Body: RULAC Type: Document Meeting: Regular Date: 2011 Collection: Documents Municipality: Frontenac County
[View Document (PDF)](/docs/frontenac-county/RULAC-JM/RULAC/Emergency Transportation Services 2011 3rd Quarter Activity Update p.pdf)
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THOUGHTS ON OCTOBER “Just before the death of flowers, And before they are buried in snow, There comes a festival season When nature is all aglow.”
- Author Unknown
About October: The birthstone for October is the opal. The Birth flower for October is the Marigold, also called calendula. Its flower head follows the sun, and the flower meaning is “winning grace.”
“There is no season when such pleasant and sunny spots may be lighted on, and produce so pleasant an effect on the feelings, as now in October.”
- Nathaniel Hawthorne
“Fall is not the end of the gardening year; it is the start of next year’s growing season. The mulch you lay down will protect your perennial plants during the winter and feed the soil as it decays, while the cleaned up flower bed will give you a huge head start on either planting seeds or setting out small plants.”
- Thalassa Cruso
“There is a harmony in autumn, and a luster in its sky, which through the summer is not heard or seen, as if it could not be, as if it had not been!” - Percy Bysshe Shelley
“Halloween: Sly does it. Tiptoe catspaws. Slide and creep. But why? What for? How? Who? When! Where did it all begin? ‘You don’t know, do you?’ asks Carapace Clavicle Moundshroud climbing out of the pile of leaves under the Halloween Tree. ‘You don’t really know!’”
“October’s the month When the smallest breeze Gives us a shower Of autumn leaves. Bonfires and pumpkins, Leaves sailing down October is red And golden and brown.”
- Ray Bradbury, The Halloween Tree 2069 Battersea Road, Glenburnie, ON K0H 1S0 (613) 546-4264 http://www.frontenaccounty.ca/fairmount-home/
Fairmount Grapevine Gazette OCTOBER 2011 A Newsletter for Residents and Families, Staff, Volunteers, and the extended Fairmount Community.
Safety for Wandering Residents—Mary Lake, Director of Care Fairmount has several features and procedures to ensure the safety of residents who are at risk of wandering, whether they would leave the home and not know their way back, or who are seeking to go to another unrealistic destination. We have the secure dementia unit that is appropriate for many. Others may be at risk of leaving the building but they are still able to move freely throughout the Home without interfering with the privacy of other residents. The Roam Alert system is designed for this purpose. The resident wears a bracelet that has an ID number associated with it. When the resident is within a certain radius of the exit doors, you will hear a “beeping” sound. If the doors are closed, they will be locked down and no one can enter or exit without bypassing the system until the resident moves out of range. If the doors are open as the resident approaches, an audible alarm will sound. This alarm will also be sent to the nursing portable phones and pagers which will give the staff the ID number. Staff can then check the whereabouts of the resident to ensure that they have not left the building. This system can be bypassed to allow others to enter or exit the Home and to enable residents with a Roam Alert bracelet to go outside when supervised. Most of the staff know the bypass code and for obvious safety reasons, cannot give it to residents or to visitors. If you are trying to enter the main entrance and the doors are locked, there is an intercom available that will ring directly to the RN or you can try the auditorium entrance. We do urge visitors to be vigilant when entering and exiting the Home entrances and the entrance to 1North to ensure that you do not enable residents to exit who are not able to do so safely. Whenever in doubt, please check with the staff. In next month’s issue, we will review more procedures that are in place for the safety of residents.
FAIRMOUNT AUXILIARY NEWS
EVALUATION FORM – FAIRMOUNT GRAPEVINE GAZETTE
- Barry Rogers, President, Fairmount Auxiliary
Next Meeting Dates: October 4th, at 1 p.m. in the Auditorium November 1st, at 1 p.m., in the Auditorium
In an effort to make the Grapevine Gazette more interesting to our readers, we are seeking your feedback about your newsletter. All comments are welcome, both compliments and opportunities for improvement.
