Holiday season in full swing at Maplewood

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Brighton long-term care home involved with a variety of resident-focused events

Thursday, December 19, 2013 — Deron Hamel

Maplewood’s holiday season began the first week of December with the Brighton long-term care home’s annual Christmas party with 8 Wing Trenton and the local Royal Canadian Legion branch, and the momentum has been ongoing since.

For the eighth consecutive year, Maplewood, 8 Wing Trenton and Royal Canadian Legion, Brighton Branch 100, joined together to celebrate the holidays Dec. 5. There was food, live music and a Santa handing out presents, making the occasion “one of the most amazing afternoons experienced all year here at Maplewood,” says Maplewood life enrichment co-ordinator Rachel Corkery.

Mr. and Mrs. Claus and the Bernard Sisters pose for a photo during Maplewood's recent family Christmas party.

Mr. and Mrs. Claus and the Bernard Sisters pose for a photo during Maplewood’s recent family Christmas party.

Last weekend, Maplewood staff members celebrated the spirit of the season with residents and their families at the home’s annual family Christmas party. Musical entertainers Adrienne and Sharlene Bernard, better known as the Bernard Sisters, were special guests at the party, bringing their much-loved humour and talent to residents and their families.

“Even Santa and Mrs. Claus stopped in for a quick visit before heading back to the North Pole,” Corkery notes, adding that since Santa was on hand, families and residents had their photos taken with him.

And the festivities don’t stop there.

This weekend will see a new idea brought to Maplewood’s Christmas season — a children’s Christmas party. The party will include a resident and his wife playing Santa and Mrs. Claus — something the couple has been doing for many years.

Andy Forgie, a regular entertainer at Maplewood, will be singing and playing guitar at the event, and each child will get a present from Santa, made possible by the home’s residents’ council.

If you have a story you would like to share with the OMNIway, please contact the newsroom at 800-294-0051, ext. 23, or email deron(at)axiomnews.ca.

If you have feedback on this story, please call the newsroom at 800-294-0051, ext. 23, or e-mail deron(at)axiomnews.ca.

Riverview Manor helps community with toy drive

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Peterborough home collects two boxes of toys

Wednesday, December 18, 2013 — Deron Hamel

Riverview Manor has been demonstrating the Christmas spirit this holiday season through its involvement with a Peterborough radio station’s annual toy drive to benefit children in low-income families.

This year the home’s staff members and families donated enough toys to fill two medium-sized boxes with stuffed animals and other Christmas favourites for the Salvation Army’s annual Christmas appeal.

Local radio station Country 105 FM/Energy 99.7 FM spearheads a toy drive for the charity called the Magic Broadcast. The City of Peterborough also helps out by donating a bus with a volunteer driver to stop at various drop-off points in Peterborough to collect toys for the Salvation Army.

Staff members from Peterborough’s Country 105 FM/Energy 99.7 FM are seen here picking up toys during the Miracle Broadcast Dec. 14.

Staff members from Peterborough’s Country 105 FM/Energy 99.7 FM are seen here picking up toys during the Miracle Broadcast Dec. 14.

As part of the Miracle Broadcast, collected toys are brought to Lansdowne Place shopping centre.

As with previous years, Riverview Manor was a drop-off point this holiday season, and on Saturday the Miracle Broadcast bus swung by the home to fetch the donated toys.

Riverview Manor personal support worker (PSW) Virginia Gall, whose husband, George Gall, is news director at Country 105, was involved with the Riverview Manor toy drive.

Virginia decorated the donation boxes and got posters from the radio station advertising the event at the home.

Based on the success of the drive’s repeated success throughout the years, Virginia says the event will likely continue to be a fixture at Riverview Manor in the future.

“I think everybody really enjoys donating to such a great cause,” the PSW tells the OMNIway.

In addition to the toy drive, Riverview Manor is hosting a food drive for the Peterborough Food Bank this holiday season. To date, two bins have been filled with non-perishable food.

If you have a story you would like to share with the OMNIway, please contact the newsroom at 800-294-0051, ext. 23, or email deron(at)axiomnews.ca.

If you have feedback on this story, please call the newsroom at 800-294-0051, ext. 23, or e-mail deron(at)axiomnews.ca.

Hotel treats Forest Hill residents, staff to complimentary lunch

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LEC applauds benefits of community partnership

Forest Hill’s life enrichment co-ordinator Craig Forrest is applauding a community partnership the Kanata long-term care home has with the local Holiday Inn that sees residents, their families and staff members enjoy a complimentary luncheon every holiday season.

For about 10 years the Holiday Inn & Suites Kanata has hosted a free holiday lunch for those connected with Forest Hill and nearby Garden Terrace. Unfortunately, Garden Terrace is in outbreak and the home’s residents and staff were not able to attend this year. However, about 40 Forest Hill residents, plus family members and staff, attended this year’s luncheon on Dec. 13.

