Article on resident violence highlights triggers

Article

Maclean’s story steers clear of laying blame

Friday, January 31, 2014 — Deron Hamel

When a violent act occurs in a long-term care home, too often media outlets will cover the story, explain the incident in great detail but miss the bigger picture. The result is that fingers start pointing at the home and its staff members while the cause of the incident is ignored.

A recent article in Maclean’s magazine, however, takes a much different approach to a violent act in a long-term care home — one that focuses on what caused the incident rather on who to blame.

The article tells the story of Jack Furman, a 95-year-old resident of a Vernon, B.C. long-term care home who allegedly killed his roommate in August. Both men lived in the dementia unit at Paulson Residential Care. Furman, who has since been placed in a psychiatric hospital, was charged with second-degree murder (the charge was later stayed).

But what were the triggers leading to the alleged assault that claimed the life of 85-year-old Bill May? Who is Jack Furman and is there anything that will explain his alleged actions?

This is where the Maclean’s story comes in and tells us of another Jack Furman; a veteran of the First Special Service Force who fought in the Second World War; a man who witnessed — and committed — countless violent acts perpetrated in the name of war.

In 2010, Furman, who was already exhibiting symptoms of dementia, travelled to Italy to revisit the battlefields where he once fought. Interviewed by Historica Canada’s Memory Project, the veteran recounted how he couldn’t stand the sight of an animal being killed for food, let alone seeing a violent act against a person.

“And then you get over (to the battlefields) and you see guys that are seriously wounded, and you wonder how in the hell we could do this to each other,” Furman recounted. “It’s just beyond imagination.”

Furman also graphically discussed the process of quietly killing German sentries with a knife; and how they would leave stickers on the bodies of the dead soldiers that read “Das dicke ende kommt noch!” or “The worst is yet to come!”

We don’t know the details leading up to the alleged assault; they’ve not been released. What we do know is that Jack Furman’s life has been marked by horrors most of us will never experience. From what we know about dementia, the impact of memories stored from long ago can become vivid in the present day.

Jack Furman the man, not the violent act he allegedly committed, is what the Maclean’s article brings to the forefront.

Click here to read the full article.

If you have a story you would like to share with the OMNIway, please contact the 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.

Video proves to be engaging tool for educating staff on abuse

Country Terrace

YouTube video features residents giving their definition of the word

Thursday, January 30, 2014 — Deron Hamel

When Country Terrace clinical care co-ordinator Kimberley Noftle had to lead an in-service recently focused on abuse, she didn’t want the session to be her merely standing in a room and talking in front of her co-workers. Because of the importance of the subject, she wanted everyone to be engaged and to walk away with an understanding of what abuse is so it can be recognized.

As a requirement of the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, Ontario long-term care homes must hold in-services to discuss the issue of abuse. Having led in-services in the past, Noftle says she doesn’t think “reading policies” accomplishes much — the information, she says, needs to stick.

What she did was use a YouTube video as the main prop in her presentation and let everyone hear the words of long-term care residents describe their definitions of abuse.

The two-part, 22-minute video, called Abuse: The Resident’s Perspective, was filmed at the Levindale Geriatric Center and Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

In one segment, resident and former long-term care registered nurse Sheila Tohn explains how, from a resident’s perspective, abuse can be emotional or psychological. It can be not offering people choices in what they eat or what activities they wish to pursue, or simply a staff member walking into a resident’s room and moving things. Tohn underscores that ignoring people is also abuse.

Tohn also says she sees “labelling” residents as another form of abuse. For example, referring to a resident as “the woman in 327.”

“As I recall, abuse used to be (defined as) physical abuse,” Tohn says. “I think it has expanded quite a bit now — it’s more subtle.”

Noftle says these are the same points she wanted to convey to her colleagues during the in-service —hearing the words come from a resident is much more impactful, she says, adding staff members were attentive throughout the video.

“I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from the staff,” Noftle tells the OMNIway. “(The video) did what I wanted it to do, which was to stop and make (staff members) think.”

If you have a story you would like to share with the OMNIway, please contact the 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.

Streamway Villa residents pay it forward

Residents’ council member Barb LeBlanc (centre) visits   with the life enrichment team’s Christina Verleysen (left) and Lynette Sandercock.

Residents’ council member Barb LeBlanc (centre) visits
with the life enrichment team’s Christina Verleysen (left) and Lynette Sandercock.

Council helping people near and far

January 29, 2014 — Lisa Bailey

Streamway Villa residents understand what it is to give back, and act on it.

At their first meeting of 2014, members of the residents’ council were ecstatic to learn that council’s $300 donation to the Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts in the Philippines was matched by OMNI Health Care and the federal government.

The council also discussed the Christmas gifts they purchased for two local children in need through the Northumberland Mall Giving Tree program. The idea came from council vice-president Barb LeBlanc in consultation with other residents.

