Edward Roach Centre, Halifax Ivany Place, Bedford...6:30 – 8:00 p.m. The Coves Neighbourhood...

All events are being held in the Shirley Burnstein Hall &

the Harbourview Lounge

The Lakes (1,2,3 Centre) Wed. Dec. 14 - 6:30-8:00pm

The Shores (4,5,6 Centre)Thurs. Dec. 15 - 6:30-8:00pm

The Oceans & Rivers (5/6 M & 10/11M)

Fri. Dec. 16 - 6:30-8:00pm

The Bays (7,8,9 Centre)Sat. Dec. 17 - 2:00-3:30pm

The Havens (3,4,7,8,9 Manor) Sun. Dec. 18 - 2:00-3:30pm

Residents - FreeGuests - $5/door

2 guests max. please

Come enjoy sweets & treats, a photo booth, crafts, cookie

decorating, music and an opportunity to give back*!

*This year, Northwood is giving residents, staff and families

the opportunity to give back! We are supporting the Bayers

Westwood Food Bank by collecting non-perishable

food items to help families get through the Holiday Season.

Between December 14-21, there will be drop-off boxes in both

the Centre and Manor lobbies.

Don’t Miss Northwood’s Holiday Events!

Annual Holiday Family Dessert Social

Delicious desserts, coffee & tea, good company and

holiday music!

All events are being held in the Great Room from

6:30 – 8:00 p.m.

The Coves NeighbourhoodDecember 14th

The Landings and PointsNeighbourhoodsDecember 19th

The Hills Neighbourhood December 20th

Edward Roach Centre, Halifax Ivany Place, BedfordNeighbourhood Parties

NorthwoodIn Care Living Update

December 2016

December 1st Halifax Harmonizer Barbershop Chorus December 4th Maritime Dance Academy Holiday Performance December 6th Bedford Baptist Carol Sing December 24 Christmas Eve Roman Catholic Mass Christmas Eve Protestant Service December 31st New Year’s Eve Social

Watch for the times on the Resident December calendars!

These special events compliment the house-based recreation therapy programming that occurs every December which include but are not limited to: • TreeDecoratingoneachhouseafterDecember1st• Holidaycookiebaking• Onhousecraftprogram• CommunitysupportthroughCarolSingsandGirlGuideVisits

Additional Holiday EventsIvany Place, Bedford

Edward Roach Centre, Halifax

December 6th @ 7:00 p.m. The Paul & Bill Show

December 10th @ 2:00 p.m. Maritime Conservatory Concert

December 13th @ 2:30 p.m. Symphony Nova Scotia Concert

December 20th @ 2:00 p.m. Paul Simon’s Holiday Sing Along

December 21st @ 6:30 p.m. Blue Christmas Service

December 24th @ 10:15 a.m. Ecumenical Christmas Eve Service

The Ivany Recreation Therapy team:

Stacy GillisThe Coves

Mandie Hatcher The Landings and Points

Adam Setchell The Hills

Rhonda MacLean Recreation Therapist

The Halifax Recreation Therapy team:

Sarah CluettRecreation Therapist

Shannon NedelcuChestnut Lake andPoplar & Beech River

Kathy MartinSpruce Lake & Balsam Bay

Nathalie McJannetCedar Lake & Willow Shore

Ashley Penton, Recreation Therapist & Hickory Shore

Tracey HawthorneAlder Shore & Pine Bay

Jennifer BenjaminBirch Bay & Linden Haven

Renée PattersonMaple&OakHaven

Michele MatthewsEvergreen/CherryOcean&Redwood & Aspen Haven

December 25th @ 1:30 p.m. Egg Nog By The Fire

December 29th @ 2:00 p.m. Holiday Tea Social

In Care Living Update

Onceagaintheholidayseasonisfastapproaching.We are looking forward to seeing you at the many events happening throughout the month of December.

There are many changes occurring in the health care sector that are impacting Long Term Care. In April 2016, the Department of Health and Wellness (DHW) introduced changes to the Long Term Care requirements. We are accountable to meet or exceed these standards and are measured against these standards during our annual DHW licensing inspection and a mid-unannounced visit. Northwood welcomes the licensing process and uses the results to improve the quality of care and service for residents.

For the second year, Long Term Care received reduction in the overall all budget. For our facilities, these cuts amounted to over $750,000; however, we have been successful in minimizing the effects to direct resident care and services.

We are thrilled with the recent resident and family survey results (an overview is included in this update). Feedback from residents and family help us to improve. Family involvement is important to us; developing relationships of trust and openness lead to better resident quality of life.

