See Page 3. -itively rescue - Carewest – Innovative …carewest.ca/dir/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Carewrite...1 September 30, 2013 Paws-itively heartwarming rescue Photo courtesy

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September 30, 2013

Paws-itively heartwarming rescue

Photo courtesy of Jennie Hollings

They say curiosity killed the cat but this curious feline escaped without a scratch thanks to the kindness of Carewest staff. In the photo above, Scheduler Iris Hildebrandt looks on as fire fighters hold a kitten that disappeared under the hood and into the engine of a car owned by a staff member at Carewest Beddington. For more on this heartwarming story, please see Page 2.

Beat the bug Get your flu shot See Page 3.

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This month in Carewrite

3.....Beat the bug… Get your flu shot

4.....Staff Influenza Immunization Clinics

5.....Did you know?

5.....What’s new on Careweb this month?

6.....Lots to talk about

7.....Carewest awarded high score on PIR audit

7.....Jennifer Lee retires

8…..Falls feature: BEEEACH Model helps reduce falls

10...New mobile app connects OSI clients with resources

11... Food Services update

11….Create a new name for Quick Quisine

12….Kindness to Colleagues

14….Employee Profile: Lucy Lazatin

15….C3 Stampede line dancers and Grandparents Day

16.…Resident Profile: Chris Cameron

17.…Ruth Longhurst retires

18.…The Yoga Corner: Gomukasana pose

19...Donations needed

20.…Signal Pointe garden glory, flood prompts evacuation, Canada Day celebrations

Next issue

Next submission deadline: October 10

Publishing date: October 31

Submissions are welcome from everyone… Staff, residents/clients and their families,

volunteers, students, etc. Please see the back cover for details.

Photo courtesy of Jennie Hollings

Social Worker Seth Roach demonstrates that “other duties” are sometimes the best part of a job as he helps rescue the kitten that climbed into the engine of a

staff member’s Volkswagen at Carewest Beddington.

Paws-itively heartwarming rescue Continued from Cover Page.

When a panicked young woman informed Carewest

Beddington staff that she had seen a kitten climb under

the hood of a car with a Carewest parking sticker, staff

sprang into action, knowing that the little fur ball was in

danger if the car engine was started.

While they waited for the Fire Department to arrive,

Social Worker Seth Roach maneuvered himself under the

car and used his technical skills to figure out which

engine component the kitten had disappeared into.

Seth was able to unscrew the component containing the

feline and, with the help of fire fighters, the frightened cat

was extracted.

The entire operation took a couple of hours but it was a

happy ending for all. Someone from the nearby Safeway

committed to finding the kitten’s owner and the owner of

the Volkswagen was able to drive the car home, even

though it was missing a screw after the rescue.

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We care about you. Please get your flu shot.

At Carewest, we are very committed to protecting the health of our residents, clients and staff.

The number of staff vaccinated on a unit directly relates to the number of influenza outbreaks on that unit. Don’t create more work for you and your co-workers – strengthen your unit against influenza by ensuring you and your colleagues

are immunized.

Influenza immunization and hand hygiene are the two most important steps that can be taken to prevent illness from occurring and reducing the

risk of transmission to others.

We believe it is in our residents’ and clients’ best interest to be immunized to help prevent serious

health complications that can occur from an influenza infection.

Carewest is offering free influenza vaccinations to all

residents/clients starting Oct. 7 and to staff starting Oct. 15.

If you have questions about the influenza immunizations, discuss them with your client

service manager or a Carewest nurse.

Beat the bug… Get your flu shot

Hand hygiene really does make a difference

Apart from getting your influenza vaccination every year, good quality hand

hygiene using alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water is your best defense

against the flu.

As the flu virus can live on surfaces for up to 48 hours, frequent hand washing,

cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched areas is

recommended.

Influenza can be spread by: Unwashed hands Touching objects and surfaces Talking Sneezing Coughing

Get your annual influenza immunization (flu shot)

Wash your hands often

Keep your hands away from your mouth, nose or eyes until they have been washed

Eat healthy, get plenty of rest and exercise regularly

Cough and sneeze into your sleeve

Stay home if you have influenza-like symptoms

Ask friends and family not to visit if they are ill

Beat the Bug

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STAFF INFLUENZA IMMUNIZATION CLINICS