Guests or potential new members are welcome
- Do you read the Grapevine Gazette?
Yes
No
We encourage family members and volunteers to join the Auxiliary, even if you are only able to help out at some of our events. Your support is always appreciated.
- Do you find the articles interesting?
Yes
No
Watch for our table at the Christmas Sale on November 22nd. We are always looking for items which carry a Christmas theme, and would be suitable for small presents which could be purchased by the residents.
- Do you like the format of the newsletter?
Yes
No
Our “Previously Loved Items” display cabinet in the main lobby is in urgent need of some new inventory. If you have items to donate that we could use, please contact Lynda Laid, Volunteer Coordinator, or myself at 613 634-0528.
If no, please suggest a better format:
- What kinds of articles would you like to read in the future?
RESTORATIVE CARE NURSING •
Rebecca Babcook, RPN
I would like to take the opportunity to introduce myself. I am Becky, the Restorative Care Nurse filling in for Amy while she is on maternity leave. There have been some gradual changes to the Nursing Restorative Care program since June 2011. I would like to remind staff, residents, and their families about the brochure on Nursing Restorative Care, which is available in the front lobby. If anybody has any questions or comments about the Nursing Restorative Care program, please leave a message with the receptionist at extension 100.
- Please give us some suggestions for improvement:
If you would like to add your name to our email list, please print your email address here:
Income tax receipts are provided.
For $250. you can have a brick in memory of a loved one placed in the centre courtyard garden at Fairmount Home. Bricks are inscribed with the name of your loved one and will be a lasting tribute to them in our beautiful award winning garden.
Please complete and remove this evaluation page and send it to Lorraine Farrar, Editor of the Grapevine Gazette, at Fairmount Home, or leave it at Reception.
FAMILY COUNCIL
Spiritual and Religious Care, ext. 582, Pastor Lewis Bryant
Family Councils strive to provide a safe forum for families to share experiences, receive information and mutual support, discuss and seek solutions to common concerns and establish meaningful lines of communication between families and staff. The goal is to enhance the quality of life for our residents.
Worship Services - In the Auditorium
If any family members or persons of importance to residents are interested in forming a Family Council, or would like more information about what is involved, please contact Julie Shillington (extension 500) or Mary Lake (extension 510).
October 2
Kingston Gospel Temple
2 p.m.
October 9
Thanksgiving—Salvation Army
2 p.m.
October 16
St. Paul’s Anglican Church
2 p.m.
October 23
Third Day Worship Centre
2 p.m.
October 30
Storrington Pastoral Charge
2 p.m.
Roman Catholic Service – 2nd Friday of each month October 14
Father John Gillis, 2nd Floor
10:30 a.m.
VOLUNTEER SATISFACTION SURVEY With the help of our summer volunteer, Marg Feddema, we were able to complete a comprehensive survey of Volunteer Services at Fairmount Home. Surveys were distributed to all of our regular volunteers, and our thanks to everyone who took the time to complete them. One of the questions asked in the survey was “What has been the most rewarding part of your volunteer role at Fairmount Home?”. Responses to this question included: • • • • • •
“Seeing the smiles on the residents’ faces when we spend time together” “I enjoy talking with residents and helping them with various activities” “Contact with staff and residents is very pleasant. I have made many friends” “I love the ‘feel good’ atmosphere here” “Making residents feel special and pampering them” “Working with all the positive staff”
While I often hear from volunteers how much they enjoy the time they spend with our residents, it was inspiring to read that a positive environment and staff relationships also play such an important role in their decision to choose Fairmount Home to volunteer with! Look for more results of the satisfaction survey in future Gazette articles…
Coming on October 31st – Pumpkin Bake Off – watch for signs in the Home
STAFF MILESTONES Angela Wright 5 years Congratulations Angela!
STAFF SERVICE TEA The staff service tea has been scheduled for October 18th, at 2 pm in the main lobby.