Supporting the Typhoon Haiyan relief efforts was sparked by an e-mail from OMNI president and CEO Patrick McCarthy.

Giving to both of these initiatives was made possible through the annual Christmas bazaar held at the Cobourg long-term care home as well as other fundraising activities benefitting the residents’ council fund.

“2013 was the first year that we’ve ever donated money back into the community,” life enrichment co-ordinator Christina Verleysen says, noting it’s because the community “gives so much to us.”

Family and community members support the bazaar as well as the yard sales, social teas and annual carnival. Many donations are also made by families when their loved ones pass away.

This support is a reflection of the closeness that envelops the small home and community as well as the desire to make a difference.

“Being such a small home in such a close-knit community, we’re very fortunate that we have the relationship of a big family rather than a long-term care home,” Verleysen says. “I have 59 grandparents here and it doesn’t matter whether they came yesterday or when I first started, they are grandparents to me. And that’s how a lot of our staff members perceive our residents as well so the care is above and beyond.

“We’re very fortunate that we’re able to give to community when we can and still have money to do what we need to do here,” she says.

This includes activities and outings that enhance residents’ quality of life. For instance, residents’ council has decided this summer’s trip will be to a Toronto aquarium and they’re looking for an educational program featuring exotic animals to make a return visit to Streamway Villa.

If you have a story to share or feedback on this article, please contact the newsroom at 800-294-0051, ext. 25, or e-mail lisa(at)axiomnews.ca.

Videos will discuss changes in LTC, demonstrate how OMNI is accommodating

OMNI president and CEO Patrick McCarthy is seen here during his recent video interview with Axiom News.

OMNI president and CEO Patrick McCarthy is seen here during his recent video interview with Axiom News.


Series to be launched this week

Tuesday, January 28, 2014 — Deron Hamel

OMNI Health Care president and CEO Patrick McCarthy recently stopped by the newsroom to talk about the changing landscape in long-term care and what OMNI is doing to better accommodate those the changes.

In a series of video interviews which will be available when OMNI’s new news site launches later this week, McCarthy and Axiom News CEO Peter Pula discuss the fact that long-term care homes are seeing younger residents with more complex-care needs and more residents with cognitive impairment.

A large reason for this, McCarthy says, stems from the new Ontario Long-Term Care Homes Act, which was introduced in 2009.

“The act reflects what has happened in the community in terms of referrals to long-term care,” McCarthy says. “Under the act, to get into long-term care there is certain criteria that must be met for the CCAC (Community Care Access Centre) to refer a person to long-term care. Before, those medical needs didn’t need to be established.”  

As a result, long-term care homes across the province are seeing an increase of people with more complex-care needs than a decade ago — including mental-health issues, McCarthy adds.

When people with mental-health conditions also develop dementia it can create a complex environment in long-term care homes, which is what the sector has been seeing.

However, McCarthy also discusses how the province’s Behavioural Supports Ontario (BSO) program has been of great help to OMNI in accommodating those residents. BSO is a $40-million initiative to help enhance quality of life for seniors affected by dementia and other conditions that cause agitation.

OMNI staff members have been using BSO interventions, training and education to improve the livelihood of residents and create a safer, happier environment in homes.

If you have a story you would like to share with the OMNIway, please contact the 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.

Residents’ individual rights top of mind at Woodland

Woodland

‘A couple wanting to explore a bit has that right’

Monday, January 27, 2014 — Natalie Hamilton

Long-term care residents have the right to explore their feelings and can and do pursue relationships in their own home, an administrator says.

When asked what’s top of mind when it comes to sexuality and safety in long-term care, Woodland Villa administrator Michael Rasenberg says it’s “the individual rights of residents.”

“It’s such a fine line as to what rights they have in regards to their feelings and (interactions) between each other,” Rasenberg says.

“A couple wanting to explore a bit has that right, as long as they’re consenting and it’s in an appropriate setting.”

Woodland has a few married couples residing at the 111-bed long-term care home in Long Sault, Ont. Some spouses share rooms, others do not. When they visit each other, what they do behind closed doors is up to them, Rasenberg says.

However, the feelings between male and female residents aren’t always mutual. Occasionally staff members at the home find themselves in a position where a relationship or the desire for a companionship poses an ethical dilemma. In such cases, Rasenberg says the home turns to OMNI’s corporate document, The OMNIway Ethical Framework, for guidance.

For instance, questions arise when a resident is approached by another resident and it’s evident the first resident is not welcoming those advances. When it’s clear the affection isn’t shared by both individuals, it must be investigated from a safety perspective, the administrator says.