October 2013 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday

Oct. 14 Oct. 15 Oct. 16 Oct. 17 Oct. 18

Thanksgiving Day

Nickle House 1400-1500

OSI 1400-1600

Signal Pointe Library 1400-1600

Royal Park Family Dining Room 1400-1600

Signal Pointe Town Hall 1500-1600

Royal Park Family Dining Room 1400-1600

Signal Pointe Library 1400-1600

Dr. Vernon Fanning Conference Room 1 0800-1600

Administration 1000-1400

Oct. 21 Oct. 22 Oct. 23 Oct. 24 Oct. 25

Garrison Green Bittman Hall 0800-1615

Garrison Green Bittman Hall 0800-1615

Garrison Green Roving Clinic 0700-1100 and 1500-1900

Garrison Green Roving Clinic 0700-1100 and 1500-1900

Garrison Green Roving Clinic or Bittman Hall 0800-1400

George Boyack Victoria Room 0600-1700

George Boyack Victoria Room 0600-1700

George Boyack CSM office 3rd floor 0600-1700



Sarcee Front Lobby 0800-1600





Glenmore Park Lobby 0800-1600










Colonel Belcher Roving Clinic

Colonel Belcher To be determined


Colonel Belcher 2nd flr. Dining Room 0700-1600


The times listed above are subject to change. Please see Careweb for the most up-to-date information.

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Did you know that the CNA recommends that annual influenza immunization of RNs be a condition of service for health-care workers? Vulnerable populations, such as seniors or those with chronic illnesses, are at higher risk of experiencing complications from influenza, which affects 10-20 per cent of the world’s population each year. The rates of serious illness and death are generally highest in people over 65 and in people with underlying medical conditions. Due to the nature of their jobs, health care workers are in contact with people at high risk of complications, like seniors and those with chronic illnesses. In the Code of Ethics for Registered Nurses, it states that nurses provide safe, compassionate, competent and ethical care and that it is the duty of the nurse to

be attentive to the safety of the persons receiving care and to factors that may

compromise their health. In short, it is a nurse’s duty to do no harm.

Health care workers who have direct patient

contact should consider it their responsibility to provide the highest standard of care, which includes

an annual influenza immunization. These vulnerable groups are best protected when their families and the community around them – including health care workers – are immunized.

Source: the Canadian Nurses Association

Corporate payroll calendar

The 2013 corporate payroll calendar has been added

to Careweb. Simply hover your cursor over the

Corporate tab and select “Corporate Calendar” from

the drop-down menu. We received an anonymous

suggestion through our online Suggestion Box.

Thank you to whoever made the suggestion. We

welcome any suggestions for Careweb or for any

aspect of the organization through Careweb’s

Suggestion Box and post the outcomes on the

Resolutions to Your Suggestions page.

Communications Page update

The Communications Page has been updated to

include all brochures, handbooks, booklets and other

publications we might have. If you need

information from a specific Carewest

brochure or publication, you’ll be

able to find it on

Careweb.

The Canadian Nurses Association (CNA) has taken a position that all registered

nurses (RNs) should receive the influenza vaccine annually to protect themselves,

their families and those in their care.

? ? ?

Did you

K K K N N N O O O W W W

Samara Sinclair Manager, Communications

What’s new

on Careweb this month?

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Photo by Samara Sinclair

Shannan Love and Paige O’Dwyer, Speech Language Pathologists in the Neuro Rehab

Program at Carewest Dr. Vernon Fanning, have assembled the first of a series of kits with tools

that help staff communicate with clients who have aphasia.

Lots to talk about Kits help staff communicate with clients who have aphasia


The conversation is flowing

on the Neuro-Rehab unit at

Carewest Dr. Vernon

Fanning thanks to several

speech language

pathologists and volunteers

who decided to try and make

the unit more “aphasia

friendly”.

Shannan Love and Paige

O’Dwyer, Speech Language

Pathologists (SLPs), in

partnership with Katherine

Churchward, casual SLP,

SLPs Heather Tomlinson,

Cheryl McGee and several

volunteers, assembled

Communication Carts for the

units and then more specific

Communication Kits for the unit clerks, nursing and

management to help those staff communicate better

with people with aphasia.

Aphasia is an acquired communication disorder that

impairs a person's ability to process language, but

does not affect intelligence.

Aphasia impairs the ability to speak and understand

others, and most people with aphasia experience

difficulty reading and writing.

Shannan says the kits were born from inservice

training given to staff over the last two years where

a need was identified for tools to help caregivers

and communication partners better communicate

with clients who have aphasia.

“One of the things that came out of the initial

inservicing was to develop Communication Carts

for the units. They are physical carts on the unit

with communication boards

in different languages and

other tools. It’s a rolling cart

with resources in it,” she

says.

