Christina Bisanz: Empowering Older Adults
(Access show transcript) The heart of what Christina Bisanz and her team do at CHATS – Community & Home Assistance to Seniors, is to empower older adults so they have better health outcomes and stronger social connections.
Summary
A core component of what Christina Bisanz, CEO of CHATS, focuses on is understanding the caregiver perspective and the pressures that come with it. By listening to the experiences of caregivers, the programs and services offered by CHATS reflect their voices and respond to their needs.
“Caregivers really are the unsung heroes of our health system. If not for the presence and support that is being provided by informal caregivers, our health system could likely collapse,” Christina explains.
Christina tells us about CHATS’ Assisted Living for High-Risk Adults program and CIBPA Place, York Region’s first not-for-profit Overnight Respite Care Centre for short-term stays.
She also explains how caregivers and services provided for older adults support the health system as a whole and helps take pressure off other areas such as emergency departments.
Mentioned in this Episode
Transcript
Imagine you could step inside the minds of Canada's healthcare leaders, glimpse their greatest fears, strongest drivers, and what makes them tick. Welcome to Healthcare Changemakers, a podcast where we talk to leaders about the joys and challenges of driving change and working with partners to create the safest healthcare system.
Michelle Holden: Hey, changemakers. It's Michelle here from HIROC. On this episode of the podcast, Abi and I talk with Christina Bisanz, CEO of CHATS. For those of you who don't know, CHATS is a not-for-profit organization advocating for delivering person-centred home and community services to older adults and even caregivers living in the York region and South Simcoe area. Abi, can you give our listeners a bit of a sneak peek for the episode?
Abi Sivakumar: Yeah. So, on this episode, you'll hear about some of the things CHATS value, including empowering older adults and understanding the caregiver perspective and the pressures that they face. You'll also hear about CIBPA Place, which is York region's first non-for-profit overnight respite care centre for short-term stays.
Michelle: Exactly. So, have a listen. And if you have time after, add the CHATS podcast to your feed. Christina tells us on the episode about a few of their recent guests, and keep listening.
[music]
Michelle: Hi, Christina. Thanks for joining us today.
Christina Bisanz: Well, thank you for having me as your guest.
Michelle: Of course. I wanna start off maybe with an easy one, or I think it is. Can you tell us about your first job ever?
Christina: My first job ever?
Michelle: Mm-hmm.
Christina: Oh, that's going back many years. And I'm trying to sift through which one would be most appropriate to call the first job. I guess it was working in retail at a company that no longer exists. It's passed into the annals of formerly great retail families. It was known as Eaton's at the time.
Michelle: Oh, yeah. Oh, that's good. That's a memory then for sure. And I love a retail job. I feel like it teaches us so much. So, I'm sure you learned a lot.
Christina: Well, it certainly gives you a lot of exposure to many different people. The customers, yes.
Michelle: Okay. So, now, I was just wondering if you could tell us where you work and what you do?
Christina: Well, I'm proud to serve as the CEO of CHATS Community and Home Assistance to Seniors. We're a not-for-profit organization that serves some 8,000 clients and their family caregivers across York region and South Simcoe. And we serve our clients with just over 300 staff and close to 300 volunteers who are involved in the team delivering care and services.
Michelle: Amazing. And what do you remember when we were speaking about first jobs? I was thinking about this. What do you remember about your first day at CHATS?
Christina: I actually joined CHATS as a volunteer initially. So, I was recruited to sit on the board of directors, and remember being quite overwhelmed by the breadth of services that the organization was providing. And it took a while to really get a good fix on, you know, the different in-home as well as community supports that were being provided by this organization. Over time, of course, I'm quite familiar with all of that, and it's not so overwhelming anymore. But I was really struck that, you know, in that first exposure to the organization of the passion and commitment of the people who deliver those services, both staff as well as the volunteers.
Michelle: That's cool that you went from board member to leading the organization. Maybe an unexpected kind of shift, I guess.
Christina: It was. The organization at the time was going through some changes. And a number of my board colleagues suggested that--our CEO had taken early retirement. So, some of my colleagues suggested that I step into the role just to get things stabilized. And I said, okay, I'll do it for six to nine months. Thirteen years later, I'm still here.
Michelle: Wow. Yeah. That's a lot longer than nine months. I wanted to talk to you 'cause I know you mentioned it before about how CHATS empowers older adults. So, I just wanted to ask you about the empowerment piece and why it's so important to the organization.
