Hello Everyone,

The colours of fall are so beautiful! I hope you have had an opportunity to take a drive or walk to soak all of this beauty in. The County GIS team have put together some great drives throughout the County of Lennox & Addington. If you are interested in checking these routes out, click here. Our residents created some spectacular artwork for our Art Gallery Wall that you should definitely check out when you are in next. I have also posted them onto the County Facebook page here

COVID Outbreak Update and Masking:

We are currently outbreak free at JMPC!!

We still require masks to be worn throughout the Home.

While the Ministry does permit masks to be taken off when in a residents room, who is by themselves, we would not recommend this. We have had people coming in who felt no symptoms and then the following day test COVID positive and are feeling ill. This increases the risk to the resident and any other residents they interact with.

Informational Webinar for Families:

Ministry of Long Term Care is hosting regarding this fall Respiratory Illness Preparedness.

Information Session for Caregivers and Families (English) — hosted by Family Councils Ontario

Date: October 26, 2023

Time: 1:30pm EST

Pre-Register here:

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_NW4QUKXDRxSQlMJjYm4Z-g#/registration

Food and Drinks:

We are no longer permitting general visitors and essential caregivers to consume food and fluids in common spaces. These common spaces include the tea room across from reception, MacDonald Hall, the 2nd floor library, and all lounges. Should you wish to have a drink or food item with your resident, you will need to do this in the residents room only or book a Gibbard family dining room with reception.

Resident Accommodation Agreement:

We will be mailing out our revised accommodation agreements to all POA's for finance next week. The changes that you will primarily see relate to language updates with the new Fixing Long Term Care Act. Please reach out to Bobbie Joe Blackburn at ext 7224 if you have questions. Please sign and return to JMPC reception at your earliest convenience.

Understanding the Dementia Journey:

If you are finding it difficult to support your loved one or don't know what to say or how to engage with your loved one, you may want to consider this very informative full day of learning here at JMPC! You will walk away with some very practical tips and a better understanding of the dementia journey. See poster below for details on how to register for this free day on October 25.



New Resources:

I have included some new resources / tips later in this newsletter to help your loved one if they end up having to isolate in their rooms.

Staying up to date on COVID-19 Vaccinations, Flu Shots and RSV:

We are currently getting residents up to date on their COVID Vaccinations and Flu Shots. Following those being done, we will begin to roll out the RSV Vaccinations. Prior to a resident receiving any needle, we will be reaching out for consent first.

For essential caregivers receiving a flu shot or a new COVID vaccination, can you please provide proof to Colleen at reception or email Sam at sbobbie@lennox-addington.on.ca

Family Satisfaction Survey:

Our annual Family Satisfaction Survey is now open. Residents have been completing their survey as well with the great help of our NDSS co-op students.

The survey can be completed by clicking on the link below:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FamSat2023

Survey closes on November 30 2023.

We would love to hear from you!

If this is your first time reading our newsletter, I would encourage you to go to this link where you will find the previous newsletters should you wish to view them. 

Should you ever not want to receive these newsletters, please follow the prompts on the newsletter at the bottom to unsubscribe. 

Also, if you ever feel that you would prefer to not have a picture of your loved one or changed your mind and would like to have your loved one included in our Family Newsletter, please reach out to Bobbie-Joe at bblackburn@lennox-addington.on.ca or by calling ext 7224.  

Chat with you in our next regular newsletter which will be in your inbox on November 17, 2023. 

Have a great week,

Angela Malcolm

Director  

Infection Control (IPAC)

From the desk of Emily Sarley RN

IPAC Lead

The COVID in LTC study, co-led by Schlegel Research Chair in Clinical Epidemiology and Aging Andrew Costa, found that immunity wanes over time: the time since most recent vaccination, rather than the dose number, is important in supporting immunity to COVID-19. Research has found that peak immunity is around one month after a booster dose.

The RIA partnered with McMaster University to create a short video encouraging Canadians to receive their booster dose just before the next expected wave of the virus rises, which will be this Fall. 

When Isolation Is Required

Now What? How can I help?

With the cold and flu season upon us, many residents will experience isolation periods. Isolation can be a difficult and a confusing time for residents with cognitive impairments who don’t understand why they must stay in their room. They may easily forget why they must not leave or they may just be bored and leave their room looking for something to do or someone to visit with.

A resident can be provided with a toolkit that has different activities in it for staff/essential caregivers to use with the resident who is isolating.

Knowing what a residents past interests or hobbies were, gives us an idea of what activities they may enjoy to keep them busy. We then take this knowledge and create a kit unique to that residents interests. Families can help by giving staff some ideas for contents of a kit as well as participate in activities from the kit during visits.

Examples of what a toolkit includes:

SIGNAGE: there are different signs available to use for residents based on their level of cognitive loss.

·      Stop sign to place at their doorway to remind them not to leave.

·      Yellow wander strip to place across doorway with stop sign.

·      You have a virus that you can pass onto others……… to post to remind them why they must stay put.

·      Do I look funny? Sign to explain why staff are wearing PPE.

·      COVID-19 sign: simple explanation of virus and why staff are wearing PPE.

ACTIVITES:

·      Match the shape to the corresponding shape

·      Dice game: 2 large dice, white poker chips, number card. Resident will roll dice, place chip on correct corresponding number on card.

·      Card game: Place the colour of playing card to the correct coloured box.

·      Poker chips: sort the coloured poker chips into the correct coloured cup.

·      Wooden shapes and string: String wooden shapes together.

