Entre Nous
January 2017 - Long-term care
In the fall of 2016, all long-term care staff members at Bruyère Continuing Care underwent training sessions on topics such as abuse and neglect prevention, pleasurable eating and best practices for falls and restraints.
Thank you to the contributors and the employees for the excellent discussions during these training sessions. It is through initiatives like these that we pursue our vision of enhancing lives and transforming care.
-Melissa Donskov, Executive Director
Thank you for your continued vigilance regarding the Sign-out, Sign-in Book located at the nurses' station on each unit.
If the resident’s return date or time changes, the resident or person accepting responsibility must contact us. Otherwise, we will be required to follow our process for missing residents (code yellow) which can include notifying the Ottawa police.
The Bruyère Centre for Learning, Research and Innovation and the Saint-Louis Residence are partnering with an Ottawa company, Remotronic, to pilot an emerging technology. This new mobile phone application alerts care staff when a fall occurs and gives information that can help better tailor responses to the fall. Keep an eye on www.clri-ltc.ca for updates on this project.
The Bruyère email is the best way for employees to stay in the know. Employees must check their emails regularly to:
- Get the latest news from management
- Learn about emergency codes and infection outbreaks
- Know when the various events are taking place (e.g., unit tours)
- Have the opportunity to win prizes thanks to corporate contests
Family members: do you know when was the last update to your contact information in our files? Let us know of any changes.
Élisabeth-Bruyère Residence
A huge thank you to the staff for their incredible efforts to enhance the meal services and snack service provision.
The ministry noted the impressive work that was accomplished. It is our residents who truly benefit from the transformation.
Congratulations!
Did you know that in long-term care at Bruyère Continuing Care, we use an electronic documentation system?
When you see employees on computers in the hallways, they are entering key information in the file of the residents they care for. This information allows, amongst other things, the continuity and excellence of care.
This electronic system is called PointClickCare. It is safe and effective, but also allows the entire care team to have access to important information about our residents at all times and even remotely!
Winter is the season for outbreaks, whether it be a respiratory infection outbreak or something else.
It is important to be aware of any outbreaks as well as the visiting restrictions before coming to the residence.
Dial 613-562-6262, ext. 1600 to reach Info-Bruyère and listen to all the important outbreak-related messages.
We work with Ontario Medical Supply for the cleaning and cleanliness of mobility aids (e.g., wheelchairs, walkers, etc.)
Thorough cleaning is done twice a year. Meanwhile, some equipment will be cleaned every two months. Any urgent cleaning will be done as required. The next thorough cleaning is scheduled in March.
There is no fee charged to families or residents for the mobility aids cleaning.
Thank you for your great collaboration to ensure the cleanliness of the home.
Saint-Louis Residence
At 12:12 a.m., on Monday, January 30, a fire on the third of Saint-Louis Residence required movement of 22 residents to a temporary location onsite. The quick response from the monitoring system, staff and the fire department prevented the fire from spreading. No one was injured in the fire. Saint-Louis Residence is fully sprinklered and up to date in terms of emergency procedures.
Families of impacted residents were contacted. We will communicate with them as soon as we have more details regarding the residents’ return to the unit in question.
Please note that the Saint-Louis Residence had a successful evacuation exercise in December, under the observations of Ottawa Fire Services as per requirements. A preliminary investigation has shown that the fire started due to items stacked on top of a resident’s wardrobe located under a pot light. A reminder to never put any object on top of the resident’s cupboards. A team is now going room to room to ensure that all rooms are adhering to safety protocols.
For any questions, please contact Anne-Laure Grenier at extension 2518.
Thank you to all those who contributed to the management of the incident. Thank you also for your patience and collaboration during these next few days, every effort will be made to minimize the impact on residents.
Any resident who wishes to go to the basement to access his or her locker must be accompanied as per provisions of the Long Term Care Homes Act for non-residential areas. It will be our pleasure to plan your visit to the basement thanks to the Therapeutic Support Services. To do so, please contact Mariama Diallo, volunteer coordinator, at extension 2517 or in office A126.
Have you noticed that some electronic devices with an integrated digital clock, such as electric radios or clocks, seem to be resetting fairly regularly?
It is not because of a greater frequency of power failures or disruptions at the Saint-Louis Residence. It is because of the weekly maintenance schedule for the main generator, which causes an interruption equivalent to a fraction of a second of the electrical current before the emergency generator turns on.
You can prevent the resetting by making sure that all devices are equipped with backup batteries.
A new box reserved for clothing to be labelled was installed in the residence's vestibule. You will find all the instructions and the form to fill out on the box. The clothes you deposit in this box will be labelled and delivered to the resident's room.
“A simple “thank you” or a soft touch, not to mention the smiles I put on the residents' face, are all I need to reaffirm the fact that I am appreciated and making a difference in their lives.”
-Anne Groulx, volunteer
A lot of volunteers are doing their best to brighten our residents' days. We are constantly looking for new volunteers... how about joining our team? To volunteer, contact Mariama Diallo, volunteer coordinator (mdiallo@bruyere.org or ext. 2517).
Do you have a funny, touching, story that is worth sharing? Send it to Anne-Laure Grenier (agrenier@bruyere.org or ext. 2518).