Canadians encouraged to participate in National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

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Today marks the second National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, and people and organizations across the country are being encouraged to acknowledge the day by hosting activities and educational events that honour the First Nations people of Canada who survived the residential school system as well as those children who did not return home from residential schools.

People can honour the day by wearing orange, the official colour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, and organizations can support the day by hosting educational activities using resources from the Government of Canada’s website.

During the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in 2021, OMNI Health Care long-term care homes hosted events that involved residents and staff members.

For example, West Lake Terrace hosted an all-day event that included introducing residents to traditional First Nations foods and holding an information session focused on the traditions and customs of the Indigenous Peoples of Canada.

The event also featured a video presentation that included an interview with a residential school survivor.

Everyone was also asked to wear orange, a colour that has important significance.

In 1973, Phyllis Webstad, a then-six-year-old First Nations student from British Columbia, had an orange shirt taken from her by teachers at the residential school she attended.

In addition to today being the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, it’s also Orange Shirt Day, which was first acknowledged on Sept. 30, 2013, to raise awareness of the injustices First Nations, Inuit and Métis people faced in residential schools.

Orange has been designated as the colour of remembrance for the children who didn’t return home from residential schools.

“The orange shirt is a symbol of the stripping away of culture, freedom and self-esteem experienced by Indigenous children over generations,” the Government of Canada says on its website.

“On September 30, we encourage all Canadians to wear orange to honour the thousands of Survivors of residential schools.”

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PHOTO CAPTION: Pictured above, West Lake Terrace team members wear orange shirts during the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation on Sept. 30, 2021.

Streamway Villa receives diamond Readers’ Choice Award in LTC category

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The home’s close-knit, family-like culture is credited for this success

Streamway Villa is the 2022 diamond recipient of the Northumberland News Readers’ Choice Award in the “best nursing home/long-term care centre” category, and the home’s close-knit, family-like culture is being credited for this success.

The diamond award is the highest accolade given to Readers’ Choice Award recipients.

Built in 1977 and housing 59 beds, Streamway Villa is a smaller and older long-term care home. But, as staff members and residents’ families are quick to point out, it’s the people inside that make the home a vibrant place to live and work.

“We’re family here,” Linda Powell, a Streamway Villa personal support worker, tells The OMNIway. “We are all really close together; we have a lot of long-standing staff members here and we all just love each other.”

Readers’ Choice Awards are given annually by Metroland Media Group newspapers. Readers nominate local businesses and organizations to their local Metroland newspaper in June and July and people vote online for their favourite business in each category.

Winners are awarded diamond, platinum and gold accolades in each business category.

Linda, who is also president of CUPE Local 2225-01, the union representing the Cobourg long-term care home’s team members, says everyone does their best to create an environment where people want to live and work.

“We tell jokes, we dance, and that’s a big part of being here: we make it fun,” she says.

Winning a Readers’ Choice Award is also a great morale booster for everyone, Linda says.

“It makes us proud, and hey, we work hard; we work hard and we love the residents and they love us. This is our home. We (staff members) don’t live here, but we still feel this is our home.”

Family member Mike Filip says Streamway Villa earning this honour is reflective of the care his mother, Joan, receives at Streamway Villa and the culture of the home.

Like Linda, Mike says the culture Streamway Villa has created for residents and staff members is why he thinks the home is deserving of the award.

“My thoughts are, simply, this is why we’re here,” Mike says. “This is the best (long-term care home), at least for my mum and her lifestyle. She loves being here.”

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Forest Hill pays homage to Queen Elizabeth II with a week of events

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‘Many residents are from a generation where the monarchy was really important, and they were happy for us to honour the Queen’

Forest Hill residents and staff members spent the week of Sept. 19 to Sept. 25 paying their respects to Queen Elizabeth II, who recently passed away after serving as the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom and 14 Commonwealth realms, including Canada, for 70 years.

To honour the Queen, the Kanata, Ont. long-term care home’s life enrichment department organized events each day focused on Her Majesty, her legacy and the royal family.

