Hope everyone is enjoying their summer. We are going to make a minor change to our weekly newsletter that will take effect following this newsletter. We will be moving to releasing the weekly newsletter every Friday at noon (instead of every Monday at noon). This will result in a slight break with the release of today’s newsletter and then the next newsletter will be on Friday August 21 2020 at noon.
We have had some difficulties this past week regarding the resident visits. The restrictions and safeguards in place are there to protect your loved ones. Failure to follow the directions of staff regarding the safeguards in place will result in the removal of your indoor visits. We must follow both the provincial legislation as well as KFLA Public Health directions for all visits occurring on the property. We are doing our best to provide equitable access, multiple visiting formats as well as a high frequency of available times for these visits to occur. However, we do not want to compromise our extensive resident programs as a result of these visits. Residents look forward and thoroughly enjoy these important programs.
The rules around not visiting when you are ill, physical distancing, and no physical contact with the resident is vital. Should this be compromised, we have received the strong recommendation (which we will enforce) from KFLA Public Health as well as the Ministry of Health to isolate the resident affected to ensure the highest degree of safety precautions are maintained for the remaining JMPC population.
It is important for you to know, if our Home gets even one case of COVID-19 (staff or resident), we will be considered in Outbreak, which means ALL visits will be suspended until we are out of Outbreak. We really do have to work together on this!
I am very happy to tell you that 100% of the staff are doing an amazing job at getting themselves swabbed every 2 weeks for their COVID-19 test. We don’t love it, but we do line up for it right here at the Home because we know that this is another important measure to ensure everyone’s safety at the Parrott Centre. We also continue to swab any residents experiencing any symptoms right away as an additional safety measure.
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.
Hope you enjoy this week’s newsletter,
Angela Malcolm
Director
COVID-19 Testing for Visitors
All visitors coming into the Home must be swabbed within 2 weeks of each visit AND received their negative results. You will need to call a COVID-19 assessment center to book your COVID-19 swab test and have it completed. It will take approximately 48-72 hours to obtain your results. The number for the Napanee Assessment Centre held at the Lenadco Complex (across the road from JMPC) is 613-354-8254. Other COVID assessment centers are available near you. The link to access your results for this testing is here. The Home will require a verbal confirmation that you have been tested and have had a negative result in the past 2 weeks.
Indoor Visits: You will need to take your temperature in the foyer prior to entering each time you visit. Provide your temperature result to the screener. Answer the screener's questions. Sign the pledge. Verbally confirm and sign that you have had a negative COVID test within 2 weeks of each visit. Must wear a surgical mask (provided by the Home); face shields are not acceptable. No physical contact with the resident.
Perishable items: Food being brought in for a resident must be in a container that can be wiped down with our wipes and they will then be delivered to your resident right away. All other items will be kept for 24 hours prior to being taken to the resident.
Outdoor Visits: Outdoor visits do not require a COVID-19 test as of July 15 2020. You are required to wear a facial covering that you supply (face shields are not acceptable). You will be on the outside of the fence and the resident will be on the inside. Bring your lawn chair please.
What's New at JMPC
Menu -- Hereis the menu for this week with the following changes made:
The only changes are on Tuesday. Residents are having BBQ Sausages with Sauerkraut, Carrot Raisin Salad and Donut Fingers from the Dundas Street Bakery instead of sausage casserole with a garlic bun and a chocolate butter tart
Program Schedule – Here is this week’s program schedule.
JMPC Man Cave – Don’t forget about considering to donate an item for our Man Cave
Zoom, Window, Indoor & Garden Visits
Book yourZoom, Window, Indoor and Garden Visit online using Picktime!
We ask that visits be scheduled a day ahead and that weekend requests are completed by Friday at 2pm. For zoom visits, you will receive a confirmation email first. Then, 1 day prior to your zoom visit you will receive the zoom link emailed to you from the Home.
If you have any questions or unable to access this online tool, please call 613-354-3306 and someone will help you Mon-Fri during business hours. Please note that you can continue to enjoy your zoom visit along with an inside, Garden or window visit. You certainly can have more than one form of connection with your loved one.
Need to Cancel your Booked Visit?
The booking site doesn’t have that feature to cancel yourself online unfortunately. So to cancel an appointment you can:
Contact Candice (ext 7223) or Earline (main line) by phone or email
Liquid Paint Art at JMPC
Thanks to a wonderful monetary donation for craft supplies from the Lowry Family, we have been able to do some very interesting art projects. Here is some liquid paint art we did in Lilac Knoll…All Unique and One of a Kind!! Great Job Doris and Jean!!
Welcome to Our New "Employee" Trudy
She is very happy to be filling her day with meaningful work that is important. Her paycheck comes in the form of Parrott Bucks that can be used at the Tuck Shop. Very happy to have her on our team.
