Tanya the Turkey a source of inspiration at West Lake

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Tanya the Turkey is seen here outside West Lake Terrace.

Tanya the Turkey is seen here outside West Lake Terrace.

Wild bird’s presence is calming resident agitation

Friday, February 28, 2014 — Deron Hamel

Sometimes inspiration for resident-centred care comes from an unexpected source, as the West Lake Terrace team has recently discovered.

When a wild turkey began showing up at the Prince Edward County long-term care home — ironically around Thanksgiving in October — staff members noticed the positive impact the bird was having on residents, especially those with cognitive impairment.

Nicknamed Tanya the Turkey, the bird has since taken to hanging around the home’s front door, often peeking into the windows.

Registered nurse Tracy Dowdall says one resident who has cognitive impairment and is often affected by agitation will become calm when he sees the turkey.

It can be challenging to divert this resident’s attention, Dowdall notes, but Tanya the Turkey has done an excellent job at making the resident happy.

“When she comes to a window, we will bring this resident in his wheelchair so he can see her, and he calms right down,” Dowdall tells the OMNIway. “Ordinarily, this resident’s attention wanders very quickly, but when Tanya the Turkey is in sight his attention stays.”

In fact, the resident will often look for the bird, sitting by the dining room windows waiting for her to appear.

And this isn’t the only resident who has taken a shine to the turkey, Dowdall says. Since this has been a harsh winter, residents have stayed indoors more than usual, so many people who usually enjoy going outside have looked to Tanya the Turkey to provide stimulation, she says.

“It’s really neat to look outside and see the breast feathers of a wild turkey pressed up against a window,” Dowdall says.

Tanya the Turkey is also proving to be a source of motivation for residents involved in the home’s physiotherapy program. Dowdall notes how when Tanya is hanging around, the physiotherapy assistants promise residents they will get to visit her when they’ve completed their exercises.

Staff members have been feeding the bird to ensure she keeps returning. Dowdall has also been in contact with a local bird expert for advice on the best feed the team can leave for Tanya.

If you have feedback on this story, or 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.

How a handful of Cheerios made a difference on Valentine’s Day

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Maplewood resident George Mularchuck’s Valentine’s Day tradition of presenting his wife, Jackie, with a heart made from Cheerios has continued since he moved into the Brighton home.

Maplewood resident George Mularchuck’s Valentine’s Day tradition of presenting his wife, Jackie, with a heart made from Cheerios has continued since he moved into the Brighton home.


‘I will remember this for the rest of my life,’ says resident

Thursday, February 27, 2014 — Deron Hamel

When Jackie Mularchuck was at Maplewood visiting her husband George on Valentine’s Day she got a huge surprise when she was presented with a heart-shaped handful of Cheerios on a table.

It had been a long-standing tradition for George to arrange Cheerios into a heart every Feb. 14, but this had not happened since George moved into the Brighton long-term care home a little more than a year ago.

The surprise came about when personal support worker (PSW) Roxanne Wills asked Jackie what sorts of things George would do for her on Valentine’s Day. Jackie told her about the Cheerios tradition. Jackie always helps staff members during her visits. While she was folding napkins, George and Roxanne snuck into the kitchen to get Cheerios and arrange them into a heart shape.

Jackie says she was “thrilled” that Wills had taken time to help George with the Valentine’s Day gesture, and she admits she was overcome with emotion when she discovered what the pair was up to.

The moment, she says, will leave a lasting impression on her, as receiving heart-shaped Cheerios is something Jackie looks forward to every Valentine’s Day.

“I broke down and George broke down and Roxanne broke down,” Jackie laughs. “I have a lot of friends and family on Facebook, so the next day I told everyone about what this special PSW had done for my husband and I. I will remember this for the rest of my life.”

While Jackie was touched that a staff member went the extra mile for her and George on Valentine’s Day, she says the gesture is part and parcel with what she has come to expect from the Maplewood team.

Since George moved into the home, Jackie says she’s been happy with the care he receives and his quality of life.

“The staff here at Maplewood are exceptional,” she says. “I don’t ever worry about George while he’s here.”

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 contact the newsroom at 800-294-0051, ext. 23, or e-mail deron(at)axiomnews.ca.

