View the video on Summerland - a lovely small town in the Okanagan Valley of BC. Perhaps we're a bit biased because this is also our home and the home of the Prairie Valley Senior's Lodge. See why we love our small town so much.
Happy Valentines Day!
Happy Valentines Day 2015. The sun is shining in Summerland and we are soaking up the rays. We have waited patiently throughout the past few months for a day like today. We have been for a short walk in the neighbourhood, and are now enjoying coffee and Valentines cookies (which we just baked this morning).
Prairie Valley Lodge consists of all ground floor rooms. We feel this is important to providing quality of life to our seniors. It allows for more independent choices. Today is a perfect example. The sun came out. A few of our residents had a chat and made a choice. They planned for a short walk followed by coffee on the patio. They achieved this with support from staff. The small details are important in the Household Model of Care, and we strive daily to achieve this lifestyle for our residents.
Safety in (small) numbers
We have all heard the tragic stories in the news over the past year. Seniors in large government funded care facilities being fatally attacked by a fellow resident. While this may never be avoided due to the unpredictable nature of dementia and the budgets involved in large government funded long term care facilities, every possible preventative measure is diligently taken by each facility and the IHA Licensing office.
At Prairie Valley Lodge we are a Private Pay only facility. This means that we do not have to admit anyone and everyone to our facility. We carefully screen prospective clients to ensure we do not admit a resident with aggressive or violent behaviours and make every effort to ensure that new residents will be a suitable match with our existing clients.
Our home is not a “Locked Unit”, this means that the residents accepted into our care are not a risk to one another. Our biggest advantage is our size and management flexibility. We only take a maximum of 9 residents. This maximum is a good number, it allows for plenty of social activity and stimulation within the home and out in the community, but is also small enough to make the residents feel safe and secure and that they are residing in a private environment. We try to remove any institutional atmosphere that may occur with communal living and strive to form personal relationships with our residents. Eventually we know their routine so well that we can be pro-active and meet their needs before they even know a need exists.
Should a resident require extra attention for any reason we have the nursing staff and the flexibility to increase our staff ratio to suit the circumstances. Our staff are all professionally trained and qualified. We operate short shifts to ensure we do not become tired and complacent.
The physical size and layout of the facility was purpose-built for comfort and safety considerations for the resident. We do not have long hallways in which a confused senior may become lost and enter the wrong room. A resident only has to sneeze in their room and we are aware that they may need a Kleenex. Likewise, should a resident choose to exit their room for some home comfort and companionship, as soon as they open their door they will find a familiar face, or a familiar face will find them.
While no community situation will ever be perfect, it is our intention to provide the best care possible, provide a safe and nurturing home style environment, know our residents well and ensure their safety and well-being at all times in order to deliver the maximum quality of life possible.
Raise your coffee cup in support of the Alzheimer Society in BC
On Tuesday October 14 at 10am we will be hosting a coffee morning in support of those who suffer dementia, and to raise awareness for the Alzheimer Society of B.C. Local candidates for council will be dropping by to introduce themselves and chat to our residents. Some of our seniors are still very much engaged in the community, and intend to participate in the Municipal Elections.
Our own vision for Summerland is to become a dementia friendly community. One where our seniors feel safe and supported, and where the very best quality of life can be attained. We believe it is possible, and that this beautiful family-friendly town already has a head start with our fantastic local amenities and caring culture of the citizens.
If you are in Summerland on Tuesday we hope to see you for coffee.
For more information on dementia-friendly communities see the Alzheimer Society of BC's page on this topic.
The importance of ice cream
We just completed our bi-annual Resident Satisfaction Food Survey. It is an important nutritional tool that teaches us a great deal about our residents likes and dislikes and what is working on our menu and what is not.
It was brought to our attention that ice-cream really works very well for our residents. Any flavour, any style. But that given the choice, the best way to enjoy ice cream according to the Resident Satisfaction Survey is on a warm, sunny day at Summerland Sweets.
