Almost all of our pots and gardens have been planted at the Home now so we were very glad to see a bit of rain come this past week to help those plants get off to a good start! Our Resident Support Aides completed their orientation training shifts last week and started their first shifts this past weekend. It is certainly going to be very nice to hear the feedback from residents as to these new positions.
The news released last week by the Canadian Armed Forces is certainly upsetting to say the least. We hope that this weekly communication gives you some comfort in knowing that your loved one at JMPC is well cared for and in good hands. It is a very difficult time being so disconnected from your person here at the Home. If there is any way that we can support you in maintaining as much connection as possible, please don’t hesitate to reach out to the Home.
We have been providing zoom visits and window visits for a couple of months now and we would love to hear if you have any suggestions on how to improve these experiences, any helpful tips that you have that makes your visit successful, the best time to be able to see each other through the window etc. Please send your feedback to Candice McMullen. She 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 six previous newsletters should you wish to view them.
Hope you enjoy this week’s newsletter,
Angela Malcolm
Director
What's New at JMPC
Menu -- Here is the menu for this week. On Monday we switched potatoes wedges to baked potato with sour cream and we changed the mini pita to a corn and cheddar biscuit at the request of residents.
Program Schedule -- Here is this week's program schedule.
Parrott Bucks – We have placed ribbons around the home for the residents to find. When they find them, they bring them to Candice for a $2 Parrott Buck that can be used at the Tuck Shop!! This past week the residents needed some clues as to where to find them. Great fun!
Smiling Faces – We purchased a button maker! On Tuesday June 2, we are going to begin a trial of having the Activation staff wear a button that has the staff members smiling face on the button. We are hoping that this will be helpful for residents who are struggling to recognize staff because we are wearing masks all the time. We will keep you posted as to how residents respond to this initiative!
Sensory Room
Our brains are designed to respond to stimuli from the environment around us through our five senses. How we respond to the things we see, hear, taste, touch and smell is demonstrated through a behaviour or an emotion. If we like something we see, we may smile or verbalize our affinity to that item. If we hear something negative, we may feel fear and run. When we experience the same stimuli repeatedly, the emotional response attached to that experience is a result of the brain storing that experience as a memory. For those living with dementia, those memories have often disappeared, or are unable to be easily accessed.
Sensory rooms are special rooms designed for people living with dementia as well as for younger people living with different developmental disorders. These rooms combine gentle light, movement, music, scents and tactile objects to stimulate all five senses. For those living with dementia, sensory rooms provide an opportunity for residents to explore, activating their senses and providing an opportunity for increased engagement with the outside world. Interestingly, these rooms can also reduce difficult behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia such as restlessness, anxiety or aggression.
Over the next coming weeks, the John M. Parrott Center will begin creating its own sensory room in Lilac Knoll. Residents will be able touch and feel many different textures throughout the room. Aromatherapy with scents such as lavender to smell and help provide a calming space. They will hear sounds from the outside like soft rain, birds singing, waves rolling in off the ocean to stimulate pleasant memories and a wide variety of images and colours to see will fill the room.
Our goal is for our residents living with dementia to have an opportunity to feel more alert and aware in their surroundings while experiencing an improvement in mood. If you have any questions or suggestions for our sensory room, we would be happy to hear from you. Please contact Candice McMullen or Michelle Hickey.
Message from the Chair of Family Council
Please feel free to reach out to Gwen if you have any questions that you would like to have answered in this newsletter
Thanks to all who supported Family Council In the walk Sunday for Alzheimer’s/dementia programs. Family Strong raised $471.00 dollars. As time passes it gets harder not to Be able to see and touch our loved ones. When we can again, we all know it will be made more difficult to confront the changes in them over this long separation. If you have any suggestions on how we can support you in this please feel free to reach out to myself, Candice or Angela Malcom as we will be there for you. Take Care Gwen Alex Fairbairn walked for her Great Grandfather Aevon Whalen and helped her Grandmother raise $320.00.
Some of Our Fine Gentleman at JMPC
Our Balcony
We have spruced up this space and residents are enjoying getting
out on the balcony to take in the fresh air.
Zoom Visits & Window Visits
We assist with many of these visits everyday and the residents really look forward to them. We book the window that opens by the front door for residents through Candice McMullen. Residents who find talking on the phone or zoom particularly challenging find this window much easier for them to use. Arranging for a timely visit given the organization that is necessary to coordinate everything we would highly recommend booking your visit in advance so that we can ensure your person is ready for your visit. We would also really encourage you to bring your cell phone so that you can call in to our wireless phone that the resident will be holding while chatting with you through the window.
If you are planning to come over the weekend it would make things easier for us to organize and prepare for if you let us know during the weekday. We don’t want anyone to be disappointed nor do we want to cause you a long wait time while we get things ready for you. Should you wish to book your time/day for your visit please reach out to Candice or give her a call at the Home.