Christina: Well, empowerment really is at the heart of everything that we do at CHATS 'cause we believe that aging should never mean that an individual loses their dignity or their choice or agency over, you know, how they are able to live their lives. And whether it's through our wellness programs, our transportation services, our assisted living services, and adult day programs and so much more, we're really looking at designing services that put older adults in control as much as possible of their own lives.
The other thing about empowerment is it really does foster resilience and helps to combat the isolation that too many older adults are experiencing in our communities. And through that, it just provides a strategy for better health outcomes and much stronger social connections. So, empowerment really is that core piece of how we approach, you know, the culture of CHATS and how we approach the services that we do provide.
Michelle: You mentioned a couple programs there that play a role in empowering. Is there one service that you can kind of highlight for us that you're particularly proud of at the organization?
Christina: I think, you know, I'm proud of all of them. And I have to say that 'cause I don't wanna leave out any of the staff team who are working hard at delivering any particular service. But I think that one of the services that really has always impressed me is our Assisted Living for high risk adults program. And that is where we are able to provide on-site 24/7, both scheduled and unscheduled visits, to clients living in a particular building or within a community around a hub site. And why I'm impressed with it is because we have some clients who in other situations may have been considered so high risk and so complex in their care needs that it would have been an automatic, you know, do not pass go, do not stop, just go directly to long-term care. And many of these individuals have chosen not to have that as their course of aging. And they wanna be able to age in place, stay in their own homes. And we hear so many stories from not only our clients, but also their family members and caregivers who say, were it not for the in-home care and support that they received through assisted living, many of these individuals would have had to go to long-term care or may have ended up in hospital in an ALC bed.
So, it's really quite a remarkable program and one that I feel that with appropriate investment, increased investment from government, we could expand the program and see so many other people be able to age in place, continue to live in their own homes much longer than they may otherwise be able to do.
Michelle: For sure, and that's a good call out just even for our other subscribers across Canada who I know are kind of working on that same piece about helping older adults stay in their homes as long as they can. So, I think that's really lovely. Good concept and something to be proud of. But shifting gears a little bit, I guess it's on that same line thinking about staying in your home. We've spoken a little bit about how for CHATS, a big focus is the caregiver perspective and understanding those pressures. So, how does this play a role in informing some of your programs and services?
Christina: Well, I think we have to acknowledge that caregivers really are the unsung heroes of our health system. And were it not for the presence and support that is being provided by informal caregivers, our health system could likely collapse. And, you know, any discussions that we're having now about the challenges of ALC on hospitals or the pressure on emergency rooms would increase tremendously if we didn't have informal caregivers helping to keep people home, helping to keep their loved ones able to meet, you know, medical appointments, be socially involved and so forth. And so, we focus on that because we recognize that we're really at a breaking point for many caregivers who have been under so much stress, who are overwhelmed by having to, you know, deal with the challenges of their own lives, let alone, you know, manage the care of a parent, a spouse, or a child.
And so, I think that we really need to do a better job in recognizing the challenges of caregivers and listen to their experiences, you know, whether it's emotional, financial strain. Provide more respite opportunities for them, and ensure that their voices are shaping our programming as well so that we're not just creating and delivering services and programs that meet the needs of the providers, but really that are responding to the needs of the care, the informal carers.
Michelle: So, caregivers do kind of play a role in how CHATS does their programming, and you get their input as well?
Christina: Very much so. Very much so. And, you know, many of our programs, although they're providing benefits to the person served in terms of social engagement or personal care, are also designed to be providing respite for their family members or their informal caregivers as well. And it's interesting because I've been advocating for caregivers and for better supports, whether it's things like tax credits or more respite programs or an ability to have more resources available to meet their needs for many, many years now. But it wasn't until last year, as a result of some health issues, that my husband started to experience, that I got suddenly thrust into the role of being a caregiver myself. My parents had passed away when they were quite young. So, I never had that experience of having to look after elderly parents. But suddenly, my spouse had some challenges.
And, you know, you really do realize that there's a lot you have to give up in terms of your own independence. You know, I was able to manage my career and my workload quite well because I had the support of partner here in the home. But when that support goes away, for whatever reason, whether it's cognitive or physical decline or mental, you know, it suddenly means that now you're having to look after and work in your schedule around another individual to help them be able to thrive. So, I now know firsthand what impact that has on an individual and the ability to be able to support our loved ones, to be able to continue to live healthy and well.
Michelle: It's like you read my mind. I was going to ask you, actually, if you ever have had to play the role of caregiver or not had to, but have done that in your life and what that was like. So, yeah, I imagine that experience was kind of eye opening, but also in your role because you're already so well connected to kind of had a little bit of a leg up maybe on some other people who are in that role might have to just kind of start from scratch and learn. So, you got to see kind of how it works, which is great.