Country Terrace going to the dogs

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Pet therapy program enhancing quality of life

Pet therapy’s positive impact on people with cognitive impairment is well documented, and the Country Terrace team sees these benefits every time a St. John Ambulance therapy dog visits the home, says Veronica Couto. Read more

Local media highlights Woodland pet-therapy program

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The Cornwall Standard Freeholder story about Woodland Villa volunteer Bridget Le Touze and her St. John Ambulance therapy dog, Finnigan.

The Cornwall Standard Freeholder story about Woodland Villa volunteer Bridget Le Touze and her St. John Ambulance therapy dog, Finnigan.


LEC commends newspaper for coverage of important initiative

Tuesday, February 25, 2014 — Deron Hamel

Woodland Villa life enrichment co-ordinator (LEC) Lisa Doran is applauding a local newspaper for recent articles highlighting the Long Sault home’s pet-therapy program.

The Cornwall Standard Freeholder recently published feature stories about how volunteer Bridget Le Touze and her St. John Ambulance therapy dog, Finnigan, visit the home’s residents every two weeks.

Le Touze and Finnigan recently received the Cornwall District Kennel Club trophy for completing the most volunteer hours in the region. The duo also was awarded the St. Joseph’s Continuing Healthcare Centre trophy, which recognizes the team that best represents the St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program.

The newspaper wanted to publish a story with a photograph of Le Touze and Finnigan volunteering, and wanted to conduct the interview while the pair was volunteering. Le Touze suggested Woodland Villa, so reporter Lois Ann Baker stopped by during the home’s pet-therapy program one day.

“I really enjoyed the story,” Doran says.

“She said we’re a friendly home and that they enjoy coming here. It was an honour for us, too, (because) we really enjoy having them come here.”

Doran says the pet-therapy program brings a lot of value to residents. When Le Touze and Finnigan are at Woodland Villa, they circle the home, visiting rooms that are marked with a paw print. This sign means residents have requested a visit.

Doran says the atmosphere is always upbeat when Le Touze and Finnigan visit. In fact, many of the home’s 111 residents look forward to the program.

To qualify as a therapy dog, Finnigan went through a lengthy training program. Finnigan has a gentle nature and responds well to residents, Doran says. “The residents are happy when they see an animal come in, and Finnigan is a very friendly dog.”

The St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Program’s website explains the positive impact animals can have on people with cognitive impairment.

“Through petting, affection, and regular visitation of a dog, patients/residents find peace in the gentle contact with the dog and in its quiet presence,” the site says. “(People) talk more to others, participate in activities, eat and sleep better, smile more. As a result their quality of life is improved.”

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 contact the newsroom at 800-294-0051, ext. 23, or e-mail deron(at)axiomnews.ca.

Alzheimer Society develops new info on person-centred care

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MaryShulzImageQuote

PC P.E.A.R.L.S. can be added to programs like Supportive Measures

Monday, February 24, 2014 — Deron Hamel

The Alzheimer Society of Canada has released new information to assist long-term care homes in providing person-centred care. Mary Schulz, education director at the Alzheimer Society of Canada, says the seven PC P.E.A.R.L.S can be introduced to homes in conjunction with already effective tools, including OMNI Health Care’s Supportive Measures program.

PC P.E.A.R.L.S. is an acronym for the seven key elements a recent study by the society found common in six Canadian long-term care homes it researched: person/family engagement, care, processes, environment, activity and recreation, leadership and staffing.

The Alzheimer Society website describes the core principles of PC P.E.A.R.L.S.  and provides strategies long-term care homes can use to ensure each component is fully utilized.

The Alzheimer Society estimates 747,000 Canadians — many of whom live in long-term care homes — have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia and the number is expected to climb to 1.4 million by 2031.

In an interview with the OMNIway, Schulz applauds OMNI’s Supportive Measures program as an example of what long-term care providers should be doing to promote person-centred care. Supportive Measures provides personalized interventions for residents affected by Alzheimer’s disease or dementia that helps alleviate anxiety, agitation and frustration.

