Garden Terrace dunk tank delivers fun and laughter while raising money for Alzheimer Society

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July 29 event that got staff members soaked while raising money for charity

Garden Terrace residents had a “splash” on July 29 when they had a chance to get the Kanata, Ont. long-term care home’s staff members soaked in a dunk tank.

The event also raised $199 for the local chapter of the Alzheimer Society of Canada.

Rachael King, Garden Terrace’s life enrichment co-ordinator, says the home was looking for a way to marry fundraising with an activity that would be fun for residents and bring back fond memories.

Hiring a dunk tank was the perfect fit, she says.

“This was something that brings back the fun people may have had as children – it got the residents to reminisce and they had a lot of fun,” she tells The OMNIway.

“The residents had a front-row view of all of us being dunked.”

The dunk tank was rented from a local rental company, Dunk Man. Lou Fast Food, a local chip truck, was also on-site at Garden Terrace for the day.

Staff members paid $5 for lunch from the chip truck and $3 to throw a ball at the dank-tank target to soak their colleagues. Lunch and throws at the dunk tank were free for residents. Proceeds from the dunk tank and chip truck will be going to the Alzheimer Society.

The local fire brigade came by to fill the dunk tank with water. Later on, the firefighters returned to Garden Terrace and volunteered to be dunked to help raise money for the Alzheimer Society.

Dunk tank day is one of the most recent outdoor events Garden Terrace has hosted to deliver some fun to residents during the pandemic.

“We’re trying to bring back some of the fun again after a really hard year,” she says.

If you have a story you would like to share with The OMNIway, please contact the newsroom at deron(at)axiomnews.com.

If you have feedback on this story, please contact the newsroom at deron(at)axiomnews.com.

VIDEO: Almonte Country Haven couple celebrate 73rd anniversary – and their reunion

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Sunday, May 24 could not have been a more perfect day for Almonte Country Haven couple Mervyn and Emily Tripp. Read more

(VIDEO) October birthdays celebrated at Frost Manor

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LINDSAY, Ont. – Frost Manor hosted its monthly birthday celebration on Oct. 15 with an event that featured musical entertainment and specially made birthday cupcakes.

The event toasted all the residents celebrating a birthday in October. Vi O’Leary, the Lindsay long-term care home’s life enrichment co-ordinator, says these celebrations are enjoyed by everyone.

“The residents love it,” she says.

Click here to watch the video.

If you have feedback on this story, please call the newsroom at 800-294-0051, ext. 23, or e-mail deron(at)axiomnews.com.

Resident reacts to negative media report on LTC

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Country Terrace

Mac Grant says Country Terrace is a great place to live

Thursday, August 14, 2014 — Deron Hamel

While long-term care homes are often the subject of negative press, Country Terrace resident Mac Grant says he thinks some reporters have been “watching too many old movies on TV.”

A recent news report cited several homes in southwestern Ontario — including Country Terrace — for the number of reported instances of abuse. Country Terrace staff members are committed to reporting, investigating and following up on any instance of alleged or suspected abuse to ensure the safety and care of residents.

The term “abuse” as used in long-term care home reporting is much broader than many news outlets represent.  The definition includes verbal and emotional abuse, including disrespectful comments and neglectful care that could, for example, arise from a delay in coming to the assistance of a resident.

These are not tolerated by long-term care homes but are not measured in the community or most other health-care settings. Reported instances of abuse are not ranked in any way by measures of severity, and there is no process for retracting reported allegations that have been cleared upon investigation.

Since coming to live at Country Terrace, Grant says he has only seen and heard good things about the home. Staff and residents, he says treat each other with respect. He adds there’s a high level of care offered to residents living at Country Terrace.

“I’m very happy here,” he says over the phone, from his room at the Komoka long-term care home. “The management team is on top of everything.”

Occasionally, Grant notes, there are incidents where two residents don’t get along. When this happens, he says staff members are always quick to intervene and take steps to ensure those residents are kept separate.

“And in general, I’d say (resident conflicts are) pretty rare,” Grant says.

Administrator Karen Dann adds that resources like the province’s Behavioural Supports Ontario (BSO) initiative are a valuable tool for preventing resident-on-resident abuse.

“I am not negating that sometimes dementia leads to residents acting out in a way that may affect other residents or staff, but through our behavioural support program we address these behaviours and are committed to keeping all residents safe from harm,” she says.

“My experience, both as a staff nurse and as administrator here, is that staff are 100 per cent committed to providing a safe and happy experience for our residents.”

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.

Spirit of summer in full swing at OMNI homes

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Riverview Manor resident Doris Shiniman is seen here with one of the many classic cars at the home July 22 during its annual car show.

Riverview Manor resident Doris Shiniman is seen here with one of the many classic cars at the home July 22 during its annual car show.

Homes offering a variety of resident-focused events

Friday, August 1, 2014 — Deron Hamel

As we enter August, OMNI Health Care’s long-term care homes across Ontario have spent the summer involved with a myriad of activities and festivities that capture the spirit of the season.

At Forest Hill, life enrichment aide Shannon Lynch is bringing a unique program to residents with cognitive impairment that sees larvae become butterflies in a tent that’s been set up in the Kanata long-term care home’s garden area.

Lynch says family members are overwhelmed with the program’s success. What has made it successful, she adds, is the fact that the program allows for residents to reminisce and socialize in an atmosphere that provides a lot of sensory stimulation.

“The family members are just blown away by this,” she says. “When you show them the photographs of their loved ones smiling and laughing, they love it.”

What would summer be without car shows? At Riverview Manor an annual tradition “rolled on” again this year with a local group of car enthusiasts bringing their classic cars to the Peterborough long-term care home.

The July 22 event, which included a barbecue, saw about 50 of the home’s 124 residents come outside to have a look at the cars, which included hot rods dating back more than 80 years. Residents and community members filed past the vehicles and took time to speak with the car club members about their wheels.

“We also had a deejay this year, which was great, so there was lots of music and it was a lot of fun,” life enrichment co-ordinator (LEC) Sherry Baldwin says. “The cars were absolutely gorgeous and the residents loved it.”

Even when the sunny summer weather turns cloudy and grey, the folks at Country Terrace know how to make the most of it.

The team of staff members and volunteers at the Komoka long-term care home were not willing to let inclement weather ruin the annual family barbecue, so they brought the carnival-themed event inside.

The event featured many carnival activities to coincide with its theme, including ring, balloon and ball tosses, musical entertainment and a pie-in-the-face fundraiser that collected more than $300.

“We made it work — it was a little hairy, but we made it work and the families that came had an awesome time,” says LEC Christie Patterson. “We made sure the kids, the residents and everyone else had a great time.”

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, or e-mail deron(at)axiomnews.ca.

 

VIDEO: Antipsychotic medication: the exception, not the rule

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RMvideo

Thursday, April 17, 2014 — Deron Hamel

Riverview Manor has firm policy surrounding the administration of antipsychotic medication to residents affected by dementia. These medications are used sparingly and only as a last resort when other non-medical interventions have not helped calm a person who is exhibiting aggressive behaviour.

In fact, only 12.28 per cent of residents are on antipsychotic medications at the Peterborough long-term care home. This is well below the provincial average of 31.5 per cent.

A recent article in the Toronto Star accuses Ontario long-term care homes of “drugging helpless seniors at an alarming rate with powerful antipsychotic drugs.” Not only is this not the case at Riverview Manor, but stories like this are detrimental to the entire long-term care sector. Riverview Manor staff members explain in this video.