If you would like to review our current licensing report or the full survey results, please contact Karie Raymond at 902-454-3363 or [email protected] and she will arrange to have the survey results available to you.

In the New Year, we will begin a series of education/information sessions for families. The focus will be on helping you navigate through the many opportunities for you to be involved with residents and staff, and helping us understand your needs. Look for more information on topics and times posted on the family section of our website or postings throughout the facility.

By Josie Ryan, Executive Director, In Care Living

I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself and say how pleased I am to have joined the Ivany team this past September as the Manger of Nursing Services for the Hills & the Points. I’ve been with Northwood since 2009. I started as an evening/day float RN at the Halifax site but quickly moved into the role of RN Clinical Leader and then onto Manager of Nursing Services in 2010 at the Halifax site.

My passion for Long Term Care began in 2002whileIworkedasaPCWatHarborViewHaven in Lunenburg, NS. I worked there each summer while I finished my Nursing degree in Ontario.Aftercompletingmy formaleducation,and following a stint working in acute care, I confirmed that my calling within nursing is long term care. I have always had an immense respect for the elderly — and a particular fondness for those living with dementia. Knowing I wanted to return to NS, I did a lot of research into various organizations and it was clear that Northwood was the right fit for me.

As the nursing manager, I am committed to working with each of you to ensure that you/your loved one are/is receiving appropriate care and that needs are being met to the best of our abilities and resources.

I look forward to getting to know each of you. You may reach me at 902-407-8532 and my door is open to you.

Message from Jennifer Tucker, Ivany Place

If you would prefer to receive this newsletter and other general family communication via email,

please let us know!

Email: [email protected]: 902-454-3356

Seeds of Success is our Halifax based Mental Health Treatment Program. We were able to implement the program in 2015 with Marjorie Lindsay’s generous donation. The mental health treatment program is a non-funded program. We rely on the support from our Foundation for the program to continue.

The program started as an activity-based group program where participants worked on their individual treatment goals through a therapeutic gardening program and a creative expression program. With the success of these two treatment initiatives, and feedback received from the participants, two new “talk therapy” treatment groups were initiated.

Positive Steps: Moving Through Depression is a 10-week program designed for individuals who would like to understand what depression is and how it affects them. The group is co-led by an Occupational Therapist anda Social Worker. A variety of topics are covered during these sessions and each session builds on the previous one. It is recommended that participants attend all sessions to get the most benefit from the group. Learning is supported by home practice with activity sheets each week. Home practice will be reviewed the following week.

Seeds of SuccessThe goals for this program are:•Reviewbasicideasaboutstress and depression in daily life•Learnaboutcommonfacts and myths related to depression, stress and aging•Learnaboutstressandhowit affects the whole person – mind and body•Learnandpracticenewstress management and coping skills•Learnhowtoexercisethemind and the body in order to create more ease in life•Learnnewwaysoflookingatand thinking about situations in order to improve our mood

My Northwood: Adjusting to Long Term Care Support Group The second group is a weekly group geared toward helping new residents adjust to moving into Northwood. The group is co-facilitated by a Recreation Therapist and a Social Worker.

Weekly group sessions are drop-in (newcomers to Northwood are welcome). The group is one hour, and each session is discussion-based, guided by a monthly theme with weekly sub-themes. The group will be loosely structured based on the following format: introductions, theme-based discussion, and closing check-in.

Continuing Care delivers a range of home and community care programs and services and when care at home is no longer an option, we help facilitate placement into long term care (nursing home or residential care facility).

Nova Scotia Health Authority is looking for continuing care clients, families, members of the public and those providing services who are passionate about improving the continuing care experience, to lend their voice and experience to support the planning and delivery of quality continuing care services in our province.

Maybe this opportunity is for you!

If you have questions, require additional information or would like to receive an application form, please contact Christel Mueller at 902-430-8310 or by email at [email protected]

The submission deadline is the end of December, 2016.

Are you the next Continuing Care Quality Improvement and Safety Team/Council Member?

Christmas Card CampaignThe Northwood Foundation has been pleased to partner with our friends at 92.9 Jack FM for our annual Christmas Card Campaign for our Northwood Community.

2016 marks the fourth year of bringing smiles to the faces of those whoe Holiday may bring a sense of loneliness - receiving just one Chrsitmas card can be the hightlight of their day.

Be a part of remembering Northwood making someone’s day extra special this Christmas season.

