VIP - Volunteers in Partnership 2017

VIP – VOLUNTEERS IN PARTNERSHIP

First Half of the Year, 2017 Volume 12, Issue 1

Mary Black, Coordinator of Volunteers Wellington Terrace Long Term Care Home 474 Wellington Road 18, Fergus, ON N1M 0A1 519.846.5359 ext. 7266 maryb@wellington.ca

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Inside this issue: Recognition and Appreciation Welcome to New Volunteers and Students Helpful Reminders Current Opportunities Biking STATS, 2017 Appreciation Event Successful Relationships in One to One Visiting

Hello Everyone!

This issue of the Volunteers In Partnership newsletter is filled with a lot of important information, so enjoy some reading!

First, I would like to congratulate those volunteers who received their pins for milestone years of service from the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration this year. We are only able to nominate up to 6 members of our volunteer team each year, which is unfortunate because there are many volunteers who have given their time and talents to us for many hours and many years. We try to ensure that those volunteers that have not received a pin in the past, are able to receive at least one in their time as a volunteer team member here at Wellington Terrace. We appreciate each and every one of our volunteers!

Please join me in celebrating with: Diane Irving – has been volunteering with us for 20 years! Diane wears many hats, coming in to help with outings, coffee house, various programmes and meal clubs; and has also been a walking buddy and visiting volunteer.

Janet Campbell – for 15 years of service; Janet began her volunteering with us in the Second Time ‘Round store many years ago, and now comes in weekly to travel with the tuck cart.

Janet has volunteered over 1800 hours which equals over 35 years of service!

Doreen Hammond – also for 15 years. Doreen began her ‘career’ as a Terrace volunteer at the Second Time ‘Round store as well. Doreen was instrumental in running that store for many years and we couldn’t have kept it going without her! Doreen now also travels with the tuck cart weekly. Doreen also earns special recognition for the largest amount of hours volunteered; in the past 15 years Doreen has volunteered almost 3200 hours which equals over 60 years!!

Annette Grasman – for 10 years of service. Annette has given her time weekly to help our residents in the dining room, as well as in various programme support roles.

Joan Smedley – for 10 years of service. Joan has volunteered as a dining room assistant, and comes in 2x weekly to visit with a resident. We appreciate her time and her friendship.

Ruth MacLean – for 10 years of service. Ruth has been coming in to help in the dining room, visit with residents, and help with programmes such as the Memorial Service.

Langlee Chapman – for 5 years of service with us in programme support, dining room assistance, visiting and hair salon support. Langlee should also be recognized for her number of hours! In just over 5 years, Langlee has given us almost 1300 hours, which equals 25 years of service!

Emily Vanderzwaag – for service of over 2 years with us in programme support.

Congratulations to all of our OVSA winners!

At our May 11th Recognition and Information session, along with the above residents, we also recognized several other volunteers that have reached milestone years of service.

Bruno Will – for 5 years of service, coming in each summer to take residents out for bike rides.

Johanna Truchan – for 5 years of service visiting and helping with various resident programmes.

Danna Farrows – for 5 years of service supporting various resident programmes and outings.

John Peaker – for 5 years of service, each summer taking residents out for bike rides.

Ken Buttke - also for 5 years each summer taking residents out for bike rides.

Allen Thompson – Allen has volunteered for 10 years, coming in 2x a week to provide a ‘limber up’ exercise programme for our residents. With a total of 1035 hours, Allen has actually volunteered for 20 years!

Susan Harper – for 15 years of volunteer service, visiting residents.

Sienie Katerberg – for 15 years of service, providing individual and group spiritual devotion support.

Ketty Uderstadt – for 15 years; Ketty helps out with various resident programmes and outings.

This year we also recognized those volunteers who, though may have not volunteered for a significant number of years, in hours they have exceeded our expectations! We are very flexible in our volunteer scheduling here at the Terrace. We appreciate anyone who can give any amount of their time to support our residents. On average, though, if we asked a volunteer to give one hour a week of their time, that equals 52 hours a year. When I was calculating our volunteers’ individual hours, I was amazed at how many years of service so many of our volunteers have put in!

Karen Banu – Karen has volunteered almost 1600 hours, which comes to over 30 years of supporting various resident programmes and outings.

Sharon Carey – in just 6 years, Sharon has volunteered almost 1700 hours – over 30 years – in our hair salon, as well as many hours at home sewing resident clothing.