If there’s a case involving two consenting residents but a power of attorney who is displeased with the relationship, the home airs on the side of the residents. In one situation, residents said to staff “our rights aren’t being respected here’ – and they’re right. We talked about their rights and set some parameters from a safety aspect and it’s worked out well,” Rasenberg says.

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 is exploring the rights, risks and regulations related to the issue of sexuality and safety.

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.

OMNI CEO discusses safety in long-term care

Camer Close Edit

Patrick McCarthy highlights protocols used to balance residents’ rights with personal security

Thursday, January 23, 2014 — Deron Hamel

OMNI Health Care president and CEO Patrick McCarthy dropped by the Axiom News offices this afternoon to discuss how the organization keeps residents safe in an environment that’s seeing more residents with aggressive behaviours.

In his videotaped interview, McCarthy discussed with Axiom News CEO Peter Pula the training and processes OMNI’s 18 long-term care homes have in place to create a safe environment for residents. The province’s Behavioural Supports Ontario (BSO) initiative and OMNI’s Supportive Measures program were some of the highlights of the discussion.

Stay tuned to the OMNIway for videos from this afternoon’s discussion.

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

A look at what’s new with the OMNIway

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CEO interview, new website, continuation of safety and sexuality series on the horizon

Wednesday, January 22, 2014 — Deron Hamel

A video interview with OMNI Health Care’s president and CEO, the launch of a WordPress news website and the continuation of a story series exploring the issue of safety and sexuality in long-term care are some of the things to look out for in upcoming editions of the OMNIway.

On Jan. 23, OMNI president and CEO Patrick McCarthy will be stopping by the newsroom for a video interview, where he will discuss some of the major issues we’re seeing in long-term care as well as some of the exciting things ahead for OMNI.

The OMNIway is planning to create more videos to share on its news site, and we invite you to contact us if you have videos you would like to share.

We’re also getting ready to launch a WordPress news site in the next month. The site will have a fresh, new look that will include a space for videos and a sidebar with OMNI’s Twitter feed. There will also be space for aggregated news content — written and video — addressing areas of interest to the long-term care sector, including dementia care, diabetes care and seniors issues.

We are also continuing our series exploring the issue of rights, risks and regulations related to sexuality and safety in long-term care. The OMNIway has already spoken with several homes about this topic and we’ve been pleased with the engagement level.

As always, we are interested in hearing your comments. If you have a story you would like to share with the OMNIway, please contact the 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.

Home uses external expert to help with sexuality-related issues

Safety and Sexuality Lead Image Jan 21 20143

‘You really need someone who has no biases’

Tuesday, January 21, 2014 — Natalie Hamilton

When two residents living in long-term care both willingly pursue a relationship together, it’s not Rosebridge Manor’s place to intervene, the home’s life enrichment co-ordinator (LEC) says.

But about once a year, staff members at the Jasper, Ont. long-term care home find themselves in a position where a relationship or the desire for a companionship poses an ethical dilemma.

For instance, questions arise when a resident with dementia is approached by another resident and it’s unclear whether the first resident would welcome those advances.

“It’s hard because you want to give people as much freedom as consenting people but you still have to protect the people who may not be able to say no,” Kathy Barr says.

“Every case is so very individualized and all the team members have to sit together and bring in an outside body to help if it’s something where there’s an ethical dilemma.

“If it’s just a case of two residents who want to have a relationship and both of them are enjoying and wanting that relationship, that’s fine. We don’t interfere, it’s not our right to interfere with that,” the LEC says.

When the questionable cases arise, Rosebridge involves its ethics committee and also solicits the help of Debora Steele. Steele is a Kingston-based psychogeriatric resource consultant for Lanark, Leeds and Grenville.

“It’s a very grey area. It’s a very touchy area. Do we talk to the families? Do we have the right to do that?”

Barr says there’s a variety of dynamics and opinions involved in these situations.

“You don’t really recognize those issues until they stare you right in the face.”

When it happens, there’s a variety of people, including staff and families, weighing in and using their individual past experiences to guide them.

“That’s when you really need someone who has no biases to really look at the situation and help us get through that.”
 
Steele also provides training in Gentle Persuasive Approaches and co-ordinates all of the education for long-term care homes within Rosebridge’s Local Health Integration Network.

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 is exploring the rights, risks and regulations related to the issue of sexuality and safety.

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.

Falls reduced by 30% at Country Terrace in 2013

 

This wheelchair is equipped with alarms that sound if a resident at risk of falling gets up from their seat.

This wheelchair is equipped with alarms that sound if a resident at risk of falling gets up from their seat.

 

Focus on falls prevention pays off for home
Tuesday, January 21, 2014 — Deron Hamel

When Country Terrace recently did an audit on the number of falls at the Komoka long-term care home, team members were surprised to see how well their many falls-prevention strategies are working.

