A holistic approach to housing

Strategic Directions Lead the Development of new models of Community Living:

A holistic approach to housing - beyond accommodations.

Northwood began as a social movement. Moved to act, founder Ed Roach invited over 580 individuals and groups to a public meeting in 1962 to discuss the plight of seniors living in Nova Scotia. Two hundred and eighty-five concerned citizens gathered that night at St. Thomas Aquinas School in the South end of Halifax to hear Ed's vision for the future.

He spoke passionately about the plight of seniors and the need for affordable housing. The meeting resulted in a call to action and the creation of the Halifax Senior Citizens' Housing Corporation (HSCHC), with Ed Roach as president. Northwood was born.

Northwood quickly became a voice for seniors in Nova Scotia, demanding a new approach to aging in place. Northwood provided an affordable option for seniors wanting to remain independent within a supportive environment. In 1970, Northwood opened Northwood Centre, an innovative new approach to long-term care, and began reaching out to the community through its Multi-Purpose Centre.

As a leader in Continuing Care, over the past 60 years, we have been the ‘First’ at many things. Northwood introduced a Home Care Service, Intouch, and Adult Day to support seniors wishing to remain independent. Northwood was the first to provide a licensed lounge, Hospice and Pastoral Care, Health Centre Services, and a dedicated floor designed for the deaf community. Northwood is also a champion for diversity. We represent over 20 nationalities and are proud to do so. Northwood was the first long-term care facility in Nova Scotia to have a diversity committee to support its staff! Northwood was the first long-term care facility to participate in Halifax pride and has been participating since 2010. Northwood embraces all employees for who they are with no barriers. Northwood welcomes with open arms the LGBTQIA2S+ community, international persons, families, and people from all backgrounds.

Northwood's founder Edward L. Roach 1928 - 2012 "Northwood's innovations have always been guided by Ed's conviction that seniors should be lifted out of the 'loneliness, lovelessness and isolation' he witnessed in the 1960s.

We are so proud to continue the journey of our founder and persevere through an unprecidented time in our history. Northwood is learning and growing, the future is bright."

CEO & President, Janet Simm on the impact of Northwood's founder, Edward L. Roach.

Northwood recognizes the reality of an aging society. Our programs reflect the changing needs of our clients. The flexibility of our programs has never been more necessary than during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Northwood Home Care meets the needs of those living independently or with family in the community. We have over 400 staff delivering care to approximately 1800 clients. Northwood Home Care serves NSH (including Halifax Regional Municipality, West Hants, Hantsport and Windsor). We are partnering with Antigonish and Area Homemaker Service and Victoria County Home Support Services to deliver programs and services in their communities.

Areas we specialize in include: • Personal care and assistance with mobility • Meal preparation and assistance with feeding • General household tasks • Alzheimer’s / Dementia / Palliative care • Respite care, providing the family a break from care giving.

Northwood believes People Come First. Assisting people to stay in their homes for as long as they can is a key priority.

For information on the Provincial Home Care Program, contact the Continuing Care Program at the Department of Health: 1-800-225-7225 or visit their website: www.gov.ns.ca/health.ccs

HOME CARE UPDATE

Last year Northwood began supporting the Victoria County Home Support Agency- sharing our expertise and welcoming them to our team. Profiling the great work that they do in the community is very important.

The Northwood Communications Team was given the task of developing the first VCHSS website. Their new website is now live.

AAHS

The agency is in the process of expanding its services to offer the Meals Plus Program in their community with support from the Department of Seniors and Long-Term care. The program is based on the model that was introduced in VCHSS last year.

Meals Plus includes fresh ingredients delivered every other week and prepared in the home by a Continuing Care Assistant. The program is for AAHS clients.

Close work with our Infection, Prevention, and Control Team along with Staff Health have helped us deliver safe, quality care to the community while keeping our staff safe. Supervisory teams have ensured full PPE is delivered out to the community, and our staffing team has worked diligently with schedules as things rapidly changed during the pandemic. Continued rapid testing and PCR testing are in effect; CCA’s are provided ongoing education and updates with anything pandemic related.

Northwood Health Services

Northwood Health Services continues to support our facilities, communities, and partners throughout the HRM and the province.

The HS team has been actively supporting the QRP (Quick Response Program) since it began with Northwood in April of 2021 – this program allows residents of our communities (who meet the criteria) to return home and heal in their own homes and environment. This provides the individual with five days of 24-hour care which allows them to rest while being in a familiar and comforting place. Our wonderful team assists with each clients particular ADLs.

Health Services will be holding a Summer 2022 NCA Training Program on July 11. This program is a great way for individuals with a caring spirit and previous caregiving experience to begin their career in the Healthcare industry. If you or someone you know is interested in finding out more information, please reach out to Elaine Blanchard at 902-421-7316. Ivy Meadows is a long-term care facility owned and operated by the Stevens Group: Rosecrest Communities. They had provided the Department of Seniors and Long-Term Care with notice of closure effective Dec. 31, 2021. SLTC approached Northwood, asking for staffing support for Ivy Meadows. We provided staff through our Health Services.

