Frost Manor NCM says working in LTC has added meaning to his culinary career

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‘I wanted something a little more meaningful and more fulfilling,’ says Jeff Nedeljkovic

After 20 years of working in the kitchens of restaurants and resorts, Jeff Nedeljkovic says he was looking to shift gears with his career and move into a position that offered more meaning.

He says he found that at OMNI Health Care, working first as a cook at Riverview Manor in Peterborough, and three and a half years later working at Frost Manor in Lindsay, where he has been nutritional care manager (NCM) for the past five months.

“I’ve enjoyed it a lot,” Jeff says of being the Frost Manor NCM. “I like the team here at Frost; it’s a smaller home, it has a homey feel to it.”

Jeff says he has had a passion for cooking his entire life, but after years of cooking and managing restaurants he needed something different, and that’s when he discovered cooking in long-term care homes.

“I wanted something a little more meaningful and more fulfilling,” he says. “When I started at Riverview, it gave me that opportunity, and I enjoyed it a lot more than cooking in restaurants.”

Being served high-quality meals is important to people living in long-term care homes. Jeff says focusing his talents on creating meals residents enjoy adds substance to his work and has provided his career with the meaning he wanted.

Jeff says having a career with OMNI has also been a plus for him. He says he has received constant support from Frost Manor administrator Neil MacDonald, and Chris Weber, OMNI’s operations manager of nutrition and food services, since becoming Frost Manor’s NCM.

“The reason that I wanted to stick with OMNI is because of the support I have gotten in the past,” Jeff says. “(This support) has had a huge impact on why I am here.”

Jeff says working as Frost Manor’s NCM has been a learning experience. Looking ahead, he says he plans to continue learning the ropes of the NCM position and deliver the highest quality food service to residents.

“My main thing is I always want to be the best at what I do,” he says.

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Frost Manor sees success with new activities and old favourites in 2021

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Frost Manor’s life enrichment team saw success with new programs delivered to residents of the Lindsay long-term care home as well as with some tried and proven favourites in 2021.

A new, unique program residents were introduced to this year combines drumming with exercise and meditation. The program, called DROM, a name derived from merging drumming techniques with the meditation chant called the “om”, encourages residents to beat stability balls with drumsticks and includes three segments.

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 drumming on stability balls to the beat of songs. The final segment, the “calming portion”, focuses on positive affirmation and meditation.

Life enrichment co-ordinator Amy Whitehead says the program, which is held in small groups to adhere to pandemic protocols, has been a big hit with residents.

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

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

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

The team also brought back some favourite activities this year, including a special summertime program that has become a tradition at Frost Manor.

In August, team members set up a water slide next to the parking lot, and residents and staff members took turns zooming across the 50-foot slide in rubber tubes.

Residents sat in a plastic tube with straps attached at the sides and team members pulled them down the slide with the straps.

Frost Manor last hosted a water-slide day in summer 2019, and residents were happy to see it return, Amy said, noting the water-slide day was also the perfect way to keep everyone cool during a heatwave.

“The day was a lot of fun, she said. “The residents had lots of laughs watching people go down the slide. We made an afternoon of it and everyone had a great time.”

Since the water slide day went over so well with everyone, Amy said residents can look forward to having their own water park again in 2022.

“We will do it again next summer; it’s definitely worth it,” she said.

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Frost Manor gets Krispy Kremes for special treat day

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Volunteer Helene Waddell donates boxes of the famous doughnuts for residents and staff to enjoy

Frost Manor residents and staff members were recently on the receiving end of some “sweet” kindness when boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts were delivered to the Lindsay long-term care home.

With so many doughnuts, team members organized a treat day for everyone.

The Krispy Kreme doughnuts – which are famous the world over for their sweet, rich flavour – were donated by Helene Waddell, who served as a volunteer at the home for many years.

Helene bought the doughnuts at a fundraiser hosted by a local dance company, Spotlight Dance Productions.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Helene has not been volunteering at Frost Manor, but she is still connected to the home and wanted to do something nice for residents and staff members, says Amy Whitehead, Frost Manor’s life enrichment co-ordinator.

To take things up a notch, the life enrichment team jazzed up the home’s tuck cart with the Krispy Kreme logo and the company’s colours – red, white and green – to deliver the doughnuts to residents.

Amy says team members had lots of fun making the cart, and the Krispy Kreme treat day was a big hit with everyone.

“It was great; the residents love treat days, but it was extra good for them because they got Krispy Kreme doughnuts, which are not available very often,” she tells The OMNIway.

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PHOTO CAPTION: Left to right, Frost Manor resident Joan Charlebois and life enrichment aides Sarah Thayer and Taylor Davies are seen here during Krispy Kreme day at the home.

Frost Manor LEAs’ creativity delivers a memorable Thanksgiving to residents

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‘Thanksgiving was really a team event, and the LEAs did a great job’

Amy Whitehead is commending Frost Manor life enrichment aides (LEAs) for tapping into their creativity to help deliver a fun and engaging Thanksgiving to the Lindsay, Ont. long-term care home’s residents.

