Burnbrae Gardens residents make educational video on Residents’ Bill of Rights

The video has been submitted to the Ontario Association of Residents’ Councils as part of a contest during Residents’ Council Week

Burnbrae Gardens residents have submitted an educational video focused on the Residents’ Bill of Rights to a contest organized by the Ontario Association of Residents’ Councils (OARC).

The OARC is challenging Ontario long-term care homes to work with residents to create videos to teach others about the Residents’ Bill of Rights. The contest is being held in conjunction with Residents’ Council Week, which runs Sept. 13-19.

Life enrichment aides Lauren Farnham and Shawna Booth, along with Burnbrae Gardens administrator and life enrichment co-ordinator April Faux, helped residents create the video. The video features residents explaining the 27 rights all people living in long-term care homes are guaranteed.

In the video, residents are wearing T-shirts listing the 27 rights. Each T-shirt is embossed with two residents’ rights – one on the front and one on the back. Residents had their photos taken wearing the T-shirts, and the photos were made into a slideshow accompanied by music.

The idea to make the video got immediate buy-in from residents, Lauren says.

“We thought it would be great for the residents to get involved with this,” she tells The OMNIway.

Lauren created the T-shirts on her own time using a Cricut, a computer-controlled cutting machine. The T-shirts were distributed to residents who “loved them,” she says.

The video includes a speech on the Residents’ Bill of Rights from Burnbrae Gardens residents’ council president Frank Trombley.

In his speech, Frank outlines why the Residents’ Bill of Rights is important to residents and staff members, and he commends the home’s staff members for upholding those rights.

Shawna notes that resident Jeannine LeClerc, who is fluent in French, provided a translation in the video for every resident right.

“We wanted to up the ante by asking a resident who speaks fluent French to provide a translation,” she explains. “We wanted to make it bilingual for both English and French-speaking people.”

All video submissions will be entered into a prize draw. Prizes include an iPad with a $50 Apple gift card and a Google Home device.

Contest winners will be announced Sept. 19.

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