Fun theme days have helped carry West Lake Terrace through the pandemic

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‘Everyone looks forward to them, and we always know they are going to be out of our norm for the day’

It’s amazing what a daylong, fun-themed program can do to keep morale high during a trying time.

Once a month, the West Lake Terrace team organizes a special day of fun centred on a theme, and residents and staff members alike cannot wait for the next one, says Janie Denard, the Prince Edward County long-term care home’s life enrichment co-ordinator.

Janie and nutritional care manager Diane King have been collaborating to create these special days each month to help residents and staff members have some fun and take their minds off the COVID-19 pandemic.

In July, the theme was a Hawaiian luau day, complete with a Hawaiian-themed lunch of barbecued pineapple-chicken kebabs with a Hawaiian macaroni salad and coconut cream pie for dessert.

In the afternoon, everyone watched the 1961 film Blue Hawaii, starring Elvis Presley.

A favourite themed day was a 1950s diner event in February. Residents and staff enjoyed burgers, hot dogs, fries and onion rings served in baskets lined with checkered paper.

A highlight of that day was resident Elwood Lewis donning a black leather jacket and sunglasses to play the part of Fonzie from Happy Days perfectly, right down to giving the thumbs-up, and his “aaayyy!” was spot-on, Janie said at the time.

Janie says these monthly themed events have become such a bit hit with residents and staff members that everyone at West Lake Terrace waits on the edge of their seats for the next one to come around.

“Everyone looks forward to them, and we always know they are going to be out of our norm for the day – and it’s all hands on deck.”

Janie notes that there is a group of personal support workers who have taken it upon themselves to be the costume managers as soon as a theme day has been chosen.

“They go on to Amazon and order the outfits and help organize the events – they get just as excited about it as the residents, which works really well because it boosts the morale in the home for everyone,” she says.

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Community connections delivering strong value for OMNI residents during the pandemic

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Connections OMNI Health Care’s 18 long-term care homes have with their local communities have always been important, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, these relationships have had an especially crucial role to play enhancing the quality of life for residents.

In recent weeks, we have seen several examples of how homes and their local communities have come together and impacted residents’ lives in meaningful ways.

At Pleasant Meadow Manor, a new connection with the Peterborough-based Canadian Canoe Museum delivered a virtual tour through the Norwood, Ont. long-term care home’s smart TV for residents to enjoy.

During the virtual tour, museum staff explained the different types of canoes on display at the museum. Residents learned about the history of the canoe and how they are made, says Pleasant Meadow Manor life enrichment co-ordinator Kim Williams.

Everyone had lots of questions following the presentation, she adds.

“The residents enjoyed the tour and found it very interesting learning about the different types and ways that canoes were made,” says LEC Kim Williams.

“They had a lot of pertinent questions that the staff were more than happy to answer, and it showed that they really were engaged during the whole tour.”

Rev. Fran Langlois and the parishioners of St. Mary Magdalene Anglican Church in Picton have shown support for West Lake Terrace residents throughout the pandemic by keeping in contact with the home and making sure online church services are available for residents who wish to access them, notes West Lake LEC Janie Denard

The Bethany Christian Reformed Church has been another supporter during the pandemic, Janie says.

On Canada Day, church members dropped off individual hand creams for residents that were accompanied by cards. At Easter, they delivered care packages for all the residents.

Meanwhile, a community outreach group at Gateway Church recently donated five iPads to nearby Country Terrace in Komoka, Ont. to help residents connect with family and friends as well as providing entertainment. Residents are also attending virtual church services by watching them on the iPads.

Country Terrace and Gateway Church have a long-standing connection, and the church’s kind gesture will go a long way in keeping residents’ spirits high during the pandemic, says Country Terrace LEC Christie Patterson.

Christie says gestures like this mean a lot to everyone at Country Terrace, as the pandemic is still creating challenges for everyone.

“The staff are still making sacrifices to protect the residents, and it has taken a toll,” she says. “(The church’s kind gesture shows) that people still care. It is truly a blessing.”

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The best part of being the Garden Terrace LEC? Seeing residents ‘happy and being engaged’

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Rachael King reflects on her first three months on the job at Garden Terrace

Rachael King says there are many things she likes about being the life enrichment co-ordinator (LEC) at Garden Terrace, but one aspect that especially stands out for her is being part of a team that makes a positive difference in residents’ lives.

“I love to see the residents happy and being engaged; I think that’s honestly one of the greatest things,” she tells The OMNIway.