Christina: It is great. But I have to tell you that even with the knowledge that I have and the experience from a professional standpoint, you still almost have to start from scratch in the sense of, you know, now you're coordinating medical appointments, you're making sure that your loved one is compliant with their medication, that they're taking it on time and with food, that they're getting fed regularly. You know, have a very irregular work schedule. So, I wasn't always sort of at home at five o'clock to prepare dinner and serve it at six o'clock. Actually my spouse did that for me. So, you know, I didn't have to think about those things. Now, my scheduling, my perspective has all changed. So, I really appreciate what informal caregivers and family members are going through.
Michelle: Yeah, I can tell. I can hear that very well. So, I wanted to kind of shift a little bit and ask you about how you represent CHATS. I know on a number of different health system planning groups. So, I wanted to know a little bit, how do you use these forums as both a way to advocate, which you've mentioned before, and also listen and learn?
Christina: Well, I think first of all, it's important to recognize that these forms, whether they're advisory tables, network tables, or committees and so forth, are really important as spaces for collaboration and systems thinking. I like to approach them with three--actually three goals in mind. And the first is, obvious, to advocate for the needs of older adults and caregivers. So, the constituency that I represent at those tables. And the second is to also advocate for the sector that I'm in.
So, I'm in the community support services sector. That's what we call ourselves, although we do provide home care as well as an organization, but we identify as being part of the community support services sector. And then thirdly, as an opportunity to listen and really listen to what's happening across the health continuum. Because I'm having an opportunity now to sit with primary care, to sit with hospital representatives, to sit with mental health organization representatives. It's such a wonderful opportunity to really sit and listen to what other sectoral representatives are experiencing, their perspective, and some of the initiatives that they're involved in. So, on those three fronts, I find that the planning groups are very, very important, but so beneficial to me personally, as well as to CHATS.
Michelle: And I imagine you find ways that you can kind of work together as partners with some of these groups based on the conversations you're having.
Christina: Absolutely. And it's also an opportunity to bring the experience of our clients into these policy conversations. Many of the groups, if not all of them, do have representation from patient, caregiver, and client representatives as well. So, we have an opportunity to listen and hear from them, have them involved in the development of new initiatives or joint projects, and really try and get at that objective overall of building what is a responsive and integrated health system. And I think ultimately, that's one of the goals we all share, regardless of what sector we come from.
Michelle: That's very well put. Before I shift off to Abi and pass it to her for some questions, I wanted to ask you about your role as Ward 7 counsellor for the town of Newmarket. I imagine you have a strong pulse on the community that you serve there. And so, what is the biggest takeaway that you've learned in your role there?
Christina: Yeah, I didn't mention that, did I, when I was talking about--so, I'm serving in my third term as Ward 7 counsellor for the town of Newmarket. And I actually got involved quite serendipitously because I was part of an organization in my local neighbourhood that was working to try and oppose the development of our golf course. The neighbourhood had been built around a golf course concept and we had a lot of beautiful green space. And when the golf course was sold, we were trying to oppose the ability of the developer to build on that piece of land for many different reasons. Quality of life, environmental, just cultural for the community, the opportunity for using it for physical fitness. I mean, there was a whole number of reasons. And having been very involved in that and many, many discussions with the town council of the day, getting involved with the Ontario Municipal Board at that time process, it really kind of opened my eyes to the whole world of municipal politics, but what municipalities do in building communities.
And so, I had an opportunity to put my name forward in the election and won it and have been there for the last almost 12 years in that capacity. But I think for me, what the biggest takeaway is for being a counsellor is that it really is that community building is a shared responsibility. And whether it's addressing housing or transportation, access to services, the most effective solutions come from collaboration between residents, community-based organizations, and the local government. And not unlike what I was talking about in terms of the health system planning groups. But even at a municipal level, you know, I'm always listening to people's stories, responding to their concerns, looking at ways in which we can improve the quality of life, the amenities, and the community that we live in.
Michelle: When you said earlier that your schedule was kind of a tough one and that, you know, you tend to be quite busy days. Now I can see it, like just having the role that you have at work and the role that you play in the community as counsellor. Yeah. Good for you. That's a lot.
Christina: Well, I think, you know, whenever you approach something that you really care about and you do it with passion, it's never too much.
Michelle: That's well put. Abi, I wanna pass to you for the next few questions.
Abi: Yeah, it's great to meet you, Christina.
Christina: Hi, Abi.
Abi: Hi. So, tell us about CIBPA Place. We hear the respite care centre is the first of its kind in the region for people with dementia.