Maybe you know a teacher who would love their students to make homemade cards or you can add a few extras for Northwood when sending your own.

Cards can be dropped off to the reception desk at 2615 Northwood Terrace, in care of the ‘Northwood Elves’.

For more info, please contact Debra at 902-454-3069 or [email protected]

“The Girls in the Salon” want to thank everyone for all the wonderful support over the years and during the recent changeover.

Now under New Management (ourselves!), we look forward to continuing to serve the residents, tenants, staff and community.

From Cathy, Barb and Marilyn, “Thanks for all the Love”

Call 902-454-4073 for your next appointment.

Ageless Beauty Salon

This is influenza season and to protect residents, a high flu vaccine uptake is essential, including residents, staff, volunteers and families. Residents are at significant risk for complication from the flu. If you visit, get your flu vaccine!

Did you know that influenza is one of the top 10 infectious diseases in Nova Scotia and the influenza associated mortality rate among frail elderly is higher than the general population? Research shows a significant reduction in serious health outcomes for residents as a result of health workers/visitors receiving the influenza vaccine. Adverse events from getting the flu shot are minimal and most common is a sore arm.

Washing your hands saves lives. Getting the flu shot saves lives. The power to stop the flu starts with you!

http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/idepc/dtopics/infectioncontrol/cover/hcp/stopreng.pdf

Serving Residents, Tenants, Staff, Volunteers and the Community

Northwood’s journey through Person Centred Care has shown us the importance of getting to know those who we work for and work with. With permission from the resident and/or their family, we are able to create a document that will help us learn about the person they are!

The “Living History Program” is a process for engaging residents to gather and share basic life information (absolutely no health information). It enables healthcare workers to provide care to the heart and soul of the resident, positively impacting the way we care about and for residents.

The “Living History” serves as a mechanism to strengthen connections with the people we care for and positively shifts the experience for the resident, family and members of the interdisciplinary team. We believe you understand, appreciate, and ultimately care for people better in knowing their personal stories.

We have trained volunteers to interview residents and/or families to capture basic life history and turn it into a powerful one-page story. In addition to being a treasured memento for the resident and family, the story is available so all who come into contact with the resident have information to make connections on new and exciting levels.

We will be contacting the residents directly for their permission. We will be identifying residents who are no longer able to speak for themselves. Here is where you as family come in. We would like to have our trained volunteers contact you by phone to fill out the story on your loved ones’ behalf. We will be contacting you in the New Year.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contactLindaVerlindenat902-454-3018.

Knowing the Person through their Stories

Part of holiday traditions is gift giving. Many residents and families wish to show their appreciation to staff for the care and service they provide and the relationships they have built.

Northwood staff are aware they cannot accept personal gifts such as money or gift cards. This protects both staff and residents. It is not meant to take away the independence of residents or family but to ensure there is never a feeling of obligation or regret for any resident.

There are, however, many ways to recognize or appreciate a staff member:

•CompleteaBravoformthatwillbesharedwiththe staff by their manager and posted in our Life Magazine for the Northwood community to see.

• Provide a small gift that the entire floor/department can share e.g. chocolates candy etc.

• Donate to the Northwood Foundation anddesignate it to a floor to improve the lives of all residents or enhance the work life for staff.

•A letterofappreciationthatcouldbesharedwith the staff person’s manager

•Acardofappreciation.Oftenfeedbackandtheacknowledgement that their care or service is appreciated is the best gift anyone can receive. Northwood appreciates the trust you place in us by choosing to live in our community.

Holidays and Gift Giving to Staff

The clocks have turned back, most of the trees have lost their leaves, and Northwood has just observed one of the most successful Remembrance Days yet in both Halifax and Bedford. These services continue to grow each year, a sign of a community that remembers and wishes to pay tribute to those who have served.

In Halifax, we have welcomed Atlantic School of Theology student Shannon MacLean as she joins us for the school year. Shannon is studying for ordained ministry within the United Church and a great addition to the team. She will be focusing particularly on the spiritual needs of the residents in the Rivers neighbourhood. In Bedford, the spiritual care committee meets regularly and ensures that the needed programming is in place to support and enhance resident’s experiences. All of these things happen only with the cooperation and dedication of our partner faith communities across HRM, whose members and clergy contribute richly to our lives. There are few places as abuzz with holiday activity as Northwood, and this year is no exception as neighbourhood parties and special

Body, Mind and Spirit(ual Care)

events fill our days and evenings. At the same time, we also want to recognize that the holidays are not easy for everyone. If for any reason the Christmas season is difficult for you, you are welcome to join us for the fourth annual Blue Christmas services, taking place on the longest and darkest nights of the year… December 21st at 6:30pm in the Shirley Burnstein Hall In Halifax, and December 22nd at 7pm in the Chapel at Ivany Place. These are deeply meaningful, brief, quiet and contemplative services that allow us to find hope and light in the midst of darkness.