Rachael became the LEC at the Kanata, Ont. long-term care home in early April. While starting a new job at a long-term care home during the COVID-19 pandemic had its challenges, Rachael says it has also been an opportunity to enhance the quality of people’s lives during a difficult time.

Working within safety protocols, Rachael has come up with ideas for new programming for residents since becoming LEC.

For example, she started a popular weekly outdoor environmental education program for residents so they can learn about North American animals and plants.

She also helped organize a recent carnival for residents which was also a big hit.

Rachael says she works with outstanding staff members in the life enrichment department and that has made her transition into the LEC position easier.

“I work with great staff, and the residents make it a lot of fun, too,” she says. “I really think there is a solid team here that makes everything happen; they’ve made it all come together.”

As much as the pandemic has been challenging for everyone, Rachael says it has also made people working in long-term care homes stronger.

She says she and the Garden Terrace life enrichment team have had to think outside the box and be creative to deliver programming that meets safety requirements.

Given that everyone has done so well during the pandemic, Rachael says she’s looking forward to seeing what they can do as a team after the pandemic ends.

“I am really excited about the future prospects of having even more activities and even more opportunities for the residents,” she says.

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Forest Hill applauded for keeping residents and families connected throughout the pandemic

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Family member Karen Germundson says regular phone calls LEC Craig Forrest organized between her and her father were a ‘lifeline’

If there’s one thing Karen Germundson says she has learned about Forest Hill since the COVID-19 pandemic began 16 months ago, it’s that staff members will do everything they can to support residents and their families during trying times.

Karen, whose father is a resident at the Kanata, Ont. long-term care home, says this was clear from the moment the pandemic was declared by the World Health Organization in March 2020.

Due to safety restrictions that went into effect right away, family members could not enter the home to visit their loved ones. Communication between residents and family members was going to be crucial, and Karen says Forest Hill life enrichment co-ordinator (LEC) Craig Forrest immediately began organizing phone calls for her dad – something that made a major difference.

“Craig was a huge help; he arranged so many phone calls so that I could keep in touch with my dad,” Karen tells The OMNIway.

“My dad can’t use the phone himself. We didn’t have a phone for him, and that was my big concern: how on Earth are we going to keep in touch?”

But Craig continued to organize regular phone calls for Karen and her dad. Craig would call Karen and hand her dad the phone. Karen was able to talk to her dad almost every day, and that made the situation easier for both her and her father to handle, she says.

There was a lot of uncertainty in the early days of the pandemic. No one knew how long it would last or when residents and family members would be able to see each other, so phone calls between residents and their families became a “lifeline,” Karen says.

“Those phone calls were super important to us and to my dad, of course,” she says. “It was hard for him to understand the whole COVID situation. I think it was an anchor for him because he really needed those phone calls every day.”

Karen also says the pandemic taught her how resilient Forest Hill team members are. With restrictions changing throughout the duration of the pandemic, Forest Hill staff members, she says, have always adjusted and put the residents first, no matter what.

“I don’t know how much more work (the pandemic has) created for them, but I know it created a lot more work for them, and they just took it on – they just did it,” she says.

“I think it’s their adaptability. They had to keep changing and changing, every time. They just did it, and it must have been really hard for them, but they did it.”

– This is Part 1 of a two-part story

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Frost Manor LEC discusses her promotion and what she’s looking forward to in her new role

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Amy Whitehead says valuing internal promotion sends a positive message to staff

Amy Whitehead joined the Frost Manor life enrichment team in February 2019, and a little over two years later, in May 2021, she became the Lindsay, Ont. long-term care home’s life enrichment co-ordinator (LEC).

The fact she was able to move into a management position at the home so quickly attests to the value OMNI Health Care and Frost Manor place on promoting team members from within, Amy says.

Amy says this is important on two levels.

On one hand, valuing internal promotion sends a positive message to staff members seeking to advance their careers that there is a path for them to do so, Amy says.

But it’s also important for the residents, she adds.

“I also think it’s very important for the residents because … we have such a great rapport with the residents, and it makes the transition for them so much easier to have that familiar face,” Amy tells The OMNIway.

Amy, who has a degree in health sciences with a focus on kinesiology, says she applied to become a life enrichment aide at Frost Manor two and a half years ago because she was interested in a job focused on providing activities for seniors.

While she has now moved into a management position, she says she still enjoys working one-on-one with residents and working shifts on the floor.

“It’s the best of both worlds,” she says.