“There is one for each pod

with resources readily

accessible for staff and

family to use. The next round

of inservicing was in

February, with therapy and

nursing staff and the

Communication Kits came

from that.”

Much like the Communication

Carts, the Communication

Kits include tools to ease and

bridge the communication gap

sometimes caused by aphasia.

They include Yes and No

boards, allowing clients to point to the most

appropriate response and other boards that prompt

the client to gesture at the appropriate picture that

best describes the question they want to ask.

Paige says the Communication Kits were created

for unit clerks first, who, as a group, wanted to

know what the question was about.

“The most-wanted cards were ‘Is the Question

About: hair, medication, transportation’ or “Is it a

Question for your Doctor or Nurse’ with ‘Yes and

No boards’, so unit clerks can direct them quickly

and efficiently. Then, we started to make them for

other therapists. We did one for the unit manager

because sometimes they come to her office and

sometimes it’s hard to tell what the clients want to

communicate,” says Paige.

Continued on Page 7.

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Photos courtesy of Kelly Baskerville

Jennifer Lee retires After more than a decade of dedication and service as Client Service Manager at Carewest Sarcee’s Hospice,

Jennifer Lee’s retirement plans include downsizing and enjoying more time with her dog and her family.

In the top picture, Christie Holan, Director, Rehabilitation & Recovery Services, Complex

Continuing Care, and IP&C recognizes Jennifer’s many contributions. In the bottom picture to the right, Jennifer is surrounded by members of her team.

Lots to talk about Continued from Page 6.

“All the packages have time cards – like calendars,

‘When: Before, Now, Future cards’ or a ‘How Long

card.’”

Looking to the future, Paige and Shannan hope to

create more kits, for social workers, physical

therapists, occupational therapists and recreation

therapists and aim to refine the kits as the need

arises for tools about different topics.

“It’s hard for us to know what nursing talks about

and what social work talks about – we gave them

our best guess so we’re going to wait to see if they

need anything else,” says Paige.

In the meantime, anyone can use the

Communication Cart on the unit, which has most of

the same resources as the kits.

“The ultimate goal is to make the unit aphasia-

friendly. This is one way we try to make that

happen. It’s another tool to help clients with aphasia

function independently on the unit,” says Shannan.

Photo courtesy of Maria Matias, WCB

Carewest awarded high score on PIR audit

Carewest was awarded a PIR (Partners in Injury Reduction) rebate and commemorative plaque at the

annual luncheon held by WCB to recognize those employers who have demonstrated a commitment to

safety under the program. Carewest achieved a score of 95 per cent on this year's audit, which was held in Sept.

2012. In the picture above, Dieter Brunsch, Vice President Customer Service & Risk Management at WCB, Blair Phillips, Director, Human Resources &

Facilities at Carewest, Carol Dallaire, Administrative Assistant, Human Resources & Facilities at Carewest and the Hon. Frank Oberle, Associate Minister of Services for

Persons with Disabilities with the Government of Alberta, mark Carewest’s achievement with a

commemorative plaque.

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BEEEACH Model helps reduce falls Samara Sinclair Manager, Communications

Over the last six months, Carewrite has been home to a regular feature about falls – highlighting different aspects of the strategy, including input from sites already implementing Falls Review Committees to make Carewest safer for our residents and clients. This month, we focus on the BEEEACH Model.

No matter what you do,

what precautions you

take, falls will happen.

But Physical Therapist

Donna den Otter and the other staff from Carewest

Rouleau Manor have proven that the number and

severity of falls can be significantly reduced with the

implementation of a simple tool.

The BEEEACH Model – a tool used to determine the

factors that might have contributed to a fall – was

employed by staff at Carewest Rouleau Manor and

Donna was amazed to see their falls rates drop from

more than 30 falls per month to eight falls per month.

“We cut it down to eight falls in three months and did

this by analyzing each fall that occurred in a given

month using the BEEEACH Model with a

multidisciplinary Falls Committee that included

myself, an occupational therapist, team lead, staff

nurse, client service manager and pharmacist,” says

Donna.

“But we noticed a big drop in the frequency of falls at our site when we included our resident assistants (RAs) because they know the clients and know their schedules intimately. They were able to apply all the interventions that we were able to recommend – it’s the RAs who were able to put it into place.”

BEEEACH stands for Behaviour, Education,

Equipment, Environment, Activity, Clothing/

Footwear and Health Management. Each aspect of the

model could represent a factor contributing to a fall.