We are delighted to be able to offer once again a full slate of Christmas Eve services for residents and families. Roman Catholic Mass will be held on December 24th at 11:00 a.m. in Bedford in the Great Room and at 6:00 p.m. in Halifax in the Shirley Burnstein Hall. Ecumenical Christmas Eve services will take place at 10:15 a.m. in Halifax and 2:00 p.m. in Bedford. Everyone is welcome and I hope our paths will cross as we celebrate this joyous season!

Blessings,Rev. Renée

From Rev. Renée Clark, Spiritual Care Liaison

With the holiday season fast approaching it is important to remember clothing purchased as resident gifts should always be wash and wear. Our heavy duty laundry machines can causeshrinkage otherwise.

We also request these gifts of clothing be brought to our seamster for labeling prior to wrapping.

If you have questions, please contact Joan Colbourne in Halifax at 902-454-8311, ext. 3145.

Giving the Gift of Clothing this year?

There are many different ways we can measure our quality of care, but one of the most meaningful ways for us to understand this, is from the voice of our residents and families. This past summer we surveyed our residents and family members in order to better understand your experience with Northwood, and to identify areas where we can improve. We heard from 220 residents and 186 family members. Below are some highlights from the survey:

What residents told us:•Ouroverallqualityofcarehasimprovedsince2014 and we are now above the Canadian Long Term Care average!

•88.2%ofresidentsratedourqualityofcareasGoodorExcellentcomparedto83.7%nationally

•WeperformbestonquestionsrelatedtoDignityand Autonomy. This includes things like, having enough privacy, being treated how you want to be treated, choosing what you do each day, and being involved in care planning.

•Wemostneedtoworkonhavingenoughvarietyand choice in Food and Activities offered.

Resident & Family Survey ResultsWhat families told us:•Overallperceivedqualityhasremainedhighandin line with the Canadian Long-term Care average

•93.5%offamilymembersratedqualityofcareasVeryGoodorExcellent,comparedto91.1%nationally.

•WeperformbestonGlobalQualityandCommunication. This includes things like providing tender, loving care, staff keeping you informed and being responsive to your requests.

•OurworstperformingdimensionsareAssistancewith Eating and Activities

We will be working over the coming months to improve on the identified areas and look forward to sharing our progress with you!

For full results, please visit www.nwood.ns.ca

If you have any questions about the survey, contact Kathryn Graves, Quality Specialist [email protected]

Turkey Dinner at CoCo’sLet Tony and CoCo’s family host your Christmas Dinner!

Sunday, December 11 at 12:30 and 4:30 p.m.

Tickets are $20 each and must be purchased in advance. Tickets are available at CoCo’s until December 9.

Call 902-454-8311 ext. 3175 for more information.

CoCo’s is located in the Edward Roach Centre at 2615 Northwood Terrace.

*not exactly as shown

Northwood wants to increase the involvement of clients and family members in planning and reviewing its programs and services. We can accomplish this by changing the current structure of our family councils by moving towards a “Client and Family Advisory” model.

In order to do this, we need clients and families like you to help us understand what the needs and priorities are when it comes to service and care, and to give us your perspectives in what we do well, and what we could be doing better.

• Through our licensing we areobligated to have a formalized venue for clients and their families to be involved and informed in what we do.•Workingwithourclients/residentsand you, their families, as advisors at the organizational level is a critical part of client and family engagement and person centred approaches to improving what we do. • You can offer insights andinput to help us provide care and services that are based on client and family identified needs rather than the assumptions of clinicians or other staff about what the clients and their families want.• Gives us an opportunity todevelop effective partnerships with clients and families.•Thegoalofworkingwithclientsand families as advisors is to bring the perspectives of clients

Client & Family Advisory Councilsand families directly into the planning, delivery and evaluation of our programs and services. As well, it creates an environment where clients, families, clinicians and staff all work together as partners to improve the service. Client and family engagement encompasses experiences of clients, family members, clinicians and staff, as well as organizational policies and procedures that support these behaviors.