As a life enrichment aide, Amy worked with Lyndsay Burton, who was then the home’s LEC. Lyndsay did a great job creating and organizing programs residents love, Amy says.

Looking ahead, Amy says what she’s looking forward to most is building upon the programs Lyndsay developed.

“We have a very high engagement for (those programs) here, and being able to keep that up for residents is something I am really looking forward to,” she says.

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PHOTO CAPTION: In this August 2019 file photo, Amy Whitehead (right), who is now Frost Manor’s LEC, “holds her breath” along with then-LEC Lyndsay Burton while celebrating the “under the sea” theme at the home for that month.

West Lake Terrace is commending local community members for continued support during the pandemic

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West Lake Terrace is commending local volunteers and church groups for helping keep residents’ morale high and continuing to provide their support during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Janie Denard, the life enrichment co-ordinator at the Prince Edward County long-term care home, says even though they haven’t been able to be inside West Lake Terrace with residents, these individuals and groups have been a “huge support” in helping keep residents happy since the pandemic began in March 2020.

Jane Foster, who ran a Bible study group at West Lake Terrace on Mondays, has also stayed in touch with some of the residents throughout the pandemic, Janie notes. Jane purchased a DVD set of the Bible so residents could facilitate a scripture study group on their own at the home.

Janie also says Rev. Fran Langlois and the parishioners of St. Mary Magdalene Anglican Church in Picton have been supportive throughout the pandemic by keeping in contact with the home and making sure online church services are available for residents who wish to have access.

The Bethany Christian Reformed Church has been another huge supporter during the pandemic, Janie says.

On Canada Day, church members dropped off individual hand creams for residents that were accompanied by cards. At Easter, they delivered care packages for all the residents.

Ruth Dwight, who was hosting a drumming circle program at West Lake Terrace and nearby Kentwood Park before the pandemic began, has also maintained a connection to the home, Janie says.

As part of the program Ruth leads at long-term care homes across Prince Edward County, residents experiment with a variety of percussion instruments, from hand-held drums to bongos.

Since she cannot be inside the home, Ruth has made DVDs of her drum instruction classes for residents to follow.

“We have been really, really fortunate to have those community connections,” Janie tells The OMNIway.

“They have been doing the best that they can to keep us in the loop.”

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Frost Manor turns to frosty treats to keep residents hydrated

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Team members are providing milkshakes, slushies and other drinks to keep everyone’s fluid intake high during warm days of summer

Things have become rather “frosty” at Frost Manor after team members at the Lindsay long-term care home came up with an idea that is encouraging everyone to stay well hydrated during the warm days of summer – and residents are loving it.

Every month the life enrichment team creates a theme to engage residents. For July, the team chose “old-fashioned frosty treats” as the theme. The team even adorned a wall of the activity room with a mural of an ice-cream cart with these words to celebrate the theme.

Due to the warm weather, extra attention is always placed on keeping residents hydrated in summer, and adding special beverages to the drink cart is the perfect way to keep residents’ fluid intake high, Amy Whitehead, Frost Manor’s life enrichment co-ordinator, tells The OMNIway.

“With all these really hot days, we started doing a happy hour where we would pick a fun treat – like a slushie or a milkshake or something cold – and we’d go around and offer one to all the residents and staff,” she says.

The aim is to keep hydration levels high amongst residents and it’s working well, Amy says.

Plus, this has been an opportunity for team members to get creative with drinks and treats, and the residents are loving it, she adds.

“It’s always fun to try something different, so the residents will look forward to having something new each time,” Amy says.

“I like to call it ‘happy hour’ because it’s a fun way of saying, ‘let’s get some extra hydration.’ ”

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Adjusting activities to meet safety standards has kept Pleasant Meadow residents engaged

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From spiritual programs to bingo, residents have enjoyed many of their favourite activities during the pandemic, with staff working within the protocols to ensure safety

By making small changes to ensure safety and adhering to all ministry protocols, the Pleasant Meadow Manor team has been able to keep many programs the way residents enjoyed them before the COVID-19 pandemic began – even if there are some small differences.

With large-group programming on hold during the pandemic, the life enrichment team has been working hard to deliver the activities residents most enjoy, says Kim Williams, the Norwood, Ont. long-term care home’s life enrichment co-ordinator.

For indoor activities, groups must be kept to five residents or less, with social distancing measures in place.

Walking and exercise programs have remained in place and have been suited for one-to-one programming, Kim says.

Meeting residents’ spiritual needs has also been top of mind for staff, Kim says. Before the pandemic began, there were volunteers from several denominations who would visit Pleasant Meadow Manor.