On Monday, Sept. 19, everyone got up early to watch the Queen’s funeral live from Westminster Abbey on TV. This was an emotional event for many, says life enrichment co-ordinator Craig Forrest.

Residents were also engaged in a variety of TV programs and documentaries about Queen Elizabeth II, Craig says.

A favourite activity amongst residents was watching a YouTube video featuring a virtual tour of Buckingham Palace, the reigning monarch’s official residence in London.

Bingo, which is one of the residents’ favourite activities, had a British theme throughout the week, with prizes consisting of British chocolate bars, shortbread and Walkers potato chips, which come in a variety of flavours ranging from cheese and onion to prawn cocktail to haggis.

Craig bought these items from a local shop selling goods imported from the UK.

“The residents really enjoyed the prizes, and they especially had a good laugh over the potato chips that taste like haggis,” Craig says, referring to the Scottish delicacy of minced sheep’s organ meat, suet, onion, oats and spices.

As part of an activity, residents used cardboard tubes to make dolls in the image of the famed Beefeaters, who are officially known as the Yeomen Warders of Her Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress the Tower of London.

On Friday, the life enrichment team hosted a high tea with homemade scones, and everything was served using the home’s fine china.

Craig says the week meant a lot to the residents, which was evident by the high number who attended programming throughout the seven days.

“Many residents are from a generation where the monarchy was really important, and they were happy for us to honour the Queen,” he says.

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PHOTO CAPTION: Forest Hill residents are pictured here at a high tea that was hosted Sept. 23 during a week that honoured Queen Elizabeth II.

A perfect day for poutine at Streamway Villa

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Local chip truck pays a visit to the home to deliver the classic snack of fried, gravy and cheese curd

It was a perfect day for poutine.

On the afternoon of Sept. 23, a chip truck from Personal Touch Catering pulled up to Streamway Villa in Cobourg to serve up the famous Canadian staple of fresh-cut fries, gravy and cheese curd to residents, their family members and staff.

Under a sunny sky with a gentle, cool breeze, residents gathered in the home’s courtyard amidst the flowers and plants to enjoy their mid-afternoon snack and enjoy the day with each other and their loved ones.

Although it can be a gamble setting up events like this during the autumn when the weather fluctuates, life enrichment co-ordinator Laurie Kracht and the other organizers lucked out by picking a pleasant day that was sandwiched between two days of rainy weather.

Personal Touch Catering is based in nearby Bailieboro and the company’s chip truck can often be seen down by the waterfront in Cobourg. Seeing the truck in the area prompted Laurie to contact the company and arrange a visit to Streamway Villa.

She approached residents about the idea and they were on board, offering to fund the visit through the council’s Memorial Fund.

“We haven’t been able to go anywhere, and I wanted to do something to also include the staff,” Laurie tells The OMNIway.

“I spoke with the residents’ council, and the residents’ council gave the OK to us to splurge on them, so that’s what we did.”

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It’s Christmas all year at Riverview Manor

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Christmas trees with rotating seasonal decorations adorn the walls of both of the home’s dining rooms

For the past 21 months, it has been Christmas year-round at Riverview Manor, thanks to the ingenuity of one of the Peterborough long-term care home’s life enrichment team members.

With limited space in the two dining rooms for Christmas trees – due to COVID-19 pandemic protocols, residents have been spaced six feet apart during mealtimes – Tina Hutchinson came up with the idea to put trees on corner walls in December 2020.

Tina and the life enrichment team attached branches from the home’s artificial Christmas trees to the walls and decorated them with holiday-themed ornaments and lights as they do every holiday season.

After the Christmas season ended, the team decided to leave the trees up and add decorations throughout the year to match seasonal themes, Tina explains.

“So now, decorations for every season, every holiday, are put up on the tree,” she tells The OMNIway.

In February, the tree had a Valentine’s Day theme, in spring, Easter was the theme. In summer, a fisherman adorned the tree accompanied by Canada Day and Father’s Day motifs. With autumn now here, the tree has owls, school buses and Halloween pumpkins.