In addition to a full-spread lunch, residents were treated to Christmas carols from the Holy Trinity Catholic High School’s boys choir and each resident received a Christmas poinsettia.

Forrest adds the Holiday Inn staff did an “excellent” job of serving.

As part of the collaboration, Forest Hill hosts its annual Christmas party at the Holiday Inn. Forrest says the residents appreciate the hotel’s generosity and the staff members’ hard work, adding the luncheon  provides an avenue for others in the community to become acquainted with Forest Hill and its residents.

“It gives a local business the opportunity to meet our residents and to experience what we can do for them,” Forrest tells the OMNIway. “(The luncheon) also gives the residents’ family members a different setting to spend time with their loved ones as well.”

If you have a story you would like to share with the OMNIway, please contact newsroom at 800-294-0051, ext. 23, or e-mail deron(at)axiomnews.ca.

If you have feedback on this story, please call the newsroom at 800-294-0051, ext. 23, or e-mail deron(at)axiomnews.ca.

Wayne Rostad makes resident’s dream come true

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Entertainer accepts invite to play at Almonte Country Haven

Monday, December 16, 2013 — Deron Hamel
Pat Schlievert is the latest Almonte Country Haven resident to have a wish granted by the Lanark County long-term care home’s Never Too Late to Realize Your Dreams initiative.

Having learned about the program through a story in the OMNIway in March, Pam Schlievert, Pat’s sister, revealed to staff members that Pat is a big fan of Wayne Rostad and asked the team if they could bring the singer, who lives nearby, to the home for a performance.

Almonte Country Haven resident Pat Schlievert is seen here with singer Wayne Rostad during a Dec. 6 performance at the home.Almonte Country Haven resident Pat Schlievert is seen here with singer Wayne Rostad during a Dec. 6 performance at the home.

Almonte Country Haven resident Pat Schlievert is seen here with singer Wayne Rostad during a Dec. 6 performance at the home.Almonte Country Haven resident Pat Schlievert is seen here with singer Wayne Rostad during a Dec. 6 performance at the home.

Administrator Marilyn Colton made some calls to get the ball rolling and, long story short, Rostad came to the home to perform for residents on Dec. 6, giving a special tribute to Pat.

Almonte Country Haven connected with Rostad in the summer, but the entertainer had engagements for the next few months and was unable to make an appearance at the time. As fate would have it, a holiday-time visit was available in Rostad’s schedule, which suited Pat just fine — she’s a big fan of his Christmas album, Christmas in the Valley, which he played during his visit.

“This really made (Pat) feel special; he came to her at the beginning and said, ‘I’m here because of you,’ which made her pretty happy,” Pam tells the OMNIway.

The March 4 OMNIway story about resident Pat Taylor having her wish granted to ride in an 18-wheeler was the spark that got Pam thinking of ways to have a wish come true for her sister, who moved into Almonte Country Haven in February.

Pam cared for her sister at home before Pat moved into Almonte Country Haven. With her sister living in a long-term care home Pam says she’s limited in what she can do for her — but whenever she can make a difference, she will be there for Pat.

Pam says she’s thankful to the Almonte Country Haven’s team for their resident-centred focus.

“I have to give kudos to Marilyn and the staff at the home — they really go the extra mile for residents and families,” she says.

If you have a story you would like to share with the OMNIway, please contact newsroom at 800-294-0051, ext. 23, or e-mail deron(at)axiomnews.ca.

If you have feedback on this story, please call the newsroom at 800-294-0051, ext. 23, or e-mail deron(at)axiomnews.ca.

Administrator underscores role of storytelling in strengthening health system

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OMNIway stories capturing attention outside Ontario

December 13, 2013 — Deron Hamel

When a nurse in Nova Scotia was recently looking for information about the Behavioural Supports Ontario (BSO) initiative he did an Internet search and came across an OMNIway story about Streamway Villa’s success with the program that’s posted on the Central East Local Health Integration Network’s (LHIN’s) website.

Streamway Villa

Streamway Villa

From there, the nurse e-mailed Streamway Villa administrator Kylie Szczebonski to learn more about what the Cobourg long-term care home had accomplished through its involvement with BSO, a provincial initiative to help enhance quality of life for seniors affected by dementia and other conditions that cause agitation.

“And I gladly gave him everything that I had,” Szczebonski tells the OMNIway. “I sent him a lot about Central East LHIN and the whole (BSO) project, and then talked about Streamway Villa and OMNI and how OMNI is really taking off with our Supportive Measures program.”

Szczebonski says this illustrates the role OMNI Health Care and its 17 long-term care homes can play in addressing issues related to elder care in Canada.