Anne Crawford – Anne has been volunteering for many years providing spiritual support, both in a group service setting as well as individually. Anne has also volunteered as a dining room assistant. With over 1300 hours, Anne has volunteered for almost 30 years!

Grace DeBoer – with over 1300 hours Grace has tallied over 25 years of volunteering with our residents, helping in the dining room, visiting and supporting resident programmes and outings.

Mary Dingman – in just 11 years, Mary has accumulated over 1400 hours, almost 30 years, facilitating discussion and reading groups, as well as visiting.

Colleen Quarrie – with over 1900 hours of volunteering for special events, outings and many hours in the hair salon, Colleen has volunteered with us for over 35 years!

Jean Low – Jean has volunteered over 2000 hours over several years, visiting residents, sewing, and helping with various programmes and outings. Jean has been volunteering with us for 40 years now!

Lois Montvai – Lois has volunteered over 2100 hours in many ways; programme support, visiting, outings, and is involved in our NODA alone programme. Lois has volunteered over 40 years!

Rod Irving – Rod also wears many hats such as: visiting weekly, coffee house and other programme support and outings. With 2100 hours behind him, Rod has volunteered for over 40 years as well!

Frieda Mulder – Frieda began her volunteering shortly after she retired as a Terrace employee.

With over 2200 hours Frieda has also been a volunteer for over 40 years!

“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another.” ~Charles Dickens

Thank you to all of the Terrace volunteers!

Welcome to our new volunteer team members who joined in 2017 and are currently still volunteering with us:

Nikki L – Barber Support Rob Q – Van Driver Kim and Ashley B – One to One Visiting in Walnut Grove and Oak Glen Sydney d – Programme Support Audrey H – Programme Support Andrea F – Dining Room Assistance in Walnut Grove and Birch Dale; No One Dies Alone Support Dan F – Dining Room Assistance in Walnut Grove and Oak Glen; Biking Buddy for Birch Dale Tom and Mary C – Sunday Church Service Support Carrie K – One to One Visiting in Walnut Grove Glenn C – One to One Visiting in Walnut Grove and Apple Valley Helen P – Hair Salon Support Diane S – Neighbourhood Volunteer Support in Maple Ridge Richard W – Musical Entertainment Shelly R – Dining Room Assistance in Walnut Grove and Birch Dale Anna G – Dining Room Assistance in Walnut Grove and Birch Dale Fortius and Averyl B – Evening Bingo in Walnut Grove Rachel M – Gardening Support Sylvia R – Tuesday Hymn Sing Support Debbie M – Tuesday Hymn Sing Support Deb G – Biking Buddy for Apple Valley Abby J – Occupational Therapy Clinic Support Gail R – Entertainment Recruitment Support Kyleigh Ann d – Dining Room Assistance in Maple Ridge Jane D – Tuesday Hymn Sing Support Shawn E – One to One Strolls outside for residents in Oak Glen Jayme M – Sing and Social Support; Sunday Church Service Support Nerine C – No One Dies Alone Support; Biking Buddy for Cedar Gorge Jeff P – No One Dies Alone Support Clay H – Programme Support Deb S – Discussion Group for residents in Walnut Grove Ed M – One to One Visiting and Programme Support Judy E – Tuesday Hymn Sing Support

We have hosted 2 high school coop placements so far this year; Kyle B completed his placement in our Environmental Services department for the spring term; Meghan P is completing a Clerical Support placement with us for the month of July.

We’ve also enjoyed working with 3 post-secondary students this year; Kelsi D, Kate T and Bri P. We wish all of our students all the best in their future endeavours.

MAGNET REMINDER Hi Everyone, Just a reminder that if you see a butterfly magnet on a resident’s door frame, this indicates that they are palliative (end of life).

If you see a dove magnet on their door frame, this indicates that they have passed away.

Hope this helps during your visits here!

The Importance of Footrests This is just a friendly reminder about ensuring that residents have their feet on footrests, when you are assisting them in their wheelchairs to and from various locations. ALSO, once you have returned a resident to their room, IF THEY DID NOT HAVE THEIR FOOTRESTS ON PRIOR TO YOU TAKING THEM SOMEWHERE, please remember to take those footrests off OR ask a staff member to assist with this if you are unsure how to remove them.