The home reduced the number of falls from 412 in 2012 to 286 in 2013, an improvement of 30 per cent, and team members are hoping these numbers continue to decline.

Registered practical nurse (RPN) Brenda Kumagai is one of the home’s falls-prevention champions. She cites Country Terrace’s physiotherapy program, exercise programs, toileting regimens, family education and installation of proper lighting as contributing factors to the success.

Physiotherapy and exercise programs help enhance mobility. Assisting residents with regular toileting helps decrease the risk of a person trying to stand up on their own to make their way to the washroom. Making sure areas are well lit helps people see where they’re going.

Reducing restraints is perhaps the greatest challenge long-term care homes face in the effort to reduce falls. Restraints, such as wheelchair seat belts or bed rails, can cause people — especially those with cognitive impairment — to want to get beyond the barriers, putting themselves at risk of falling in the process.

However, many family members insist their loved ones have restraints. This is where team members like Kumagai play an important role educating families about the dangers of restraints. Often, family members change their minds about having their loved ones’ wheelchairs or beds equipped with such devices once they learn about the risks they pose.

Scrutiny has also played a strong part in reducing falls at Country Terrace, says Kumagai. Staff members are made aware of residents who are at high risk of falling and these residents are closely watched and preventative measures, such as removing nearby clutter, are taken.

“We also look at patterns,” Kumagai tells the OMNIway. “For instance, in the evening, people may have more falls, so we will look at ways to protect them more.”

Kumagai conducts quarterly assessments on residents to examine their falls history, medications and safety devices.

Falls prevention is a major area of focus for Canadian long-term care homes. Falls pose serious health risks to seniors, and Health Canada estimates falls cost the Canadian health-care system more than $2 billion annually.

Teamwork has also played a crucial role in reducing falls at Country Terrace, Kumagai says. Front-line staff and the physiotherapy team meet monthly to discuss falls that have occurred and to develop interventions to prevent reoccurrence.

“We work well together as a team,” the RPN says.

If you have a story you would like to share with the OMNIway, please contact the 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.

Residents’ council helps to make Streamway Villa home

Streamway Villa residents' council president Barb LeBlanc (left) says the home is "like a family."

Streamway Villa residents’ council vice-president Barb LeBlanc (left) says the home is “like a family.”

Summer outing in the works

Monday, January 20, 2014 — Lisa Bailey

To be heard and respected is important to Barb LeBlanc who, as a long-time member of Streamway Villa’s residents’ council, has helped to enrich the lives of residents at the Cobourg long-term care home.

“At one meeting, we asked why not have bacon and eggs for supper instead of breakfast,” she says, citing an example of one change that’s come about. “People do that (at home), so now they do that (here). Actually we’re having bacon and eggs tonight for supper, so even little things like that they’ll go out of their way to do for us.”

LeBlanc, who is the council’s vice-president, will go around and talk to other residents, taking notes from their conversations and bringing their ideas, concerns or questions to the table. She says she enjoys the interaction and appreciates the opportunity and forum to express opinions freely.

“This is a great home,” LeBlanc says. “We’re like a family, we know everybody, and because we live here, we’re allowed to voice our opinion.”

Council discussions can touch on any area of the home; the respective managers receive notes from the meeting and have 10 days to respond to questions or concerns, and their responses are posted publicly in the home.

The process is part of new ministry standards, which life enrichment co-ordinator Christina Verleysen says is a positive change. “It’s so they know we’re trying to make a difference,” she says.

Residents’ council also discusses future events, and at their first monthly meeting of 2014, Streamway Villa’s council decided to visit Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada in Toronto for this summer’s group outing.

“It’s definitely a highlight for 2014,” Verleysen says, noting the idea of the aquarium visit piqued strong interest because it is a new attraction that no one at the home has seen.

This is the second year that Streamway Villa has planned a summer group outing; last June, 19 residents accompanied by six staff volunteers attended a Toronto Blue Jays’ home game. It was a refreshing change of pace for residents as well as staff members, who were singing and enjoying one another’s company, Verleysen says.

“It was the best day,” she says, adding the staff volunteers’ teamwork was amazing, and the residents’ renewed spirits bumped up their social interaction and participation in the home’s activities following the trip.

The annual summer outing was inspired by Streamway Villa’s make-a-wish program, which LeBlanc brought to residents’ council after seeing the positive impact made by granting a resident’s last wish to attend a Toronto Blue Jays’ game.

“We started a wish box and we found that so many people wanted the same wish, we thought we would make this bigger and combine a lot of residents’ wishes in one day,” Verleysen says.

All of these collaborative efforts serve to enhance residents’ quality of life, which is the best possible result.

“We’re here to make a difference,” Verleysen says.

If you have a story to share or feedback on this article, please contact the newsroom at 800-294-0051, ext. 25, or e-mail lisa(at)axiomnews.ca.