Happy Birthday to the following residents: Donald Fleming, 4 October Lorraine Carlyle, 6 October Hans Jaeger, 9 October Win Fuller, 12 October John MacDonald, 13 October Dalton Dean, 13 October Ruth Lovett, 18 October Vera Milo, 20 October Robert Lovering, 24 October Irene Hall, 28 October
Welcome new resident Gladys Langley
Deadline for the next issue is on or before October 19, 2011. Submissions can be phoned in (ext. 502), dropped off, or sent by email to lfarrar@frontenaccounty.ca
Volunteer Corner – Lynda Laird, extension 581 Sunday Worship Services Do you know most Sunday’s we have no volunteers to help get residents to and from the Worship Services? We were absolutely blessed for years to have 2 incredible ladies help us with this EVERY Sunday, but their lives have gotten busier, and at the time I write this we have no Sunday afternoon volunteers. Attending a Sunday service is a very important part of the spiritual and social lives of many residents, and volunteers clearly help enhance this experience. They not only bring residents to the service, but stay to sing along to the hymns, or simply be present if their support is needed. At the most it is a commitment of 2 hours, starting at 1:30pm, and what a wonderful gift to give to residents. Is this a need YOU may be able to fill for our residents? If so, please talk to Lynda, Violet or Mari for more information. Wednesday Morning Beauty Break Each Wednesday at 10:00am the lovely ladies on 1South gather in the activity room to be pampered by Violet and volunteers. Lately however, this pampering has only been by Violet, which of course means we are depleting her abundant TLC reserves and we need to replenish them with some assistance. This is a wonderfully fulfilling volunteer experience for someone who: • Enjoys the company of a great group of ladies who have incredible life experiences to share. • Likes to give back to their community in a low stress, social environment over a morning cup of coffee. • Can paint fingernails – and training is available if needed! If this sounds like something YOU would enjoy for 2 hours on a Wednesday morning, please speak with Violet or Lynda. You can always try it out one day just to see what you think!
Recreation Update - Violet Yovanovich(#571) and Mari Vepsalainen(#572) Fall is in the air and the leaves are starting to turn their brilliant yellows, reds and oranges. With October comes our annual Fall events, such as the Fall Colour bus tour (on the 11th), apple crisp baking afternoon (18th), fried green tomato cooking, pumpkin carving events (27th), Auxiliary Tea and Sale (7th), and the fall cleanup of the gardens. For Halloween we are hoping to have the Glenburnie school children join us with their colourful, creative and sometimes “rather scary” costumes for a celebration in the auditorium. Be sure to mark these events on your calendar and join us for some fun. This month our feature program for evaluation by residents, Recreation Therapist (RT), Volunteer Coordinator and volunteers is “Bingo”. It is a common sight on a Wednesday afternoon to see a parade of residents and volunteers laughing and socializing as they stroll down to the auditorium to take their favourite seat at the bingo tables. We are very blessed to have such a dedicated and committed group of volunteers to help facilitate this program all year round. We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Kingston Rotary Club who host the first bingo of each month and help subsidize the ‘loonie’ prizes. Without the strong volunteer support, we could not have the large numbers of residents actively participating in this very popular recreation program. Family and friends are more than welcome to join their loved ones for an afternoon of fun, enjoyment and socialization. Bingo, for many of our residents, is a former leisure activity that they enjoyed in the community. This program is conducted in the same way as community bingos to allow for the transference of their skills. Residents attend this program voluntarily and enjoy the anticipation and excitement associated with this game of chance. Not only is it fun and enjoyable, it also has many therapeutic benefits and expected outcomes. These benefits include increasing/maintaining resident’s attention span and concentration level on the given tasks; improving/maintaining resident’s ability to identify numbers and shapes while stimulating their mind, and working on eye-hand coordination as they place the chips on the number called. We have also recently had an increase of residents expressing interest in playing cards (euchre, crib, bridge, checkers) so if you are interested in playing any of these games or others, please let Violet (1st floor) or Mari (2nd floor) know so we can help facilitate this favourite pastime. We welcome any bags of leaves to be laid on our gardens this fall as we clean them up for the winter. Please drop them off in the centre courtyard as all donated leaves are welcome. Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, and we hope you and your families have a safe and fun Halloween.