Since pastoral volunteers cannot be at the home during this time, life enrichment aide Sheila Fleury has stepped into this role.

On Mondays, Sheila will meet with residents for spiritual readings with small groups or individually.

On Sundays, the home sets up the smart TV and streams sermons from YouTube for residents who wish to attend religious services.

There are residents of many faiths at the home and Kim says team members work to meet all of their spiritual needs.

“We are still trying to keep that spiritual connection for them,” she says.

One of the most popular programs, bingo, has also continued with a different approach.

Rather than giving residents poker chips to place on their cards, which was how the game was played before the pandemic, they use bingo dabbers which are sanitized after every use.

Board games are also offered for small groups of socially distanced residents, with one staff member moving the game pieces around the boards to prevent touching.

“We continue with as many of the activities as we can as long as we can wipe items down,” Kim says.

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Carnival day at Garden Terrace brings back fond memories for residents

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‘They got to be kids again, and they loved that’

Garden Terrace residents were treated to a carnival at the Kanata, Ont. long-term care home that embraced the OMNI Health Care value of fun and laughter and brought back lots of fond memories.

The July 9 carnival included a candy-floss machine, a target game played with bean bags, a T-shirt painting contest (done with a water gun) and carnival music.

Residents even got to give staff members a few pies in the face.

“Residents had a really fun time,” life enrichment co-ordinator Rachael King tells The OMNIway. “They got to have fun and not worry because it has been a tough year.

“Residents were able to reminisce from their childhood. … It was really nice to see.”

The carnival, which was held outdoors with pandemic safety protocols in effect, was the first large outdoor event for Garden Terrace residents this year.

Rachael says the residents enjoyed all the memories the carnival brought back for them.

And nothing says “great time” like throwing a pie at staff members, she laughs.

“They got to be kids again, and they loved that,” Rachael says. “And the cotton candy. They really liked the cotton candy.”

Other events residents are looking forward to in the coming weeks include outdoor entertainment, a visit from a local chip truck and, if everything goes as planned, a dunk tank on July 29 where residents will have a chance to soak Garden Terrace staff members.

“We’re trying to do as much as we can to keep the morale high,” Rachael says.

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Frost Manor residents ‘drumming up’ some fun in new program

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DROM program combines music, exercise and meditation

Frost Manor residents have been “drumming up” some fun and exercise in recent months.

In March, Amy Whitehead, who was then a life enrichment aide, participated in an online training session with then-life enrichment co-ordinator (LEC) Lyndsay Burton to learn about the DROM program and bring it back to the Lindsay, Ont. long-term care home’s residents.

The name DROM is derived from merging drumming techniques with the meditation chant called the “om”.

Each session starts with a focus on breathing to relax everyone and get participants ready. The second segment is the “energized portion” where multiple songs for the drumming session are performed by residents beating drumsticks on stability balls to the beat of songs Amy, who is now the Frost Manor LEC, plays for them. The final segment, the “calming portion”, focuses on positive affirmation and meditation.

Amy says the program, which is held in small groups to adhere to protocols in place to keep everyone safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been a big hit with residents.

“Everyone goes away feeling good and can carry on with their day on a positive note,” she tells The OMNIway.

Amy teaches residents different drumming patterns and techniques, and residents beat their drumsticks on the stability balls to the rhythm of songs.

“For one song, I got them to use their drumsticks (to the rhythm of) a song that had a trumpet session in it,” Amy says. “You can really get creative with all the different ways that you can drum.”

The timing of the program has been important, Amy says.

Before the pandemic was declared in March 2020, Frost Manor was hosting up to three live performances from local entertainers every week. Due to provincial restrictions, the home has not been able to have indoor entertainment since the pandemic began.

However, the music component of the DROM program is helping meet residents’ musical needs, Amy says.

“We really wanted to get something that we could do for them that would incorporate music because they’re really missing that,” she says.

“It was really great to be able to bring back some type of musical program for them, as well as an exercise program to get everyone moving. Everybody can laugh and have fun and, of course, this really amps up the positivity as well.”

The program is being held once every two weeks. Currently, Amy hosts the program, but two life enrichment aides have expressed interest in being trained to lead the activity. Once they are trained, Amy says she hopes to offer the program more often.

Given the DROM program’s success, Amy says she would recommend it to other long-term care homes.

“If you love music and you’re a fun and positive person, I absolutely recommend it to everybody.”

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