What a great week celebrating Summer Camp Activities here at JMPC! Kudos to the Activation Department for setting the mood on our front balcony complete with a tent, trees, fire pit, camp chairs, cooler and even a clothesline to dry the clothes!
Our new screeners are here and getting used to their new positions. We say goodbye to our County Library staff, as today is their last day with us.
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 https://covid19results.ehealthontario.ca:4443/agree 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 screeners questions. Sign the pledge. Verbally confirm and sign that you have had a negative COVID test within 2 weeks of each visit. You must wear a surgical mask (provided by the Home); Face shields are not acceptable. No physical contact with 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.
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.
What's New at JMPC
Here is the menu for the week of August 31-Sept 6 with the following changes made:
BBQ day is on Thursday and they are having hamburgers, local corn on the cob and ice cream cones
Here is the week’s program schedule for Aug 30- Sept 5.
Age Reduction for Outdoor Visits -- Children 12 years and older can now come and visit residents for the outdoor visits. Please see the Q&A section from Family Council later in this newsletter for a full explanation of this change.
Celebrating another Break Out Day at JMPC! Click here to see the video.
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:
Questions asked to Gwen during this past week and answers provided by Angela Malcolm, Director
Q. Why do visitors coming for outside visits need to be 18 years of age?
A. We are continuing to evolve and learn as we move through this pandemic. The legislation requires that there is to be a maximum of 2 visitors at a time for outside visits. All visitors must be able to understand and follow the infection control related requirements associated with the visit and pass the screening tool which includes a temperature. We have consulted with Public Health as well as our team here at the Home and for the time being will be reducing the age to 12 for outdoor visits. Please note that all outside visitors must wear a fabric mask covering their mouth and nose for the entire duration of their visit and must not come in contact with the resident. Please ensure that children under the age of 18 are accompanied by an adult for the duration of their visit. In keeping with the legislation this will mean one child and one adult can visit a resident at one time. Both visitors must go through the screening process.
Q. Can I bring my pet for a booked outdoor visit in the garden area?
A. We have consulted with Public Health on this matter and feel that moving forward we will allow animals to visit during the outdoor garden visits. It is unclear as to the transmission of COVID from animals to humans so it will be important that there is no contact with the resident and the visiting animal.
Both of these changes noted above in the Q & A section of this newsletter may need to change as we progress through influenza season but it is our hope that we can continue to positively move forward and improve connections with our families/residents.
Next Family Council Meeting
Tues. September 15th at 1:30pm
Please let me know if you can participate so we can set up Zoom invitation. Please forward any items you would like to see addressed so I can do an agenda. Also, let me know if because of work or other commitments a 3:30pm start time would be better.
Shhhh it's a Surprise!
We would love to send a big thank you to JMPC staff from families that are comfortable/interested in participating. If you could send a little thank you video or a picture of you making a heart with your hands or words on paper into Candice (cmcmullen@lennox-addington.on.ca) We will arrange to get it put all together into a video to surprise the staff.
Please feel free to reach out to Gwen should you have any questions or wish to chat.
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.
This week, we will review ATTENTION DEFICIT and the losses that accompany it. Attention is a very important function of the brain. If a person cannot focus on the information around them, then taking that information and storing it into their brain as a memory will be extremely difficult for them. Ultimately, this will impact the person’s ability to learn new information and to interact with their environment in a meaningful way. This is what people living with dementia experience daily.
Difficulty concentrating or maintaining attention is very common in those with dementia. When too much is going on around them, they cannot stay focused and often become restless, easily annoyed and even angry at times. You may see your loved one getting up and leaving the dining table several times throughout a meal. Why are they doing this? It could be that there is more than one conversation occurring at once, or that music is playing in the background. There also could be far too many items placed on the table in front of them. Essentially, there is just too much going on around them and with their damaged brain, they are unable to concentrate or focus on eating a meal. Providing a calm, quiet environment, with minimal distractions will help them stay focused while enjoying their meal.
Other strategies to support a person experiencing this loss includes:
Simplify the environment by presenting one item at a time when assisting with a task. For example; hand articles of clothing one at a time in the order they go on when assisting with dressing.
Simplify communication by giving short, simple instructions or by asking questions that require a yes or no answer.
Avoid crowded spaces if possible and visit in quiet areas. Face the person when conversing with them, ensuring they make eye contact with you.
Remove unnecessary objects when assisting with care or tasks. For example, keep bathroom counters clear of clutter and put out only what will be needed to complete the task.
Reduce background noise such as TV or radio during conversations to avoid overstimulation.
A noisy, fast paced, overcrowded, environment is hard for anyone to endure. It contributes to feeling anxious making it difficult to think straight. Most people prefer a slow paced, peaceful, calm setting where they can feel relaxed and focused. This is no different for those living with dementia but it is up to us to provide that environment for them. When we do this, we can significantly reduce the frustration and anger they may feel when experiencing attention deficit.
Many of the most effective dementia care and communication techniques aren’t easily figured out. For more information on attention deficit, visit: 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!!