When a resident does not have their foot rests on, it usually means they are able to manipulate their wheelchair independently – at least around their room or for short distances. If they are not able to take the footrests off themselves, they can become ‘stuck’ and unable to be independent in their room, which would be very frustrating for them.

Thank you so much for your continued support for helping our residents to remain as independent as possible in their activities of daily living.

Just a reminder about entering resident rooms that have isolation posters on their doors: Some residents may be on a type of isolation that still allows for visitors to enter their room; other times, when a resident is on isolation for a virus, it is best to save your visit for another day.

Please speak to the neighbourhood nurse for clarification Thank you!

Purchasing Items for Residents

There may be times that you are asked by residents to purchase items for them. Please discuss the request made by the resident with the Team Leader of the neighbourhood that resident resides in, as well as with Mary, before making any purchases.

Something that may seem innocent or harmless may in fact be an item that is not beneficial for that resident. For example, an over- the-counter cough syrup or pain medication may negatively interact with other medications that the resident is taking. They also may not realize that their family is purchasing the requested item for them already. We appreciate your assistance in this area.

Help Spread the Word About Our Current Volunteer Opportunities!

If you, or someone you know, would enjoy any of the following volunteer roles, please contact Mary Black at 519.846.5359 x 7266, or at maryb@wellington.ca

WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING TO FILL THE FOLLOWING ROLES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE:

Musical Entertainment For our small and large group special events and theme programmes, we are always looking for volunteers who enjoy playing an instrument or singing for our residents Monday Evening Volunteer to BBQ We are looking for a volunteer who is comfortable with barbequing for a weekly Monday evening meal with our Recreation Therapists and a small group of residents. This volunteer shift would occur each week from 4:30pm to 6:00pm. Thorough training is provided Saturday Afternoon Ice Cream Parlour Assistance We are looking for volunteers who could assist our Recreation Therapists with this programme, helping residents to and from the Clearing as well as serving ice cream. This shift consists of 1:30 to 3:00pm on Saturdays Sunday Morning Golf Cart Rides Our Recreation Therapists take residents out for rides on our golf cart, throughout our grounds. We are looking for a volunteer who will accompany our staff and residents on these rides each Sunday morning from 10:00 to 11:30am

“Happiness doesn’t result from what we get, but from what we give.” ~Ben Carson

WE ARE ALSO RECRUITING FOR THE THE FOLLOWING ROLES:

Dining Room Assistance We are looking for volunteer assistance in our resident dining rooms for all weekend and evening meals. In this role, you would be assisting residents who can no longer assist themselves at meal time. This shift would consist of 1.5 hours any evening between 5pm and 6:30pm, or any weekend meal (8am to 9:30am, 12pm to 1:30pm or 5pm to 6:30pm) Biking Buddies We are so fortunate to own a few accessible bicycles that volunteers can take residents out for rides on the local trail behind our Home. This is a very rewarding role for volunteers 18 years of age and older. This role is active between mid-May and mid- October each year Hair Salon Support We are looking for volunteer assistance for our Hair Dresser for occasional mornings or afternoons during the week. In this role, you would be assisting residents from various neighbourhoods to our in-house hair salon. This role involves socializing, assisting with light tasks and a good amount of walking throughout the building. No hair salon experience necessary!

One to One Visiting Some of our residents would greatly benefit from one to one conversational visits, one to one games, and strolls outside in the nice weather No One Dies Alone Programme This role supports our residents who are palliative – at the end stage of life – by sitting with them, and perhaps their loved ones, so that they are not alone at this time Recreation and Leisure in our Dementia Care Neighbourhood We are looking for volunteers to assist our residents in various activities, one afternoon or evening a week. This role involves helping residents with working on puzzles, playing euchre or bingo, and one to one visits Neighbourhood Volunteer We are looking for volunteers who would like to commit 2 - 3 hours weekly to provide dining room support, programme and service support for residents in one neighbourhood. This volunteer would work alongside the neighbourhood team members, particularly our Recreation Therapists, either mornings or afternoons

WELCOME BACK TO OUR BIKING BUDDIES! We are fortunate to have so many Biking Buddy volunteers who keep returning every spring to take residents out for rides on the trail. Welcome to our new Biking Buddies – we hope you enjoy your new role, providing outdoor enjoyment to our residents.