Amy, Frost Manor’s life enrichment co-ordinator, says LEAs Sarah Thayer, Taylor Davies and Amanda Pendrith each brought their own talents to the table in the days leading up to the Thanksgiving weekend to create activities and programs that helped make the holiday memorable.

For instance, Sarah made a turkey out of construction paper and attached it to a wall where each month the life enrichment team creates a mural as part of a theme.

On Thanksgiving Day, Taylor encouraged residents to write something they are thankful for on the turkey’s feathers.

“The whole feathered area of the turkey now has all the things residents could think of that they are thankful for written on them, and some of them were really cute,” Amy tells The OMNIway.

“Some of them said bingo, and lots of them were about being here, having great food, and having great staff.”

In the days leading up to Thanksgiving, Amanda led an activity where residents made centrepieces. Each table had a centrepiece that was made by residents waiting for them when they sat down to enjoy their Thanksgiving dinner.

“Thanksgiving was really a team event, and the LEAs did a great job,” Amy says.

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Fun and laughter with a splash

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Water-slide day returns to Frost Manor

A tried and proven, fun-filled event that is a favourite with residents returned to Frost Manor this summer, once again creating a big splash.

On Aug. 19, team members at the Lindsay, Ont. long-term care home set up a water slide next to the parking lot, and residents and staff members took turns zooming across the 50-foot slide in rubber tubes.

Residents sat in a plastic tube with straps attached at the sides and team members pulled them down the slide with the straps.

Frost Manor last hosted a water-slide day in summer 2019, and residents were happy to see it return, says Amy Whitehead, the home’s life enrichment co-ordinator.

Amy says the water-slide day was the perfect way to keep everyone cool during the August heatwave. Team members also set up a hydration station to provide everyone with cold drinks.

Amy notes this year’s slide was “new and improved.”

“It was a 50-foot slide with inflatable bumpers,” she tells The OMNIway. “The day was a lot of fun. The residents had lots of laughs watching people go down the slide. We made an afternoon of it and everyone had a great time.”

Since the water slide day went over so well with everyone, Amy says residents can look forward to having their own water park again next year.

“We will do it again next summer; it’s definitely worth it,” she says.

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Safari month takes Frost Manor residents on an in-house jungle trip

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Decorations and activities have been centred on a safari theme for August

Anyone walking through Frost Manor this month will find themselves surrounded by an array of animals normally only seen in a jungle habitat.

That’s because August is “safari month” at the Lindsay, Ont. long-term care home, and the animals on-site, which include a monkey, a giraffe, a tiger and an elephant, are among the creative decorations designed by the life enrichment team that are included in a mural on a wall in the activity room.

“We had safari month and it was a lot of fun,” Amy Whitehead, Frost Manor’s life enrichment co-ordinator, tells The OMNIway.

“We made our large dining room, small dining room and our lounge all look like a safari. … The residents really loved it. It has been a lot of fun this month.”

In addition to the mural, life enrichment aide Sarah Thayer, who is a skilled balloon artist, made animal balloons as well as a large safari Jeep that was put in the lounge.

Throughout August, games with jungle animal and safari themes have been prominent, Amy says.

“We had safari bingo, we had ‘feed the crocodile’, we had Hungry Hungry Hippos and ‘rhino ring toss’,” she says.

Every month the life enrichment team creates a theme to engage residents.

Amy explains how team members are inspired to create themes.

“We will have one idea in our head and take that and roll with it and make it into something much bigger than we had thought, which is wonderful,” she says.

Amy adds that some new Frost Manor team members got to experience the fun culture the home provides during safari month.

“We have had some new staff here, and when they saw everything that we’ve done, they thought it was awesome,” she says.

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Chair-dancing helped bring much-needed musical programming to Frost Manor during the pandemic

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Aside from meeting musical needs, the program is also a great way to exercise

Exercise and fun – when you can bring these elements together in an activity for long-term-care home residents, you’re sure to have a successful program.

And that’s just what happened when the life enrichment team at Frost Manor created a chair-dancing program for residents of the Lindsay, Ont. long-term care home that was enjoyable for residents and met the standards in place to keep everyone safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The program involves life enrichment co-ordinator Amy Whitehead choreographing a routine and residents moving in their chairs to the rhythm of the music.

Before the pandemic began in March 2020, Frost Manor was hosting up to three live performances from musical entertainers per week. With safety restrictions in place, live entertainment has been on hold at Frost Manor and other long-term care homes across Ontario. The life enrichment team designed the chair-dancing program to help meet residents’ musical needs, Amy says.

Residents have been enjoying the chair-dancing program, which led to the creation of a drumming program The OMNIway profiled in a July 19 story.

But more than anything, it’s about having fun, Amy says.

“I always stress to them that it’s not about getting the moves perfectly right, it’s just bopping along to the music and having fun,” Amy tells The OMNIway.

“The biggest thing about all of these programs is just to have fun and get in that free-spirited mode. They are very much feel-good programs. …

“There was so much fun just laughing and moving and getting that music component back.”

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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.

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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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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