Tina says having year-round Christmas trees at the home is beneficial on several levels. Aside from saving space in the dining rooms, they also save time, since the trees don’t need to be assembled or dismantled.

They are also conversation pieces for residents and help create a fun, festive atmosphere in the dining rooms.

The decorations also encourage residents to reminisce about favourite memories from various times of the year, Tina adds.

“And everybody always knows what time of year it is by looking at the decorations,” she says. “They love the decorations.”

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Streamway residents focus on keeping healthy minds and bodies

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Story-sharing and physiotherapy are among the programs residents are finding beneficial

Streamway Villa residents have been focusing on keeping both healthy minds and bodies through programming the Cobourg, Ont. long-term care home offers.

Laurie Kracht, Streamway Villa’s life enrichment co-ordinator (LEC), says there are many active residents at the home who enjoy a wide range of programs.

One such program is a story-sharing activity where residents reminisce or discuss current events, which promotes healthy cognitive function.

In the past, life enrichment team members would be leading this program, but the current residents are enjoying taking the reins, she notes.

“The residents do the talking,” Laurie tells The OMNIway. “They will have conversations about the past … and they will talk about their experiences and have the conversation within themselves.”

Laurie says the residents and staff members have also enjoyed taking the short walk from Streamway Villa to downtown Cobourg which gives everyone a chance to interact with the community.

There has also been a high number of residents participating in the physiotherapy programming the home offers, Laurie notes.

At the moment, the LEC says there are several residents who are focusing on maintaining their mobility.

Every day, physiotherapy assistant Harita Patel will lead an exercise group of residents who do exercises together, and this is showing a lot of promise, Laurie says.

“It’s going amazingly well,” she says. “We even have a couple of residents who can touch their toes now.”

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West Lake LEC underscores the positive impact music is having on residents

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‘When we have music entertainers, that always gets everyone going, and music is something everyone enjoys’

Since in-house musical entertainment has returned to West Lake Terrace, life enrichment co-ordinator (LEC) David Forsyth says residents have enjoyed getting back into the groove.

Music-based activities, he says, are programs everyone at the Prince Edward County long-term care home enjoys.

“When we have music entertainers, that always gets everyone going, and music is something everyone enjoys,” David tells The OMNIway.

With pandemic protocols relaxing, in-house entertainment has returned to West Lake Terrace this year and residents have been flocking to the performances the home hosts.

In fact, David has booked three entertainers for the coming month to meet the residents’ entertainment needs.

West Lake Terrace has a long-standing group of entertainers who have become well known to residents, but residents are also open to new entertainers, David notes.

Sometimes residents are the source of ideas.

For instance, a resident recently approached David to recommend a singer-guitarist who performed at the home a few years back, so David took the resident up on their offer.

“I called that gentleman and he has agreed to come in,” the LEC says.

Music has long been an important tool used to enhance quality of life for long-term care home residents. Music can be uplifting and bring back fond memories.

For those residents living with cognitive impairment, music can be relaxing and calm agitation.

David says he has seen first-hand the benefits music can provide residents. Right after an entertainer performs, a positive vibe will resonate at the home, he says.

“(Music) will just put people in a good mood.”

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Did you know today is World Alzheimer’s Day?

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The campaign’s organizing associations offer ideas to help people and workplaces raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia

Today is World Alzheimer’s Day, a campaign that takes place across the globe every year to raise awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia as well as to share information on how to help people affected by cognitive impairment.

September is World Alzheimer’s Month, and World Alzheimer’s Day is the focal point of the campaign, which is organized by Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), an association of organizations across the world that work to raise awareness of the chronic neurodegenerative disease and to reduce its stigma.

The Alzheimer Society of Canada estimates that 597,300 Canadians were living with dementia in 2020. By 2030, the organization expects that number to grow to nearly one million.

As with Alzheimer’s Month, the theme for Alzheimer’s Day 2022 is Know Dementia, Know Alzheimer’s, which is the continuation of the 2021 theme.

Due to “recent developments and potential breakthroughs, in both dementia treatment and support,” there will also be a significant focus on examining the importance of post-diagnostic support for people living with Alzheimer’s, ADI says.