·      Ball of yarn: Unravel yarn and then have resident ravel it back up into a ball.

·      300 piece puzzle

·      Colouring pages and crayons

·      Word search book

·      Pipe cleaners: encourage resident to be creative. Can also be used to string wooden shapes onto.

·      Stress balls.

READING MATERIAL:

·      Hymn book

·      Reminisce books

If you have any ideas for kit contents, please contact Amanda Sparks at asparkes@lennox-addington.on.ca or Michelle Hickey Clark at mhickey@lennox-addington.on.ca

Guest Meals

Meal tickets are available (for Non-Outbreak Home Areas) from Colleen at the reception desk Monday - Friday during business hours. You do need to book the meal that you plan to attend at least 24 hours in advance (if the meal is for the weekend, it needs to be booked by Friday at 4 pm). You will be set up in the Gibbard Dining Room with your resident. Lunch is served at 12 pm and supper is served at 5 pm.

IPAC Education that is required for all Designated Essential Caregivers

The Fixing Long Term Care Act states that we are required to provide specific IPAC related education to our Essential Caregivers. We also need to be able to demonstrate that we have provided the education, and that everyone has participated / received it and that it met your needs as it relates to IPAC knowledge.

 Here is the Youtube link of the video prepared by Public Health that covers all the required content.

After watching the video, please complete the quiz found at the link here.

As always, we are happy to help you with this if you are struggling to access the link or would prefer to complete a hard copy. Please speak with Colleen at reception and she will direct you accordingly.

Family Council has created "Coffee House" donation boxes for our hot drink areas. Please feel free to help us cover the costs of providing these hot drinks while you visit with your loved one. They will be set up and ready to go on October 24th.

A special thanks to Ruth Judd on this project and thank you to

Family Council for their support!!

Menu for the week

• Here is the link to the most current menu.
• The Birthday Dinner this month will be BBQ Ribs (selected by residents)
• The residents voiced at Dining Council that there was too much Jell-O on the menu so we changed the Jell-O on Wednesday to a Pumpkin Tart!

Programs for the Week

• Here is the week’s most current program schedule.

A word from Amber, NP

 Please feel free to reach out to Corinne if you have questions or would like more information about Family Council.

Corinne Holmes

corinnerholmes@gmail.com or you can call her at 613-540-1481

Our artists painting beautiful fall pictures

Creating our Apple themed cart

Making Rose Bowl Spiders

Montessori Projects

It is highly recommended you keep fully up to date with your COVID-19 vaccinations.

Visiting Hours are from 9:00 am - 9:00 pm.

Ensure to sign in as you enter indicating the person you are here to visit.

As per Resident's Council there is to be no family/friends in the resident dining rooms during meal time. We respectfully support their decision.

Please Note: General Visitors are not permitted onto a Home Area that is in Outbreak of any kind.

Dental Services from an onsite Dentist - Multigen

Contact Sheena Berry-Wilson to set up an appointment

1-877-459-3273 ext 2004

Fax: 1-866-257-5813

http://multigenhealth.com/

Consent form for this service can be found here

Dental Hygiene Services: 

Roving Dental Hygiene – Karen De Luca RDH – 613-770-3801

Modern Care Dental Hygiene – (613) 449-4838 or info@mcdh.ca  

Hearing Services:

Miracle Ear - Scott Laidman, Reg AHIP – 613-354-7223

Hear Right Canada – Tammy Powell – 613 308 9338 (she will come into JMPC)

Foot Care Services:

Donna Chandu-Lall – 613-329-4914

Jennifer Morris – 613-329-0271

Gerrie Plaizier – 613-329-3182

Please feel free to reach out to them as needed. They are privately based on a fee for service. 

County of Lennox & Addington Website

County of Lennox & Addington Facebook

JMPC Room Layouts

  JMPC CONTACTS

• Angela Malcolm, Director (Ext. 7222)
• Carol Corcoran, Manager of Nursing (Ext. 7226)
• Emily Sarley, Assistant Manager of Nursing / IPAC Lead (Ext. 7227)
• Carolyn McConnell, RAI Supervisor (Ext. 7259)
• Amanda Sparkes, Resident Services Coordinator (Ext. 7223)
• Shane McKenny, Environmental Services Supervisor (Ext. 7230) 
• Kristen Richmond, Food Services Supervisor (Ext. 7228)
• Hilary Rock, Dietitian/P.T. Food Services Supervisor (Ext. 7229)
• Bobbie-Joe Blackburn, Administrative Supervisor (Ext. 7224)
• Michelle Hickey, Behavioural Support Nurse (Ext. 7237)

Ministry of Long Term Care Family Support and Action Line 

1-866-434-0144  

This line is available to raise concerns or ask questions related to LTC homes across Ontario and is staffed seven days a week from 8:30am – 7:00pm

The person who answers the call will take your name and contact information, ask a few questions on the issue, and forward this to an inspector for follow-up.

The complainant will hear back from the Ministry within two business days.

OR

Write to the Ministry at

Director

Long-Term Care Inspections Branch

Long-Term Care Operations Division

119 King St W, 11^th Floor

Hamilton, ON L8P 4Y7

OR

If the complainant has already contacted the home directly and the Long-Term Care Family Support and Action Line and was not able to reach a satisfactory resolution,

they can contact the Patient Ombudsman.

Contact the Patient Ombudsman

1-888-321-0339 toll free

1-416-597-0339 (Toronto)

1 416-597-5371 (TTY)