Schulz also says that while OMNI and other long-term care providers have long been working to promote person-centred care, there are always new things to learn. Learning new ways to provide person-centred care, she adds, is a “journey” for caregivers.

“I think the first message is ‘good for you,’ ” she says of the Supportive Measures program. “This is obviously not just the flavour of the month; this is the philosophy that we all need to embrace if we’re going to make living in long-term care more meaningful but also to make the work more meaningful and satisfying for staff.

“Don’t stop now; there’s more (long-term care providers) can do and we’re here to help with the very specific strategies,” Schulz says.

Based on the results coming from the long-term care homes using PC P.E.A.R.L.S. principles, even residents in the later stages of dementia are able to be “reached,” Schulz says.

Staff members and families can use elements of PC P.E.A.R.L.S. to better engage residents in a personalized way. The result is that families and staff members can communicate — even nonverbally — to residents with dementia. The trickle-down effect is that families learn new ways to connect with their loved ones.

“Staff feels much more satisfied with their work because they’re not providing care on an assembly line,” Shulz adds. “They’re given the flexibility to say, ‘I think (the resident) needs something different today and I’m going to have the freedom to experiment.’ ”

Click here to read more about the seven PC P.E.A.R.L.S.

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 contact the newsroom at 800-294-0051, ext. 23, or e-mail deron(at)axiomnews.ca.

Pleasant Meadow cheers on as Canadian women take gold

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People at Pleasant Meadow Manor are seen here celebrating after the Canadian women won gold in hockey.

People at Pleasant Meadow Manor are seen here celebrating after the Canadian women won gold in hockey.

Home making the most of a big day for Canada at Winter Games

Friday, February 21, 2014 — Deron Hamel

It was all hoots and hollers at Pleasant Meadow Manor on Thursday afternoon as residents and staff members watched Team Canada beat Team USA 3-2 to win the gold medal for the fourth consecutive time in the Winter Olympics.

But the celebrations had actually started earlier in the day, when the Canadian women’s curling team took the gold medal in a match against Sweden.

Many of the Norwood long-term care home’s residents and staff members were decked out in red-and-white maple leaf shirts, hats and rub-on tattoos as they cheered the Canadian ladies to victory in hockey and curling.

Canadian flags adorned the home in celebration of the day. Some residents attached flags to their wheelchairs and walkers. During Thursday’s events, residents and staff members gathered around the TV, while others participated in activities, including a floor-hockey game.

It was a tight hockey game that ended in overtime when Marie-Philip Poulin scored to ensure Team Canada’s victory.

Residents had a blast, says life enrichment co-ordinator Chris Garden.

“They’re loving it; they think this is great,” she says. “They’ve been parading around the home with their little flags and all of them were cheering.”

The rivalry between Canadian and U.S. hockey isn’t over. Team Canada and Team USA face off today in the semifinal round of the men’s ice-hockey tournament. The winner will advance to the gold-medal match on Sunday.

And you can bet everyone at Pleasant Meadow Manor and OMNI Health Care’s other 17 long-term care homes will be watching.

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

Country Terrace fundraising, encouraging healthy lifestyles

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 Home hosts event in honour of Heart Month

February is Heart Month, and the team at Country Terrace dedicated Feb. 12 to promoting healthy eating while raising money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. Read more

Frost Manor Valentine’s luncheon a hallmark of home’s culture

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Residents and their spouses are seen here enjoying a Valentine's Day lunch at Frost Manor.

Residents and their spouses are seen here enjoying a Valentine’s Day lunch at Frost Manor.

‘Knowing how much the residents enjoy the luncheon makes it all worthwhile’

Wednesday, February 19, 2014 — Deron Hamel

The Frost Manor team once again gave a 100 per cent effort into making this year’s annual Valentine’s Day luncheon a success, and this was evident by the smiles on the faces of six happy couples who attended the event, says life enrichment co-ordinator Vi O’Leary.

As with past years, the Feb. 14 event saw dietary staff members create a special luncheon of lasagna, caesar salad and non-alcoholic wine, while life enrichment staff pitched in decorating the Lindsay long-term care home in red to mark the spirit of the occasion. Each of the six ladies received a red rose, courtesy of the home.