Message from the Chair of Family Council
Questions asked to Gwen during this past week and answers provided by Angela Malcolm, Director
Having your loved one in a long-term care home is emotionally wrenching. This has been made so much more difficult with the advent of Covid 19. We now experience terror for our loved one’s safety compounded with a sense of helplessness and a lack of control. This is an extremely difficult time for everyone. However, it is important to exercise patience and understanding for the staff of JMPC as they try their very best to navigate the demands of these times and the stress of keeping all of our loved ones safe.
Having worked closely with staff I can assure you they are doing more than their very best to ensure exceptional, compassionate care for all residents. During this unprecedented time an enormous responsibility has been placed on their shoulders: to keep our very vulnerable family members safe. With mandates and guidelines changing all the time, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by our own anxieties. It is important to practice empathy during this time, and to understand the constraints and demands placed on those who are providing care while dealing with the same anxieties and stresses we all are in our lives. They come to work every day despite possible threats to their health. With the lack of family support, they are fully responsible for the social, mental, emotional and physical well being of all 168 residents on top of providing increased activities to keep residents socially active and engaged they need to coordinate and staff 4 modes of family communication.
We are all learning to navigate this new reality. I strongly encourage all of us to be empathetic, patient and kind in our interactions with staff. They do not make the rules but they are held accountable should they not be followed. They are doing their utmost to be responsive to our needs and the residents but we do need to be understanding of the challenges they face.
Some Suggestions to Support our own Health Care Heroes at JMPC
Please be helpful. If at all possible, schedule visits using the online tool or get someone to help you. Often there are more than 100 calls a week and 3 staff per call to sign in, approve, and communicate to the team. This is time taken away from resident care. If you want to contact Gwen to walk you through it so that you can learn to do it yourself, please feel free.
Please be understanding of the protocols that must be followed. Giving staff a hard time because you don’t want to take your temperature or complete forms each time is not helpful. This is what must be done according to government. Remember they are doing the best they can.
Please be patient. Only 2 people can be in the entrance at a time. Please understand that there are specific questions that need to be asked and information to document but we will do our best to get you through the process as efficiently as possible.
Please be understanding. Try to accept the procedures put in place. The staff is stretched very thin. Much as they would like to accommodate everyone’s request for individual exceptions it just not possible.
If you have questions or concerns that are not of an urgent or extremely personal matter, please contact me. I am glad to have phone conversations and to find answers and solutions as best we can.
Please be appreciative. A note, card or email expressing your understanding and appreciation goes a long way to lifting morale and relieving stress. Let’s try to do this more often.
This graphic illustrates the difference between a healthy brain and one with changes associated with dementia. Visualizing the physical changes in the brain can help individuals understand why a person living with dementia behaves as they do.
The A’s of Dementia:
AMNESIA
APHASIA
AGNOSIA
APRAXIA
ALTERED PERCEPTION
APATHY
ANOSOGNOSIA
ATTENTION DEFICITS
Individuals living with dementia will experience different losses, to varying degrees. The A’s of dementia represent the many losses associated with the disease. Each A represents a different loss, both cognitive and emotional.
Individuals living with dementia will experience different losses, to varying degrees. The A’s of dementia represent the many losses associated with the disease. Each A represents a different loss, both cognitive and emotional.
This week, we will review APATHY and the losses that accompany it.
We all have changes in our mood from time to time. Sometimes, people have periods of depression and cannot participate in activities because they don’t have the energy or feel up to it. People with dementia can sometimes appear to be depressed, but often what they are experiencing is apathy and not depression.
Apathy is a word that describes loss of interest, motivation and/or persistence. It means not caring and not being social with others. A person with dementia may develop apathy (become apathetic) and feel unmotivated to do anything. Apathy can be a symptom of depression but it can also occur separately from depression. The underlying reasons for depression are not the same as the apathy associated with dementia.
Persons with apathy as a result of dementia are unable to initiate interactions with the outside world, but they are not sad or concerned about their inactivity. Apathy happens because the “initiation centre”, an area of the brain responsible for planning, judgment, and insight, is just not working.
It can be distressing for a caregiver or family member to see the person with dementia withdrawing from social gatherings and other activities. However, persons with dementia who experience apathy are completely dependent on others to engage and interact with them so understanding the causes of apathy and how to respond to it can be helpful.
Persons with apathy may:
Not be interested in getting up, getting dressed or eating.
May sit in front of a meal without eating, despite being hungry and physically able to eat independently.
May remain in bed or a chair, proceed to void, despite having the physical ability to remain continent.
May stay in one place for hours without seeking stimulation or expressing any desire to do so.
Responding to apathy:
Engage the person in an activity by physically bringing them to it.
Provide verbal, visual cues to help the person start the task like getting dressed or eating.
Keep activity supplies stored nearby to present to the person and initiate activities that they are still able to do.
It is very important to know the person and their preferred activities so that you are not trying to engage a person in an activity they will not enjoy.
For more information on the loss of interest and tips for how to cope, go to: https://www.alzheimer.ca
Alzheimer's Society
If you are feeling that you would like some additional support or have some questions that you would like to work through we would like to encourage you to access this amazing local resource. Lisa would be happy to chat with you!!