Enjoying the last of our summer days
The first week of September has been a dream. We have been treated to warm temperatures and cool evenings. The days are getting shorter and we all know it is only a matter of time before we are once again tucked up warm and cozy inside for winter.
So for now, we are spending every available minute on the patio where we can participate in the neighbourhood activity, enjoy our drinks and snacks, spend time with Moxie the Golden Retriever, and soak up the sunshine.
The protocols and use of medications at Prairie Valley Lodge
The overuse of medications, especially anti-psychotic medications in long term care facilities is a valid concern for many families. It is something we are asked about frequently. There is a belief that facilities are able to administer this type of medication at will. However at Prairie Valley Lodge anti-psychotic medications cannot be administered without a full medical and mental health assessment from a doctor or other medical professional. When a family is involved and active in the implementation of the residents care plan the use of any medication without the full understanding and permission of the resident or the family is not a possibility.
Anti-psychotic medications may sometimes play a role in the management of severe responsive behaviours in the dementia patient, but the first course of action is always behaviour intervention. Responsive behaviours often occur with dementia and are usually triggered by grief, loss, fear, pain, anxiety etc. All of which are overwhelming and distressing emotions that cannot be appropriately articulated by the resident at this stage of their disease, and may present as screaming, moaning, and verbal and physical aggression.
To initiate positive behaviour modification it is important that care givers learn as much as possible about the person that they are caring for. For this purpose upon admission we try to discover the Life Story of the resident. Some questions that we ask at this time would be; what brings joy into the persons life, what was their occupation, what were their hobbies, what do they consider their greatest accomplishments? We like to discover their special likes and dislikes, sleeping habits, favourite foods, preferred bath times etc. Family members can assist hugely in the process of sharing the Life Story with the care giver.
The Life Story, or knowing your resident well, (Person Centred Care) is often a simple and practical way to modify the residents responsive behaviours. For example, it can be arranged that a family member or a care giver accompany the resident for a daily walk. This may ease the agitated mind of a person who liked to be outside in the sunshine and feels trapped being confined inside a facility. Some of our ladies at Prairie Valley Lodge like to fold laundry. It makes them feel useful (it is useful!), it gives them a great sense of purpose.
So the answer is that sometimes anti-psychotic drugs are necessary to assist with the management of severe responsive behaviours of dementia. Especially when those behaviours (usually physical aggression) pose a risk to both the patient and those around them. However families should rest assured that medication is not a preferred first line method of intervention, but usually the very last. Often it is used for peace of mind for the resident and in turn their family members. The answer to good dementia management is always a collaborative effort by family members, care staff and GP/medical specialists.
Ultraman Canada 2014
Each year, after dinner, on the BC Holiday Monday we sit outside on our patio, in the warm evening sunshine and cheer home the Ultraman Canada competitors. Ultraman Canada is a 3 day, 514.5 km, individual endurance event. When the athletes are passing Prairie Valley Lodge they have completed a 10 km swim from Skaha Beach to Okanagan Falls, a 420 km bike ride from Skaha Marina to Princeton Arena, and are in the last km of a 84.3 km run from Princeton to the finish line at Memorial Park in Summerland. Volunteers man the route every few hundred metres and ensure the safety of the competitors. It is both uplifting and emotional to watch these athletes make their way to the finish line and each year we do our best to hoot and holler encouragement.
How we like to party in a senior care home!
Living in a long term care home doesn’t stop the party! At Prairie Valley Lodge we love to throw a party. Birthdays, holidays and special events are always celebrated with style. Despite a senior’s potential limitations, a day can always be made special with their favourite food and drink, as well as with their friends and family around them. Plus- let’s not forget the birthday cake. Living in long term care does not prohibit a senior from enjoying a glass of their favourite wine or beer with their friends.
You can see from Bill’s photos how proud he is to host his own birthday party this week complete with balloons, banners, and birthday boy badges. He tells us the senior years are the best!