QUICK RESPONSE PROGRAM

NORTHWOOD CARE AIDE PROGRAM

Travel Staff

Recruitment of skilled health care professionals is a challenge that the entire health care system is facing. As the system works to rebuild our workforce, the Travel Nurse Program is providing temporary support to ensure individuals living in Long-term Care receive the care they deserve.

Northwood has partnered with the Department of Seniors and Long-term Care to coordinate this workforce initiative. Northwood coordinates the placement and movement of RN’s, LPN’s, and CCA’s throughout our province. These “Travel Staff” provide staffing support to facilities in crisis all across Nova Scotia. Whether it be a Covid outbreak, or the supplement of staffing levels to allow for the opening of beds to welcome new residents, the Travel Staff are moved at a moments notice, jumping in to help. We are currently working with 113 Travel Staff in 23 facilities.

ASSISTANCE FOR IVY MEADOWS

SYSTEM NAVIGATION

The Navigator role has been in place at Northwood for over a decade. It was established to ensure that Northwood was providing accurate information and ensuring appropriate linkages were being made to meet the needs of individuals who reached out to Northwood for support.

The Navigator role was established as a part time role. Our Navigator works closely with community based services.

The Northwood Navigator role will continue to evolve based on the changing needs of our clients.

Community Recreation & Wellness

The Community Recreation and Wellness team offers a variety of programs and services to support individuals to remain healthy and independant in their home. Over the past year, there have been many changes to the Community Recreation & Wellness program. We’ve introduced a new programming location, new staff, and new programs. At our Bedford campus, we are very excited to share the new Bedford Community & Fitness Center, located at 185 Gary Martin Drive. The new Bedford location includes a fitness centre, studio space, and our community garden next door. At our Halifax location, the Fitness Centre has reopened to the community. Our community programs are starting to resume in person. Some programs were able to transition to a virtual format during COVID, and others were temporarily put on hold. We had an increase in outdoor programming at both programming sites, including gardening, Cycling Without Age tours, and bus trips in the community. As the community adjusts to the new normal, so will our programs; keep an eye out for new and exciting recreation opportunities.

CYCLING WITHOUT AGE

This season, Cycling Without Age is obtaining permission to take the trishaw into the Public Gardens. Many of our tenants have not been through the Public Gardens in years because it is such a long walk through the gardens.

Clients will also be attending weekly live music performances happening at the Bandstand.

“Songs and Stories with Seniors" is a new initiative which brings together theatre students, industry professionals, and seniors. With the generous support of the Mental Health Foundation of Nova Scotia, Neptune Theatre is pleased to offer this program for FREE. These performances will be at the Halifax Campus, Almon Place, and Northwood Place.

Neptune's songs & stories with seniors

Adult Day

The Adult Day program is designed to provide respite to care givers who are caring for a loved one at home. We are pleased to now be open at all four locations. We offer a variety of programming, providing opportunities for socialization and meaningful engagement through a holistic approach. Our goal is to provide a service that will enable our clients to continue to live as independently as long as possible in their home. Our team also provides support to caregivers.

We are happy to welcome Sarah Cluett as the new manager of the Adult Day program. Sarah has been with Northwood since 2013, working as a Recreation Therapist at the Halifax Campus. In October 2021, she moved over to her role as Manager of the Adult Day Programs. We have welcomed several new staff members to the Adult Day team coming with many different skills. We are a multidisciplinary team consisting of LPNs, RNs, CCAs, and Therapeutic Recreation Programmers.

General Inquiries: 902-454-9706

Program Location and Addresses

Dartmouth ADP 130 Eileen Stubbs Ave Unit 6 Dartmouth, NS

Halifax ADP Halifax Campus 2630 Gottingen Street Halifax, NS., B3K 3C6

Bedford ADP Bedford Campus 123 Gary Martin Drive Bedford, NS

Sackville ADP Sackville Sports Stadium 409 Glendale Drive Lower Sackville, NS Ask about some of the fun activities you might see at our ADP program.

• Pet Therapy • Crafts • Chair Zumba – a favorite!

Accreditation Canada’s NEW Continuous Assessment Model for Northwood’s Long-Term Care and Home Support Programs

Northwood’s Long-Term Care and Home Support Programs participate in the Accreditation process, achieving the highest possible standing in our last Accreditation cycle - Exemplary. Since Northwood’s last on-site visit, Accreditation Canada has made significant changes and has transitioned to a new Continuous Assessment Process. Organizations are now able to better pace the accreditation program requirements and activities over the four phases of the program cycle. As a result, organizations will be able to better maintain a sustainable focus on planning, implementing, and evaluating improvements.

Self-Assessment Accreditation starts with the organization assessing itself against standards, which cover a broad array of topics, such as governance, leadership, infection prevention and control, and medication management, as well as the quality of care in our programs (i.e., home support, long-term care). These assessments identify areas that need work, so we can plan quality improvement activities for the coming months. Northwood has already begun this process with the Client and Family Experience Surveys, which will help us start to identify gaps. We will continue over the coming weeks/months to complete the self-assessments, staff and governance surveys, develop corresponding action plans as well as implement improvements.

