Mental health conditions are common in long-term care settings, with the majority of residents (76%) having received a diagnosis of a mental health disorder or Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias. Although the challenges facing the country’s long-term care and assisted living settings are systemic and long-standing, the opportunity to improve the mental health and well-being of residents and workers within these settings is possible and within reach. Achieving this will require an approach based on compassion and human rights, including the right to the highest possible standard of mental, psychological, and social well-being.

Addressing the need for standardized guidance, CSA Group has announced that it has begun development of a new National Standard of Canada for mental health and well-being in long-term care and assisted living settings (CSA Z2004). The standard will provide guidance for the planning, development, and implementation of services, programs, training, policies, procedures, and practices to help support the mental health and well-being of residents, workers, families and care partners in long-term care and assisted living settings. The standard will also address design and built environment considerations that may promote mental health and well-being.

Dr. Julia Kirkham, a geriatric psychiatrist, is leading the standard development work for CSA Group. This new standard will help to enhance, strengthen and expand existing National Standards of Canada for long-term care. Earlier this year, CSA Group and the Health Standards Organization (HSO) published standards focused on creating safer physical environments (CSA Z8004:2022) and higher-quality services (CAN/HSO 21001:2023) for long-term care homes residents. CSA Z2004 will focus specifically on the psychological needs in long-term care and assisted living settings.

“Mental health and well-being are essential to quality of life for those living in long-term care or assisted living,” says Julia Kirkham, MD, MSc, FRCPC, Assistant Professor, Geriatric Psychiatry, University of Calgary and chair of the technical subcommittee leading the development of CSA Z2004. “CSA Z2004 will provide standards for high quality care that support good mental health for all, including those with mental health conditions and those without. This is long overdue in Canada, and, alongside existing standards, will guide necessary improvements in care in long-term care and assisted living.”

“Continuing our work to develop standards that help protect Canadians living in long-term care and assisted living settings is critically important,” says Kay Penn, Director, Health and Safety Standards, CSA Group. “The development of this new standard is another pivotal step in helping to promote mental health and well-being, so residents and workers can thrive, across all of Canada’s long-term care and assisted living settings.”

To help ensure that the voices of all Canadians can be heard and considered during the development of CSA Z2004, CSA Group will host a series of consultations with stakeholder groups and make the standard available for a 60-day public review beginning in September 2023. The standard is scheduled to be published in mid-2024.

For additional information about CSA standards in long-term care, visit: Standards for safer long-term care homes webpage.

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Kimberly Gibson
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About CSA Group
CSA Group is a global organization dedicated to safety, social good and sustainability. We are a leader in North American standards development and in product testing, inspection and certification around the world. Our mandate is to hold the future to a higher standard.