WOW!! That has been HOT! We could not be more appreciative of our air conditioning at JMPC!! We are also all big fans of popsicles and watermelon! We are very thankful for the rain that came over the weekend to help out with our many gardens around the Home.
When booking your outdoor garden visit, please include your phone number in the event that we need to reach out to you. We may need to reduce the time of your visit (or worse case would be that we need to cancel the appointment) so as not to expose the resident (or yourself) to any heat related symptoms. We will try to call one day in advance of your visit if we need to reschedule/cancel it due to extreme heat / inclement weather. As always, we will ensure there is plenty of cold water for both the resident and the visitors to consume while here as well as a shady spot to visit.
In the news this week, there has been much discussion around air conditioning in LTC Homes. Later on in this newsletter, you will find information prepared by our Environmental Services Supervisor, Shane McKenny as to how our cooling system works here at JMPC. That said, if you haven’t brought in a portable fan for your residents personal use in their room, we would encourage you to do this as it does help to move the air around. Please ensure their name is on the fan and drop it off at the screening table.
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 coming for the Garden Visits
All visitors coming to the Home must be swabbed within 2 weeks of each visit. 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 need to see a screenshot or document that you will show to the screener on the day of your visit (we don’t need to have this in advance) confirming you have been tested and have had a negative result in the past 2 weeks.
What to Bring when you come for a Garden Visit:
Bring your COVID test results
Bring your own face covering
Bring your own lawn chair
A visiting schedule has been set up online using the same link as you have been using for zoom and window visits. Access it here. If you are unable to access this online tool, please reach out to the Home at 613 354 3306 and you will be supported in booking this visit.
Need to Cancel your Booked Visit?
Unfortunately, the booking site doesn’t have a cancel feature. To cancel an appointment you can:
Contact Candice (ext 7223) or Earline (main line) by phone or email
What's New at JMPC
Menu -- Hereis the menu for this week with the following changes made:
Tuesday: Deli Meat Sandwich changed to BBW Sausage on a bun with sauerkraut
Thursday: Turkey Chili changed to Chicken burger with Lettuce, Tomato slices, and mayo.
On Wednesday Lilac Knoll is having their Surf and Turf night: Their menu will be BBQ Steak and Shrimp, Mashed Potatoes, and Green Beans
Program Schedule – Here is this week’s program schedule.
Lilac Knoll Sensory Room – This is coming together very nicely and residents are certainly enjoying the different textures and calm lighting within this space.
Residents Going for Medical Appointments -- Following discussion with our Medical Director, Clinical Management and Public Health, we will no longer be isolating our residents for 7 days following their return from a medical appointment. In an effort to ensure everyone’s safety and an ongoing diligence to infection control practices while balancing residents social well being, we will, moving forward, require that the person taking the resident to/from the appointment have a COVID-19 swab completed within 14 days of the residents appointment.
Zoom Meetings, Window Visits & Garden Visits
Book yourZoom and Window 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 please call 613-354-3306 or email Candice here. Please note that you can continue to enjoy your zoom visit along with a Garden visit or window visit. You certainly can have more than one form of connection with your loved one.
Steak and Shrimp on the BBQ
Kristen BBQ’d the steak and shrimp for the residents on our first RHA, Spring Meadow, on Wednesday. Resident comments from their dinner were from Shirley who said she loved it and Marylou said it was the best meal of the year! Others commented on how tender the steak was and thought the shrimp was delicious!
Getting to Know Us
Shane McKenny is our Environmental Services Supervisor. He has worked at the Home for the past 5 years in the Maintenance Department and commenced this position in February 2020.
. It’s always nice to put a name to a face….. Here’s Shane!
Cooling System at JMPC
by Shane McKenny, Environmental Services Supervisor
During these hot days of summer and with the frequent heat warnings issued by Environment Canada our first thought is often to check in on family, friends and neighbours that may be vulnerable during a prolonged heat wave and we have the same concerns here at the John M. Parrott Centre.
At the JMPC, we monitor outdoor and indoor temperatures to ensure the indoor air quality is maintained to a level that will keep our residents safe and comfortable. When heat alerts are issued by Environment Canada our Extreme Heat Response Plan is implemented outlining specific tasks for all departments to follow to reduce the risk of any heat related stress. Windows and curtains are closed to reduce external thermal loads on the building, fans are turned on to circulate cool air, menu plans are modified so cold entrees are an option, cool snacks and refreshments are offered to residents, popsicles are available for everyone, activities are moved inside and residents are monitored for signs of heat related illnesses.