Christina: Yeah. So, CIBPA Place is an initiative that we're incredibly proud of. And it came about through a discussion that I had with one of my colleagues, actually, through the Western York Region Ontario Health team, where we were talking about, you know, the growing need to provide that respite relief for caregivers. And to have something in place that would be a safe place that clients with some dementia could go to for overnight or, you know, a longer stay of a couple of weeks and give the family member some relief from having to be concerned about leaving their loved one at home or just not being able to get away themselves. And so, we started talking about this notion of an overnight respite care home, with a specific focus on serving people with dementias. There are homes like this in other parts of the GTA, but nothing like this has been done in a not-for-profit way in Western York region. So, we started talking about, how could we do this and what ways would it be possible to secure a home or a house or a building for us to have this program running?
So, we're delighted to partner with an organization called CareAsOne, which is a non-profit that is responsible for raising the funds for all of the capital costs of Care CIBPA Place. And once it's completed, CHATS will then--it'll be turned over to CHATS for the operational part of it. The beauty of this home is it's actually a heritage home and is being completely renovated, so it's repurposed into an overnight respite care home. And we're very, very excited. The response from the community has amazing, not only in terms of fundraising, but other support that we've been receiving. And we know that we've got a very anxious group of people who can't wait for CIBPA Place to open because, you know, they've already got the time booked that they'd like to have their loved one come and stay at CIBPA Place.
Abi: That's amazing to hear. And being the first of its kind in the region is no small feat. And now that we're talking about it, I'm wondering how you got through those hurdles of being the first of its kind in the region. Did you lean into partnerships, talk to other centers, et cetera?
Christina: Yes, yes, all of the above. And I have to say that there are other overnight respite homes. There's one in Eastern York region, but it's operating under a slightly different model. And there are for-profit homes as well where people can stay. So, this is the first dedicated respite care centre in Western York region. So, you know, we were responding to a need in that community that, you know, nothing else currently exists there to serve in sort of a safe, culturally sensitive way. So, we were able to partner, as I said, with CareAsOne, who have been doing, you know, the bulk of the fundraising for all of the capital costs. We've been getting other in kind support offered to us. And when it's complete, this house, I mean, it's gorgeous. It's a beautiful old century home, but it will be completely renovated inside with all, you know, current safety and standards met. So, it's really going to be quite lovely.
Abi: Christina, where does the name come from?
Christina: It's actually an acronym for the Canadian-Italian Business Professional Association. And they were one of the sponsors that came forward for naming rights and asked to have, you know, the naming rights of the actual centre.
Abi: I'll keep an eye out for updates with CIBPA, please.
Christina: We're hoping, fingers crossed, that we'll be opening early in 2026.
Abi: Okay, that's very soon. I'm excited to hear about that.
Christina: Oh, we're so excited too. And of course, anything like this, because it is a heritage home. So, on top of regular. And some of your members and listeners will know the challenge if they've been involved in redevelopment initiatives that you've got, you know, the city permitting and everything that you have to deal with. But because it is a heritage home, we also have a whole other set of standards and requirements and so forth because we still have to preserve the integrity of the house as a heritage building.
Abi: Of course, I was thinking about that, about there's probably already its own set of hurdles opening up a respite care in general, let alone, like you mentioned, being the first non-profit in this specific type of care to open it. So, congrats to all of you for doing that.
Christina: Well, thank you. Thank you. No, we really feel that--I mean, it's not going to serve all of the needs that exist because those just keep growing, but it certainly will be a great place and opportunity for those caregivers to get the rest and support that they need.
Abi: For sure. That's amazing. And shifting gears a bit, you're not new to podcasts as you've hosted your own through CHATS. Is there any lesson, advice, or perspective you've heard from a guest that stands out in your head, Christina?
Christina: Oh, and I have to say, I love doing the podcast. This is the first time I've kind of been on this side of the table. But we've had some amazing guests on our program, ranging from Amy Coupal from Ontario Caregivers to Dr. Samir Sinha from UHN to Ryan Schell, who is the Chief Fire Prevention Officer locally. Quite a mix of people who are all coming and talking about the issues related to aging in the community. And I think that the one sort of piece of advice is really to keep it conversational. I listen to podcasts when I'm driving in the car, particularly if I have a longer drive. I'd much rather put on a podcast and hear a conversation often than, you know, putting on music. So, I think, you know, keeping the conversation friendly is great, and you guys are doing an awesome job at that. But I think that one of the concepts that really struck me or stuck with me is the idea that that aging isn't a problem to solve. It really is a journey to support. And that kind of perspective helps us to reframe everything that we do.