On its website, UK-based organization Inclusive Employers says individuals and workplaces can get involved with World Alzheimer’s Day by hosting fundraising events, promoting awareness through social media, learning more about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, and revisiting workplace policies.

ADI notes that people and workplaces can host events virtually.

“Since COVID-19, many associations, including ADI members, host events and activities virtually,” ADI says on its website. “These activities include webinars, remote memory walks and more.”

ADI says people and organizations looking to use social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook to raise awareness can use the hashtags #KnowDementia and #KnowAlzheimers for this year’s campaign.

You can learn more about World Alzheimer’s Day and Alzheimer’s month by visiting the ADI website.

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Residents and team members mark Residents’ Council Week at the Willows

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‘I think we focused more on Residents’ Council Week this year, just because we’re trying to get back into the swing of things’

Willows Estate residents and team members celebrated Residents’ Council Week with a variety of fun and informative events, including a tea, a photo booth and the unveiling of a display wall.

Residents’ Council Week was Sept. 12-18. The week, organized each year by the Ontario Association of Residents’ Councils (OARC), aims to raise awareness about the important role residents’ councils play in long-term care homes.

Residents’ councils are mandated by the Ministry of Long-Term Care and serve to empower residents and help them make the most of their experience living in long-term care homes.

Teddy Mazzuca, the life enrichment co-ordinator at the Aurora, Ont. long-term care home, says the tea party hosted in honour of the week had a large turnout. To make the event even more special, team members brought out the home’s best china, she adds.

OARC, which included social events in its recommendations of events for residents’ councils to host, provided special placemats.

There was also trivia about the residents’ council for team members, who demonstrated a strong degree of knowledge about the council, Teddy says.

Questions centred on areas including naming resident leaders and knowing how often the council meets and where. The idea behind the trivia was to ensure everyone was well informed about the residents’ council, Teddy says.

“Most of my group knew (a lot) and I was so proud of them,” she says.

On Sept. 15, a photo booth was set up for residents and team members to take their pictures, and lots of fun was had throughout the day, Teddy says.

Additionally, a display wall was set up to share information about Residents’ Council Week. The display included the 29 rights listed in the Residents’ Bill of Rights.

Teddy says that although Willows Estate celebrates Residents’ Council Week every year, this year’s event had a great presence, a fact she attributes to pandemic restrictions easing this year.

“I think we focused more on Residents’ Council Week this year, just because we’re trying to get back into the swing of things,” she says.

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Maplewood brings back innovative intervention after successfully reducing resident’s anxiety

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Weighted blanket has the feel of a gentle hug

When a Maplewood resident recently began experiencing agitation, one of the Brighton long-term care home’s life enrichment aides (LEAs) put their arm around the resident for comfort and the resident became calm.

Seeing the positive impact this had on the resident, some team members remembered the home had a weighted blanket specially designed to provide a feeling of comfort to people with cognitive impairment who experience agitation.

The blanket is shaped like a bear rug and weighs only a few pounds, but it provides sensory stimulation similar to a hug. Team members offered it to the resident, who became elated with the blanket, cradling the bear head in her hands.

“It worked wonderfully,” says Rachel Corkery, Maplewood’s administrator and life enrichment co-ordinator. “It was really beneficial to that resident.”

Despite being heavier than most blankets, weighted blankets do not pose a safety issue for people, Rachel notes.

The blanket was purchased by Maplewood several years ago to help one resident. Unfortunately, the intervention at the time didn’t work and the blanket was shelved.

But given the positive result the team recently achieved with the blanket, Rachel says staff will consider using it again if this resident or others experience agitation in the future.

She adds that interventions like this are not one-size-fits-all approaches. Each resident has a unique set of needs, and an intervention that works for one resident may not work for someone else, she notes.

Still, the success team members achieved with the blanket means they’re going to keep it at the ready, Rachel says.

“It was nice to work our way through that, to think of a solution and see that it worked,” she says. “We saw a reduction in anxiety. We are going to keep trying that.”

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