Likewise, the administrator says the OMNIway, which is produced by Axiom News, can play a role facilitating this engagement via the success stories published on the website.

“We are in a media world. Google something you want to know and it will pop up, and that’s the way of the future,” Szczebonski says. “Because (the OMNIway) is online, the stories that are out there are going to catch on. A lot of the stories focus on our quality and that’s really what’s going to capture people’s attention — all everybody hears in health care is quality, quality, quality. That’s because quality is important.”

Szczebonski refers to the fact Canada is the only G8 nation without a national dementia strategy, an issue that’s received media attention this week due to the Dec. 11 G8 dementia conference in London. The administrator says OMNI’s homes and the OMNIway can play a part in bringing stakeholders across the country together through news stories showcasing what’s working.

Ideally, this information sharing could eventually lead to a nationwide strategy, Szczebonski says.

“We’re not copyrighting things because we want people to take what we’ve done and use it,” she says.

See the links below to read OMNI stories posted on the Central East LHIN’s website.

Documentaries deliver hope for long-term care leaders

Responsive behaviours, restraints, medication use decreasing at Streamway Villa

If you have a story you would like to share with the OMNIway, please contact newsroom at 800-294-0051, ext. 23, or e-mail deron(at)axiomnews.ca.

If you have feedback on this story, please call the newsroom at 800-294-0051, ext. 23, or e-mail deron(at)axiomnews.ca.

G8 health ministers commit to curing dementia by 2025

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OMNI administrator shares thoughts on international plan

Thursday, December 12, 2013 — Deron Hamel

The health ministers of the world’s eight largest economies committed on Wednesday to finding a cure for dementia, a condition affecting an estimated 44 million people worldwide, including 500,000 Canadians, by 2025.

Canadian Minister of Health Rona Ambrose attended the Summit in London. Photo Courtesy of Rona Ambrose Web.

Canadian Minister of Health Rona Ambrose attended the Summit in London. Photo Courtesy of Rona Ambrose Web.

It’s estimated that 1.4 million Canadians will have some form of dementia by 2031.

Meeting at a G8 conference in London, U.K. to address the issue of dementia and what can be done to find a cure, health ministers from Canada, Britain, the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Russia and Japan agreed to create a “dementia envoy” dedicated to promoting research into finding a cure.

The first step to finding a cure for dementia will be to appoint the envoy, who will be tasked with assembling international expertise and obtaining research funding from public and private sectors.

The conference drew attention to the fact that $12 billion worldwide has been spent on research to cure dementia, yet there has been little success in the process.

With the populations of G8 nations aging at a fast pace there’s more need now than ever to find a cure, the ministers concluded.

Streamway Villa administrator Kylie Szczebonski sees the impact dementia has on residents and staff members every day. With most long-term care residents affected by some form of cognitive impairment, it’s a condition that needs addressing, she says, adding the G8 health ministers’ commitment is a step in the right direction.

“I think (this is) very positive because they’re focusing on geriatrics and they’re focusing on dementia and the elder population — people are living longer and people are taking better care of their (physical) health, so dementia is only going to become a bigger issue in the future,” she tells the OMNIway.

“The fact that (the G8 health ministers) have set a goal, they’re talking about it and it’s becoming news is important because that’s something that you never would hear before. This is a significant step.”

Canada is the only G8 country without a national dementia strategy. Canada’s Health Minister Rona Ambrose noted in an interview with reporters at the conference that to develop a national strategy in Canada, the federal government and provinces will need to collaborate.

Responding to this, Szczebonski says Ontario is advanced in dementia research and that there’s room for the provinces to meet and discuss what they are each doing and then federally implement successes seen in each of the 10 regions.

“This (would be) reflective of what’s working (across Canada),” Szczebonski says.

Szczebonski points to the province’s Behavioural Supports Ontario (BSO) program as an example of what’s already working well in dementia care. While not focused on finding a dementia cure, BSO does foster best practices in preventing behavioural responses in people affected by dementia through non-pharmaceutical interventions.

If you have a story you would like to share with the OMNIway, please contact newsroom at 800-294-0051, ext. 23, or e-mail deron(at)axiomnews.ca.

If you have feedback on this story, please call the newsroom at 800-294-0051, ext. 23, or e-mail deron(at)axiomnews.ca.

OMNIway explores sexuality, safety in LTC

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Series to unpack issues including rights, risks and regulations

December 11, 2013 — Natalie Hamilton 

In one long-term care home, romantic sparks fly between a man and a woman who live in the same residence.

The man is married to another woman.

In another long-term care home, a man with dementia inadvertently enters the wrong room and starts going through personal belongings.

Men and women living together, coupled with cognitive impairment, can present a host of moral, ethical, safety and security issues.