Special Events – Family members and friends are welcome to attend these
Legacy of Learning Painting Display at the Kingston Fall Fair
events with residents October 5 October 7 October 11 October 18 October 16 October 20 October 27 October 31
Our art instructor, Cheryl Pelow, with the display of resident art at the Fair.
Glenburnie United Church Seniors Lunch (Sign up) Auxiliary Tea and Sale, Noon to 3:30 pm, Auditorium and Lobby Fall Colour Bus Tour Outing (Sign up), 12:30 departure time Apple Crisp Day Barbershop Singers, 1 pm, 1 South Activity Good Food Box Outing, 9 am Pumpkin Carving Events—Lobby Displays Halloween School Visit, Auditorium, 9:30 am
TO FAMILY MEMBERS AND FRIENDS: Would you like to receive the above list by email each month? If so, please send your email address to the editor: lfarrar@frontenaccounty.ca Also manning the booth were Pet Therapy Volunteers Bill and Synjyn
You are invited to attend the SAFETY CONCERNS Reminders to Residents and Family members: •
Portable heaters are not permitted in resident rooms
•
Refrigerators must be plugged directly into a wall outlet, not an extension cord or power bar
•
Any electrical equipment brought into the Home for a resident must be inspected by maintenance staff before use
Family Information Evening On October 26 At 6:00 pm, in the main lobby There will be a presentation by two 4th year Queen’s University students addressing the unanswered questions about the diagnosis of dementia. The full agenda will be posted in the lobby and on the website before the meeting
OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY – Beth Hopkins, OT, ext. 561
ALZHEIMER COFFEE BREAK—ANNUAL FUNDRAISER
October is National Occupational Therapy Month. It’s a time to celebrate occupational therapy’s contributions to helping people of all ages live healthier and more satisfying lives. Occupational Therapy Services can provide solutions that contribute to the overall wellbeing of all Canadians.
Residents, visitors, staff and volunteers gathered in the Fairmount lobby on September 15th for the annual Coffee Break fundraiser for the Alzheimer Society of Kingston. Although the total amount of money raised is not available as this issue is printed, we expect that we will meet our goal of $1,300. Thank you to all who donated.
Here at Fairmount Home our residents benefit from many different OT services, such as help with self care activities, mobility issues, or help with any activity that is important to the resident that they may be having difficulty doing.
Left, entertainer John “The Jazz Man” Valberg with Dorothy Thomas.
I would like to share with you one example of a success story at Fairmount. One of our residents, Beatrice, was admitted to Fairmount with a walker that was nor appropriate for her and she had difficulty walking with it. It took us almost a year to get the proper walker with a “trough arm” system (see photo). Then the vendor and therapist had to adapt the walker so Beatrice could use the brakes. This was an adaptation that had not been done in the past, and we will pass on this information to the manufacturer so that others may benefit from this experience.
Occupational Therapy Facts •
•
An Occupational Therapist works with anyone who is having difficulty doing activities that are important to them. Occupational Therapists are university trained, regulated health professionals whose unique training enables them to understand not only the medical and physical limitations of a disability or injury, but also the psychosocial factors that impact on a person’s ability to participate in activities.
WORLD OT DAY—A group of Occupational Therapists who are passionate about using online technology to advance entry level education, ongoing professional development, research and practice will again host a free 24 hour virtual exchange in celebration of World OT Day. For more information, check their web site at http:// ot4ot.com/ and follow them on Twitter:@OTVirtual Exchng or hashtag #OT24vx
Right, Kingston Mayor Mark Gerretsen greets guests.
Left, all donations gratefully accepted by Violet and Hugh.
Right, MPP John Gerretsen and volunteer Margie serve guests.