The Frost Manor team always goes the extra mile for resident couples on Valentine’s Day because it’s an occasion that means a lot to the men and women, O’Leary says. One of the couples attending this year’s luncheon lives at the home, while the other five couples have one spouse each living at Frost Manor and the other living at home.

What makes Valentine’s Day so special at Frost Manor is the fact that some of the couples don’t get a chance to spend much time together, says O’Leary. By hosting the event, staff members are promoting quality of life for residents and their spouses, she says.

“The next day I was talking to one of the residents, and she thanked us for having the luncheon and she thanked us for giving each of the ladies a rose,” O’Leary says, adding the spouses living outside the home also comment on how the luncheon is important to them.

“Knowing how much the residents enjoy the luncheon makes it all worthwhile.”

On Feb. 13, Frost Manor hosted a Valentine’s party, to make sure all residents were included in festivities that go along with the occasion.

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.

Winter Olympics bringing smiles to Country Terrace

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Olympic fun is in full bloom at Country Terrace.

Olympic fun is in full bloom at Country Terrace.


Home hosting events honouring 2014 Winter Games

Tuesday, February 18, 2014 — Deron Hamel

Creativity is one of OMNI Health Care’s core values and the Country Terrace life enrichment team is capturing the essence of that value during the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics with a variety of engaging activities for residents.

Organized by life enrichment co-ordinator Christie Patterson and life enrichment aides Amanda Guthrie and Rachael LeBlanc, the Komoka long-term care home’s tribute to the Winter Olympics began Feb. 10 and will continue to the end of the month.

One imaginative idea the team came up with was a biathlon event that combined hockey with a Nerf gun. At the Winter Olympics, the biathlon sees cross-country skiers race between stations where they stop to shoot rifles at targets. In the Country Terrace version of the event, residents shoot a hockey puck in a net, then “race” to a station where they fire a Nerf gun at a gold medal hung in the centre of the home’s Olympic rings — five hula hoops.

In addition to Olympicesque events, Country Terrace is hosting Olympic-themed socials for residents and staff members.

Guthrie says there has been a lot of interest in the events from residents, adding the No. 1 benefit she sees residents gleaning from the activities is another OMNI core value — fun and laughter.

“I love to see their smiles when things like this happen, especially when they’re waving their flags and they’re cheering,” she tells the OMNIway. “They’re getting involved in activities and they’re getting their social needs met.”  

Other OMNI Health Care long-term care homes are hosting Olympic-themed events for residents this year. Click here to read how Maplewood is celebrating the Winter Games.

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.

Resident photos proving to be effective engagement tools

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Country Terrace

Project encourages one-to-one time between residents and staff

Friday, February 14, 2014 — Deron Hamel

A photograph of a Country Terrace resident posing proudly in his military uniform, his medals earned for valour displayed conspicuously across his chest, is mounted outside his room at the Komoka long-term care home. This proved to be an effective conversation piece to engage the resident and his family as the man went through the end-of-life stage.

This is one way the home’s photo project, which sees residents’ portraits placed outside their rooms, is proving to be an effective engagement tool.

Clinical care co-ordinator (CCC) Kimberley Noftle recalls how the resident’s son was often at the home visiting his father; his dad’s photograph, she says, led to many conversations about the gentleman’s military service, which was important to him.

Administrator Karen Dann came up with the idea for the project but it has been led by resident services co-ordinator Heather Davidson.

The goal is to get a photo of each of the home’s 120 residents mounted outside their rooms for an added personal touch. Noftle says residents look forward to getting their photo taken by Davidson, who Noftle commends for the program’s success.

Davidson, who received Country Terrace’s Inspired Leadership Award in 2013, is finding that taking residents’ photos is an excellent way to spend one-to-one time with those living at the home, Noftle says.

The CCC adds that Davidson is patient with residents, giving them the time they need to find the clothes they want to wear for their photos and getting their hair done.

“We didn’t know how popular the program was going to be with residents, but their faces just light up when Heather is taking the extra time with them,” Noftle tells the OMNIway.

“She takes a lot of time with the residents; it’s not just snapping somebody’s picture and putting it up on the wall; she really takes a lot of time to make sure the person looks very good.”

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.