Woodingford Lodge Resident and Family Newsletter April 2014 Hello Spring!! Just when you think that the snow and cold weather will never release us; outside we begin to see the first robins and tiny bits of green foliage. “Hello Spring, I knew you would come.” Volunteer Appreciation Week - APRIL 6 – 13 Thank you to all of our Woodingford Lodge Volunteers! We are always grateful to have volunteers! Ingersoll, Tillsonburg or Woodstock – wherever you share your time with Residents, you bring the warm spirit of the Volunteer and leave behind memories that enhance the lives of our Residents at Woodingford Lodge. Don’t ever question the value of volunteers. Noah’s Ark was built by volunteers; the Titanic was built by professionals. Additional Full time Positions! In an attempt to enhance the Continuity of Care for residents, we looked at the existing hours in each department and for each resident Home area and we were able to add a number of full time positions. We know from experience that it is best for residents and staff to have familiarity and consistency. A few examples of the benefits to our residents include:    Improved interdisciplinary team approaches to care – improve staff awareness of resident needs and changes; Improved resident centered care, continuity of care and caregiver, and the development of therapeutic relationships; Improved resident sense of comfort and security. 1|Page Family Meeting – April 22ND, 2014 11AM In the Woodingford Woodstock Boardroom Come learn about being part of a new Family Council at Woodingford Woodstock. Drop in and let us know how we can help you. Included is a Virtual Dementia Plan (VDP) education session to give family and friends a real view of the world through an elder’s eyes. Jane Fletcher, Social Worker, will share with you this exciting and innovative hands-on program. Space for the hands-on portion of the VDP session is limited. Please register to ensure your “experience.” Drop by the Front Office or call us at 519-421-5556 – we look forward to hearing from you. Questions? Call Heather Hamilton at 519-421-5556 ext. 2097 Building Management System: Controlling Temperature and Relative Humidity At Woodingford Lodge, we have a computerized Building Management System that monitors and controls the temperature and relative humidity (RH) of the entire building. There are sensors located in the return air ductwork that measure the RH and report back to the main controller. Should the RH level be too high, or too low, the system can make adjustments to ensure that it remains within acceptable range of 35%. The system is set to 35% as per industry guidelines. RH levels below 25% are associated with increased discomfort and drying of the mucous membranes and skin. Alternatively, high humidity levels can result in condensation within the building structure and on interior surfaces and the subsequent development of moulds and fungi is possible. To ensure that industry guidelines are consistently met, we do not permit Residents to have personal humidifiers in their rooms. Should you require any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me. Mark Steggman Supervisor of Environmental Services 2|Page Outside the Window: EIFS Repairs in Woodstock In May, we expect to begin repairing a portion of the stucco on the outside of Woodingford Lodge, Woodstock. The “external insulated finish system restoration” (EIFS) work will be between the hours of 7am and 7pm. None of this work needs to be done inside the building so contractors will not be working inside. A staging area will be set up at the back of the building as not to interfere with parking. This repair will involve scaffolding, so you may see some workers or equipment outside your window. WOODINGFORD LODGE - WOODSTOCK LOOK WHAT SPRING HAS SPRUNG! SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE! SPRING PROJECT FOR THE ACCESSIBILITY GARDEN Plant a flower with your loved one May 24th from 1:30-3:30 Either bring your own or there will be flowers available for a donation Watch for the 175 tulips that were planted in the Fall Donations to the garden or Volunteering throughout the summer is also welcome Questions? Call Jen Beattie 519-421-5556 ext. 2024 Physiotherapy: We are happy to report that Julie our Registered Physiotherapist has returned to Woodingford Lodge. Welcome Back Julie! Driven by the Province of Ontario, the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MOHLTC) has made significant changes to Physiotherapy services over the past year that has not gone un-noticed by our Residents, Family and Staff. At Woodingford Lodge, we continue to work with the Physiotherapy Team to advocate for the best possible services that the MOHLTC funding will buy. 3|Page Dining with Dignity Long Term Care continues to face many changes and challenges in relation to the resident dining experience. Increased frailty and confusion have created a greater need for feeding assistance and encouragement. Additional hands would be welcome at the various meal times. Woodingford Lodge is attempting to determine those family members and friends who may be willing to routinely provide meal time assistance. Our Dining with Dignity Orientation can be made available to allow for an increased comfort level with the various tasks involved. Please inform the Front Office, should you be interested in receiving this orientation. Woodingford Lodge-Tillsonburg Residents Returned Home All 32 Woodingford Lodge-Tillsonburg residents who were displaced because of flooding in January are now back home in their rooms at the long-term care facility. The March 18th move included the coordinated transfer of: 24 residents who were in temporary accommodations at Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital Four residents in temporary accommodations at Woodingford Lodge-Ingersoll; and Four residents in temporary accommodations at Woodingford LodgeWoodstock. The move home follows nine weeks of restoration and construction work at the facility; the installation of a new “nurse call” system; and extensive testing of the fire sprinkler system, including re-plumbing and valve replacement. County staff has also taken several precautionary measures to minimize further risk of flooding while the investigation into the cause continues. Woodingford Lodge extends its sincere thanks to its residents, who remained patient and optimistic in their temporary accommodations during the past two months. Thanks are also extended to the families of residents, the many County and community partners who stepped forward, Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital, and Woodingford employees and managers, who showed their commitment as care professionals time and again throughout the challenges of this period. With residents now returned to their home, plans will begin for a “Welcome Home” celebration in the coming weeks. 4|Page County Council Accepts Woodingford Lodge Service Review Recommendations The year-long service review recommends status quo while continuing to advocate for regulatory reform moving forward. County Council accepted recommendations from the Woodingford Lodge Service Review that propose maintaining all three sites of the long-term care home, while continuing to advocate for regulatory reform that would give municipalities greater control in how they deliver long-term care, including the ability to “opt out” of providing it. The Woodingford Lodge Service Review was approved by Council in February 2013 to find ways to reduce the tax levy for long-term care through operational savings, as well as to explore new ways of providing the service, including outsourcing, reducing to a single site, and other options. The review also took into consideration the status of long-term care beds in Oxford County, particularly in light of the transfer of 80 private long-term care beds out of Oxford County with the planned closing of the Bonnie Brae home in Tavistock The review affirmed Woodingford Lodge’s commitment to quality care for its residents but clearly noted the cost of providing the service exceeds provincial funding envelopes. After weighing the financial, regulatory and social impacts of each option, the review concluded that only the “status quo” option provides Council with an ability to influence the number of long-term beds in our community, given the expected consolidation of long-term care beds and the current regulatory framework governing long-term care in Ontario. The Committee also highlighted opportunities to explore further partnerships with Tillsonburg District Memorial Hospital and Alexandra Hospital at Woodingford’s Tillsonburg and Ingersoll sites, and concluded that provincial regulatory reform is essential for municipalities to achieve further sustainable cost reductions in the future. Specific regulatory reforms the Oxford County would pursue include: o o Allowing municipalities to opt out of providing long-term care, a service they are required to offer under current legislation; Offering municipalities greater flexibility in some operating decisions; the ability to influence how long-term care beds are consolidated in a community; and 5|Page o Appropriate funding levels to support municipal long-term care. Council’s endorsement of the Service Review Recommendations take effect immediately, with the County Warden to submit correspondence in the coming weeks to the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care and member municipalities of the Western Ontario Wardens Caucus. For more information about the Woodingford Lodge service review, visit www.oxfordcounty.ca/woodingford. 6|Page