Last year, so many residents benefitted from a ride outside with our volunteers between May and October.  Apple Valley residents received 34 rides in total for 2016  Oak Glen residents received 30 rides in total for 2016  Birch Dale residents received 32 rides in total for 2016  Walnut Grove residents received 43 rides in total for 2016  Maple Ridge residents received 40 rides in total for 2016  Cedar Gorge residents received 17 rides in total for 2016 We sincerely appreciate all the hours and rides that you provide our residents!

“It’s not how much we give but how much love we put into giving.” ~Mother Teresa

SAVE THE DATE!

Once again we are hosting our annual Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast at the Grand River Raceway this year.

Please mark your calendars for Wednesday, September 13th.

We will plan to eat at 9:00am.

More details will be sent to you closer to the date.

Looking forward to celebrating with you!

Successful Relationships and One to One Visiting On May 11th Sue Schwartzentruber, our Assistant Administrator, provided us with an interesting and informative presentation on mental health, and successful relationships involving our residents. The helpful tips and suggestions that Sue presented could be applied not only with those living with mental health issues, but also to any relationship we have with our residents. Sue began the session with an overview of our current resident population, explaining that the age range for our residents is from 48 to 104 years of age. We estimate that 90% of our residents live with some form of dementia; other challenges that some of our residents live with include acquired brain injuries, developmental delays and psychiatric diagnoses. People are living at home much longer now, so when they move into long term care, they are much more physically as well as cognitively frail and complex.

The following information was taken from Sue’s material that she presented: Mental Illness can include: 1. Depression: people often withdraw from friends and family, and avoid doing things that now cause them discomfort. This then reduces participation in rewarding activities such as meals with friends/family, exercising, joining social activities. You may witness changes in grooming and self-care, as well as in sleep patterns, appetite, and thoughts or perceptions 2. Anxiety: People often restrict or avoid activities that they believe will cause anxiety; a dependence on others to do things they normally do alone will increase. They will have fewer opportunities to learn how to tolerate anxiety because their world will become much smaller, due to an increase in their isolation 3. Personality disorders: People with these types of disorders often experience strong, changeable emotions. They may see things only as ‘black or white’ and cannot, at times, tolerate negotiations and reasoning. They may have chaotic relationships while also experiencing a strong fear of abandonment. They may feel empty at times, and at other times become risky and exhibit impulsive behaviour Mental Illness can affect so many parts of our lives: mood, anxiety, interest, concentration, appetite, decision-making, energy, enjoyment, sleep, memory, social interaction, thinking and perceptions.

Boundaries: A boundary can be defined as how far we can go in a relationship with comfort. It is where one person’s physical and psychological space ends and where the other person’s begins. When a person sets a boundary, he or she is choosing what will and what will not happen in a relationship.

Why are boundaries good for residents?

1. Boundaries ensure that everyone is acting in the best interest of the resident 2. Boundaries encourage staff and volunteers to act with an equal degree of energy, thoughtfulness, and commitment to each of the individuals under their care.

3. Boundaries prevent misinterpretations and misunderstandings 4. Boundaries help to make care consistent and predictable for residents Why are boundaries good for volunteers and staff?

1. Boundaries are a professional responsibility enforced by all healthcare regulatory bodies 2. Good boundaries ensure that professionals will not be perceived as exploiting, abusing or harming residents Helpful tips for positive interactions and relationships with residents: • Avoid being ‘put on a pedestal’ – it may feel nice to give someone extra-special treatment, but in the end it may lead to high expectations or resentment for some residents • Modify the accommodating, persuading, pleasing or appeasing instinct • Listen to emotions and accept viewpoints without trying to “fix” them • It’s okay to validate; comments such as “I hear your frustration or point of view”, or “it’s okay to be sad” are acceptable • Model good personal boundaries and direct residents to their care team • Practice steady, neutral or “middle ground” kindness and acceptance • Know yourself - your feelings, reactions and needs • Neutralize your own emotions away from strong negative or over-caring responses • Don’t take the behaviours personally; they are often part of a disorder or disease • Share observations and concerns right away • Don’t be afraid to ask for help! You can ALWAYS speak to Mary Black if you have any questions or concerns; if Mary does not know the answer she will do some investigating to find one, or she will connect you to our resourceful staff here at the Terrace.

I would like to thank Sue Schwartzentruber for sharing this important information with us through her presentation on May 11th, as well as through her notes here in the volunteer newsletter. Thanks Sue. ~Mary