On-site survey An on-site survey is conducted by trained surveyors who assess the organization against the national standards. The surveyors will examine our policies and procedures, and talk to staff, clients, residents, leaders, and our community partners. They will also observe key areas of care or service and ask about examples and stories that demonstrate our commitment to quality and safety. Northwood is excited to announce that our next on-site survey date is scheduled for September 2023.

Quality improvement and ensuring safe and quality care for Northwood clients is ongoing. There are a number of actions we will be completing between now and September to ensure we are hearing from our stakeholders and examining our processes. To name a few: resident, client, family, staff, Board of Governor surveys, self-assessment surveys, and action planning. Although the focus will be on LongTerm Care and Home Support, Accreditation is an organization-wide commitment, with participation needed from all. We look forward to engaging with all of our stakeholders to ensure we have another successful survey in 2023.

Ongoing Quality Journey The results of the on-site survey point to areas of success and areas where improvements can be made; the latter is used to shape our ongoing quality improvement program. This is an ongoing cycle, as we constantly assess ourselves and find new opportunities for improvement.

EXPANDING IN BEDFORD AND INTO FALL RIVER

Investing in infrastructure

As the list of Northwood facilities grows, so does the need for continued investment in maintaining our infrastructure. It is essential for our residents, tenants, and staff that all of our facilities run safely and efficiently.

These facilities are more than buildings; they are homes for over 1,000 people. Our Northwood staff also need to have the proper tools at their disposal in order to work properly and keep residents safe and happy.

Renovation/construction projects:

• Boiler replacement project – Halifax Campus • Siding project – Bedford Campus, Ivany Place • Ventilation cleaning – Halifax Campus • Flooring upgrades – Bedford Campus, Ivany Place • Spa rooms – Bedford Campus, Ivany Place • Pedway construction – Bedford Campus • Kitchenette construction – Halifax Campus, Manor • Assisted Living Dining room upgrade - Halifax

The pedway that will bring together our Ivany Place Long-Term Care facility and our Northwood Place tenants has been on hold. We are excited that we expect to get this project back underway very soon. The Amended Development Agreement (ADA) and LUB amendments to allow the pedway project to continue were approved at the HRM Community Council meeting on April 25th, 2022. An ADA must be registered on the property before a building permit may be issued. We expect the pedway work to resume in July, 2022.

Construction of Ivany Place happened from 2008 until 2010, and HardiePlank cement siding was chosen as a “lifetime” product. After installation, it was determined that this product, while functional in some climates, was not suitable for long-term exposure to our climate, and defects were detected, which cause flaking, warping, cracking, and product shrinkage. Since the distributing company of the product in Canada has since declared bankruptcy, there is no recourse left to the consumers to claim on the lifetime warranty attached with the sale of this product.

A siding replacement project is now underway at Ivany Place. Funding was provided under the Federal/Provincial funding partnership of ICIP – Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. This project has a projected completion date of July 31, 2022. We are using an aluminum extruded siding to provide for longevity and added fire safety protection for Ivany Place.

BEDFORD SIDING PROJECT

The Northwood Bedford Campus continues to grow with the addition of our new affordable living building, Northwood Gardens. Construction has begun and we anticipate this new building will open in the Fall of 2023.

Long-Term Care

IVY MEADOWS

During the pandemic, government supported Northwood to reduce the number of individuals living in shared rooms. This allowed the majority of Halifax residents to have private rooms. This also gave us some flexibility for our team to support the rest of the health system during the pandemic with initiatives such as the Community Transition Unit.

We now have the opportunity to assist elsewhere in the system. We have been asked to operate the 36-bed Ivy Meadows facility in Beaver Bank until our Fall River site opens. This agreement allows us the opportunity to stabilize our Halifax Long-Term Care Program budget, reopen spaces that are closed at Ivy Meadows, and facilitate a smoother transition for Ivy Meadows residents in the coming years.

The team who currently work at Ivy Meadows will continue to work there, but Northwood will be supplementing and supporting operations there to increase their resident numbers. The support for this initiative will come from teams across Northwood, including LTC, Infrastructure, HR, Finance, Health Services, etc.

We are extremely excited about this opportunity and welcome the Ivy Meadows team. FALL RIVER

We are happy to say the 100 beds that were reduced in our Halifax Campus will be relocated to our new long-term care facility in Fall River. This facility will offer 144 beds in total. The design for the new long-term care facility is underway! The picture below is the preliminary design. We are currently in discussion with the developer regarding the land allocated to the Long-Term Care facility building and how it relates to the rest of the campus. We are close to finalizing our Stage 3 submittal to the Department of Seniors and Long-Term care for the Northwood LTC facility that will be located at this site. The long-term care facility will comprise only a portion of the development at this site. The vision for this campus will involve multiple levels of senior living with supports and initiatives to assist seniors to LIVE MORE