Throughout the day indoor temperatures are monitored in all areas and temperature and humidity audits are completed at mid day in resident rooms by the Environmental Services team. Our Maintenance team monitor the operation of all HVAC units and air exchange systems to ensure they are operating at optimum performance and any issues or concerns with these systems are addressed immediately.
In each Resident Home Areas the core areas are air conditioned this includes the activity room, tv room, dining rooms, team centres and therapy rooms. In addition to the RHAs core areas, all common areas in the home are also air conditioned such as the Tea Room, Macdonald Hall, the Library, the Solarium, the Welcome Centre, and the Village Salon. These areas can be used as cooling stations as needed and is where all programs and activities are held. The air conditioning is supplied by HVAC units which circulate air through the duct work and mix the exhaust air with fresh air that is then cooled and returned to these areas.
The corridors and resident rooms are supplied with tempered fresh air from our 2 Air Exchange Units, these units remove 100% of the air from these areas and exhaust it outside through a enthalpy wheel which transfers the cool temperature of the exhaust air to the fresh air entering the building before it is further cooled and returned to these areas. This system supplies 100% fresh air directly to resident rooms, corridors and service rooms. Due to the volume of fresh air entering the building these units temper the fresh air 12 degrees below the outside air temperature, for example if the outside air temperature is 32 degrees the air supplied to the resident rooms is 20 degrees. These units run 24 hours a day to ensure we achieve the temperatures required to keep our residents comfortable.
Most of our population are elderly residents that prefer to have a warmer climate, due to reduced circulation, medical conditions, and limited mobility. The criteria that we follow is based on the residents needs and is implemented by the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care. The John M. Parrott Centre has 10 HVAC units, 2 Air Exchange units and 1 Make Up Air unit controlled through a building automation system to ensure we can provide clean, fresh air to our residents while ensuring their safety and comfort. HVAC technicians are contracted to preform preventative maintenance and replace the filters on these units at a minimum of every 2 months and all our systems and equipment are fully supported by an emergency generator.
The graph below is used to ensure the room temperatures are at an acceptable level to keep our residents safe and comfortable
The A's of Dementia
The Loss of Language
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. Over the next few weeks, we will review what each “A” means and the losses that accompany them.
Let’s take a look at APHASIA this week. Have you ever travelled to a foreign country where you didn’t speak the language? What if you were lost and needing directions? How would you express your need for help? Lastly, how would you understand directions if you could not interpret spoken or written rooms?
Aphasia is the loss of language and for those living with dementia, the impact of aphasia will be an addition to other cognitive changes they may already be experiencing. When experiencing aphasia, a person may have difficulty expressing themselves verbally (expressive aphasia), understanding what is being said to them (receptive aphasia) or understanding what they read or write. You may hear a person with aphasia say a word that sounds similar like hole instead of home. They may replace a word that has similar meaning like using the word kitchen for home. They may also use words that are not comprehendible such as delosh for home. It’s not unusual for those with aphasia to repeat a word or phrase when attempting to speak or to revert back to speaking in their first language rather than languages spoken later in life.
Supporting those with dementia who may experience aphasia can be challenging as communication breakdowns happen frequently which can be frustrating for both the individual and their care giver. The following strategies can be used to support the person experiencing this loss.
Make sure you have the person’s attention before you start.
Minimize background noise.
Use pictures, drawings, words, gestures and facial expressions in addition to speech.
Use simple, one step directions and speak in short phrases. Ensure to speak in an adult tone and slow the rate of your speech.
Give them time to speak and resist the urge to finish words or sentences
Write messages with large font, depending on ability to see/read
Confirm that you are communicating successfully with yes or no questions
Just like being in a foreign country, unable to interpret instruction, the effects of aphasia can contribute to fear, increased anxiety, sadness and frustration. This can lead to different responsive behaviours such as striking out in frustration. Using the above communication strategies can help to reduce these feelings and enhance meaningful communication for those living with dementia.
For more information on memory loss and tips for how to cope, go to: https://www.alzheimer.ca
Message from the Chair of Family Council
Please feel free to reach out to Gwen if you have a question that you would like to have answered in this newsletter