through this method of learning, students are supposed to gain an understanding of the experiences and history that inform the people they support.

St. Joe’s says the new living classroom was created through a partnership with Six Nations Polytechnic.

“At Six Nations Polytechnic, Indigenous ways of knowing and being inform how we approach education, and St. Joseph’s Health System has created an environment where our learners can experience those values through meaningful relationships with residents, healthcare professionals and the broader care team,” said Dr. Rick Anderson, interim president and CEO at Six Nations Polytechnic.

The Schlegel-UW Research Institute for Aging led the project with funding from the Ontario government.

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