Benefits to participants:• Helps the participants gaina better understanding of the healthcare system• Gives participants a venue touse personal experiences to make a difference• Develops meaningfulpartnerships with staff and management by being a full working member of committees.• Gives clients and families avenue to express your opinions, thoughts and desires….knowing that they will be heard•Makesapositiveimpact•Givesbacktoyourcommunity•Opportunitiestolearnnewskills

Benefits to the Organization:•Directinputfromourcustomersabout their needs, no more need to guess or make assumptions•Strategytopromotesafercare• Help to improve the clientexperience•Strengthencommunityrelations• Shift the culture to authenticPatient Family Centred Care

Ways to become involved:•Memberofacommittee(eithershort or long term)•Memberofaprojectteam• Casual consultation ondeveloping new or changing existing policies and programs that affect the clients. This could be in the form of meetings, focus groups, surveys or phone conversations• Sharing personal stories atmeetings, conferences or events

Advisors will go through an application and training process, as confidentiality is paramount in healthcare.

So, where do we begin?

We will be forming a steering committee with key members of the organization and management: senior leadership, clients, families, volunteer resources, quality specialist, nursing etc. This group will determine the membership of the planning committee. The Steering Committee will do a work plan and project charter and will work with the planning committee on forms, processes etc.

If you are interested in sitting on the steering committee, please contact LindaVerlinden at 902-454-3018.

Nursing Services UpdateNorthwood HalifaxThere have been a number of changes in RN Clinical Leaders over the past few months we wanted you to be aware of.

Bldg. Neighbourhood RNCL Manager ManagerCentre 1 Chestnut Lake Debbie Landry Beth Clamp

2 Spruce Lake Wendy Cameron3 Cedar Lake Amanda Blanchard4 Willow Shore Shaunna MacIsaac Catrina Crouse5 Hickory Shore Roger Currie6 Alder Shore Bonnie Potter7 Birch Bay Andrea Rosvold Candyce

Crawford8 Pine Bay Jobin Joseph9 Balsam Bay Siju Mathew

Manor 3 Maple Haven Holly Anderson Kelly Cameron4OakHaven7 Linden Haven Megan Fricker8 Redwood Haven9 Aspen Haven5 Evergreen Ocean

LPN coverage Janet Egli

6CherryOcean10 Poplar River Mellissa Gosse11 Beech River

Facility Clinical Resource Manager Bernadette Mitchell- McDonald

Administrative Assistant VentinaAllison902-454-3319

As we head into the winter months, here are some key messages that can go a long way towards keeping you/your loved one(s) healthy.

• Influenza and Norwalk are spread by droplet/contact (fecal-oral route); people pick up the virus from surfaces such as door knobs, hand rails, elevator buttons, etc. and then “eat” the germs by touching their faces or eating food with contaminated hands – HANDWASHING ISYOURMOSTEFFECTIVEDEFENSEAGAINSTGETTING SICK!!•Ifyouneedtocoughorsneeze,youshoulddoitintoyoursleeve.If using a tissue, it should be immediately discarded and your hands disinfected by washing with soap and water or using an alcohol

based cleanser• If you are sick – Please StayHome! Remember our residents are very susceptible to catching whatever is going around. Watch for symptoms like a sore throat and cough, fever, achy muscles, and just feeling generally unwell.• If there is an outbreak ofinfluenza or Norwalk on a floor (or floors) in the facility, there will be signs posted at the elevators asking that you check at the desk before going to the affected floor(s) – this is for your protection and the protection of the residents. We will not ask you not to visit, but you should use your judgment and be aware that you could be at an increased risk of becoming sick. Children will be asked not to visit the affected floor(s) as they introduce additional risks.• The floor(s) that is affectedwill be placed on “restrictions”, meaning that residents will be requested to stay on their floor until the “all clear” is given. (eg. appointments off the floor will be rescheduled). This is intended to prevent the spread of the illness to other floors. Every effort is made to avoid having staff working on affected floors then going to work on an unaffected floor during the same shift.• If many floors becomeaffected, all large gatherings and programs will be cancelled or postponed. Again, attempting to stop the spread of the illness.•Youshouldalwayswashyourhands before going to the floors and again when leaving, but this is especially true during flu season. There are alcohol hand wash stations at the elevators and the stairwell doors for convenience.

Edward Roach Centre, Halifax Ivany Place, Bedford...6:30 – 8:00 p.m. The Coves Neighbourhood...

Documents

Transcript of Edward Roach Centre, Halifax Ivany Place, Bedford...6:30 – 8:00 p.m. The Coves Neighbourhood...