The OMNIway is taking a closer look at sexuality and safety in long-term care. Through a series of stories, interviews and videos, Axiom News will explore the rights, risks and regulations related to the issue of sexuality and safety.

We’ll provide a glimpse into the realities of people of the opposite sex living together and their inclination to maintain or find new relationships. We’ll look at how those relationships help them maintain the quality of life similar to couples residing elsewhere. The OMNIway will look into the home’s role when a relationship is mutual.

We’ll also explore what happens when the desire is one-sided or an act is triggered by confusion and how OMNI intervenes to keep residents safe.

We’ll look at the supportive measures in place to prevent people with dementia from wandering and how to support those who are confused, while protecting their dignity and maintaining a safe environment for all people who reside in the home.

“Safety and security is our No. 1 priority,” OMNI president and CEO Patrick McCarthy tells the OMNIway.

Confusion and wandering as a result of cognitive impairment can occur in long-term care homes and “it’s a behaviour we need to monitor and to take into account when we design and carry out our plan of care for each resident,” McCarthy says.

It’s an issue that is growing as homes receive more residents with complex conditions, such as mental health and dementia-related behavioural challenges.

One of OMNI’s signature core programs is called supportive measures. The program strives to provide an individualized approach to care for residents, with or without dementia. Supportive measures strategies include one-to-one interventions to identify the causes of anxiety and agitation and put processes into place to help residents feel calm and secure in their home.

In addition to supportive measures, OMNI incorporates Behavioural Supports Ontario (BSO) into its training policies and procedures. BSO is a $40-million provincial initiative to help enhance quality of life for seniors affected by dementia and other conditions that cause agitation.

Stay tuned to the OMNIway for stories unpacking these issues.

If you have feedback on this article or a story idea to share, please e-mail natalie(at)axiomnews.ca or call Axiom News at 800-294-0051.

A Cure for Derek? Alzheimer’s Society Video

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Yvonne is a cancer survivor, but Derek has dementia that can’t be cured.

Drugs that reduce the symptoms but do not cure dementia were developed four decades after drugs that can cure some cancers became available. A new Alzheimer’s Society video launched today (Monday 9 December) ahead of the G8 dementia summit in London this week, outlines the generation gap between key milestones in dementia and cancer research. (Video courtesy of the Alzheimer’s Society.)

The video is simple, poignant and enlightening.

Served up by the Alzheimer’s Society in advance of the G8 Summit on Dementia, the timeline stretches through Derek and Yvonne’s life.

It points out that while there has been remarkable strides in cancer research during this couple’s lifetime? Alzheimer’s is still regarded by many countries as an orphan disease, the natural outcome of aging.

Only it isn’t. Diet, exercise and a non-sedentary approach to life after 50 all combine to stave off the onset of dementia.

Hope and Change – The G8 Dementia Summit Blogs

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People Blogging about People… and Dementia

Canada is the only country in the G8 without a comprehensive Dementia Strategy.

Canada is the only country in the G8 without a comprehensive Dementia Strategy.

Blogs

The UK Dept of Health is publishing a series of blogs about dementia in the run-up to the G8 dementia summit, which is being held in London on 11 December 2013.

These blogs are also on the UK Dept. of Health Dementia Summit Website.

Video: Beth Britton talks about her dad and dementia

This short film of Beth Britton is one of a series recorded to show to delegates at the G8 Dementia Summit on 11 December 2013. … Read more →– Video: Beth Britton talks about her dad and dementia

Published: 10 December, 2013 | In Blogs, Home | Tagged , 

Three words to describe being diagnosed with dementia – Hilary Doxford

There are 3 words I think best sum up my experience of being diagnosed with dementia: fear, despair and hope. Fear I feel fear and … Read more →– Three words to describe being diagnosed with dementia – Hilary Doxford

Published: 9 December, 2013 | In Blogs, Home, Improving research

Working together for better research – Susie Hewer

In my last blog about the G8 Dementia Summit I ended with a comment about Teamwork (Together Everyone Achieves More) and I’ve been gathering my …Read more →– Working together for better research – Susie Hewer

Published: 7 December, 2013 | In Blogs, Home

Cultural projects can make a difference in clinical services – Professor Robert Howard

The Mental Health of Older Adults and Dementia Clinical Academic Group is a partnership between South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, the Institute of … Read more →– Cultural projects can make a difference in clinical services – Professor Robert Howard

Published: 6 December, 2013 | In Blogs, Home

What difference can you make to dementia research? – Dr Laura Phipps, Alzheimer’s Research UK

As the UK’s leading dementia research charity, people often ask us whether they can help with the research effort in dementia. The answer is yes … Read more →– What difference can you make to dementia research? – Dr Laura Phipps, Alzheimer’s Research UK

Published: 5 December, 2013 | In Blogs, Home, Improving research