As part of its 50th anniversary initiative, the Ontario Long Term Care Association (OLTCA) has announced four recipients of the first-ever Ontario Long Term Care Association Nursing Leadership Awards. The winners were unveiled and recognized at a special presentation and reception sponsored by 3M Healthcare at the Association's Fall Symposium held in Markham.

"Nurses play a unique leadership role in the planning and delivery of care in Ontario's long term care homes," said Christina Bisanz, Chief Executive Officer of OLTCA.

"We felt it was particularly appropriate to recognize our inaugural winners during Long Term Care Week, as each recipient demonstrates a level of care and commitment to their residents that allows aging to truly be living. We thank each of them for the contribution they have made to some of the over 76,000 Ontarians living in long term care."

The Nursing Leadership Awards recognize two Registered Nurses (RN) and two Registered Practical Nurses (RPN) who are nominated by their OLTCA Member Homes across the province for demonstrating and exemplifying the qualities of nursing leadership.

One of the four winners was Diane Stroop, RPN and Charge Nurse, at the Avalon Retirement Centre, Orangeville, who cofounded the Avalon-Watch to promote health and safety, the Volunteer Auxiliary to fundraise and provide meaningful activities for residents and considers herself very patriotic, wearing red every Friday to honour the veterans, thanking them for the rights and freedoms they defended.

Long term care homes provide a quality care and living experience to 76,000 aging Ontarians with complex medical needs as part of Ontario's publically funded health-care system.

The OLTCA is celebrating 50 years as the only association representing the full spectrum of Ontario's charitable, notfor profit, municipal and private operators of over two-thirds of the province's long term care homes that provide care and services to 50,000 residents and employ some 50,000 Ontarians.