So, you know, I think that talking to our guests and they all, you know, have related their discussions to some aspect or element of aging is that our role isn't to fix aging, but it really is to walk alongside people as they navigate the challenges, but also the delights and, you know, opportunities that aging in society can bring.
Abi: That's a great piece. I wrote that down. Aging isn't a problem to solve. It's a journey to support. I love that. And speaking of podcasts, you mentioned in one of your episodes that CHATS is continually growing and innovating. So, what advice would you give to other healthcare organizations on fostering that culture of growth and innovation?
Christina: Well, first of all, I think we should always be starting with curiosity, looking at what's happening and why is it happening, and, you know, is there an opportunity for us to do something differently? Innovation doesn't always mean, you know, the latest piece of technology or, you know, the newest cell phone or AI. It often just means rethinking how we listen and how we collaborate with others in our communities, and also how we measure the impact of what we're doing. At CHATS, we have ingrained innovation as part of our culture, and we're always empowering our staff to bring forward ideas, pilot new models, and also to learn from failure. Because many organizations, particularly some of the smaller ones, are a little reluctant to want to innovate or try to innovate because, you know, they're concerned about, well, what happens if we fail? And my advice is really to look at ensuring that people are operating in a culture where they feel safe to challenge the way we've always done things, because that's how we've always done things, but also to look at from the lens of the persons served, how can we do better? What can we do to meet a need that perhaps we didn't recognize before? Is there a way that we could better engage the people we serve in helping us to develop those innovative approaches and services?
So, I think it's really about, you know, fostering that sense of wonder and curiosity and safety around innovating for the good of the people that we serve.
Abi: Yeah, that's great advice. Curiosity, collaborating, listening, measuring impact. So many great takeaways from what you said. And lastly, we can tell through your roles as CEO, ward counsellor, and the many volunteer activities that you do, that community is something that you value and you strive to build. So, where did this passion for community stem from?
Christina: I think it really came from my family. My parents were immigrants to Canada. They had to start from scratch and building careers and building a place in the community. And my father in particular was very actively involved in a number of community organizations. And that's something that just became part of what we did that, you know, we knew that it was important to serve and have a connection and engagement with the community that we lived in. My father always used to tell me that I should respect the country that I came from, but love the country that we came to. And I think that's always sort of stuck in my head. And, you know, the belief that if you love your country, then you want to do well by all of the people who live in that country and to support the core values of strong communities and how they're built through participating in activities and participating in the community itself.
Abi: Thanks for sharing that and knowing your inspiration behind everything with your family and appreciating where you're from makes everything that much more meaningful. I'll now be passing it back to Michelle for our lightning round.
Michelle: Hi. Yeah, Christina, we do a lightning round with all of our guests. So, it's short, quick questions. We haven't shared them with you in advance. It's really just a quick one to get some fun and also inspiring answers from you. So, just to jump right in, what do you value most in your closest friendships
Christina: Shared sense of purpose.
Michelle: That's a nice one. And if you could relive one day of your life, what day would it be?
Christina: I think it would be the day that my son was born. For me, that was a turning point in my life and also, you know, made me a mother who had very different responsibilities than I'd ever had before.
Michelle: Yeah, it changes your life for sure. Abi, next one.
Abi: And if you can describe your team in three words, what would they be, Christina?
Christina: Amazing. Outstanding. Remarkable.
Abi: Those are good ones. And do you have a productivity philosophy?
Christina: A productivity philosophy? Don't get up from my desk until the job is done.
Abi: Okay. And lastly, what's the worst piece of advice you've ever got?
Christina: Probably to buy the little blue rabbit car that I had that didn't work from day one.
Abi: That's a good one. Well, thank you so much for joining us, Christina, and sharing all the amazing work CHATS is doing.
Christina: Well, thank you, Michelle and Abi, for this opportunity. And it's been great chatting, although I think I did most of the talking, which is one of the things that my teachers always said on my report cards, that Christina is lovely, but she spends too much time talking.
Michelle: That's okay. We wanted you to do most of the talking. So, you helped us out a little bit by doing that. So, thank you so much. As Abi said, we really appreciate it, Christina.
Christina: Well, thank you.
Thank you for listening. You can hear more episodes of Healthcare Changemakers on our website hiroc.com and on your favourite podcasting apps. If you like what you hear, please rate us or post a review. Healthcare Changemakers is recorded by HIROC's communications and marketing team and produced by Podfly Productions. Follow us on Twitter at @HIROC Group or email us at [email protected]. We'd love to hear from you.