Behaviour What is the behaviour that contributed to a particular fall? Is this new behaviour or has the behaviour changed? Is there a common contributing behaviour between fall events?

Education Does the client know how to use a walking aid, a seat belt or wheelchair brakes, a call bell or wall bars? Is the client aware of how to transfer safely? Does the client/staff/family know about fall prevention?

Equipment Is the client using walkers/canes, wheelchairs, cushions/covers, fall mats, seat belt, bed alarms, raised toilet seats or armrests?

Environment Assess the area for hazards like floor surfaces (carpet, linoleum, tile, scatter rugs, waxes, moisture or foreign matter), whether wall bars are available, the type of lighting available, the time of day and placement of equipment or furniture.

Activity How the client interacts with others, what their daily routines are like, if they participate in their own activities or in organized activities onsite, how far they can walk and their level of transfer.

Clothing/Footwear Check the length of the client’s pants and pyjamas, whether their shoes fit, are in good repair and are clean and whether they are wearing hip protectors.

Health Management What medications the client is taking, hydration, nutrition, vision, bone health, pain, illness and behaviour changes.

Continued on Page 9.

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BEEEACH Model reduces falls Continued from Page 8.

Jeanine Kimura, Director, Performance & Risk

Management, says the BEEEACH Model provides a

structure to think about the fall objectively and from a

safety learning approach. The model can draw in the

whole team – from those on the unit on a daily basis

like the health care aides, to people such as the

pharmacist.

“When you think about a variety of different

contributing factors, the team is more informed to

think about multiple interventions that can help reduce

the chance of the fall happening again,” she says.

“This is a multi-level, multi-site effort to move our

strategy forward. There is a Falls Strategy Working

Group and every site now has a Falls Review

Committee to focus on falls-related issues. Through

their efforts, they are moving the strategy forward by

focusing on site-specific needs.”

Inservices about the BEEEACH model are being offered at Carewest sites by Donna, who hopes that people are able to dovetail the model into what they are currently doing for falls prevention.

During the inservices, staff will learn about the model,

that it is only as good as the application of it and that

recommendations coming out of a falls review using

the model should include the care team, support staff,

the client and the family for education and

implementation.

“Falls safety is critical within our environment. Most

of our resident/client population are at risk for falls

and even with our best efforts, falls are still going to

happen,” says Jeanine.

“Our focus is on learning from when a fall happens –

is there something we can do to reduce the chance of

that fall happening again and at the very least, making

sure there are fewer injuries.”

Saving Backs PN Randy Lee from the Daily Adult Living (DAL) program at The Residence at the Colonel Belcher raises the bed up to a safe level before changing a leg dressing for resident Alice Mallabon. Randy says, "There is no task or procedure too small that you should not take the time to raise the height of the bed to save your back." Photo courtesy of Mari Kabunan-Kohn


Physical Therapist Donna den Otter teaches an inservice about the BEEEACH Model – a tool to help determine and analyze the factors contributing to a

fall. Donna hopes the model will be used by Falls Committees at each site to help prevent falling

in the future.

Beat the bug… Get a flu shot

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New mobile app connects OSI clients with resources


Clients at the Carewest Operational Stress Injury

(OSI) Clinic and OSI Clinics across the country

have started taking self-care into their own hands

with a new mobile phone application called OSI

Connect.

Using their cell phones, clients will be able to take

self-assessment tests to rate their sleep, level of

post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and

depression, watch relaxation videos, link to

research publications and much more.

The application, developed by the Royal Ottawa

Mental Health Centre on behalf of the OSI Clinic

Network, with funding from Veterans Affairs, was

launched earlier this summer.

Marney Riendeau, Manager, OSI Clinic, says the

technology will help connect clients with the

multitude of resources available for Post-Traumatic

Stress Disorder (PTSD) sufferers.

“I think it’s a one-stop shop for self-support. We’ve encouraged clients to seek out all these resources and now they are all in one place. They don’t have to go searching anymore – it’s all in the app,” she says.

“We’re excited about this mobile application because

it provides ongoing support away from the clinic to

the clients. You just press a button and you have

access to information that we encourage them to use

on a daily basis.”

PTSD, anxiety, depression, and substance abuse are

types of operational stress injuries.

The OSI Clinics across Canada specialize in treating

these conditions that come from combat, high stress or

operational fatigue.

The “first of its kind” mobile app is free for veterans,

Canadian Armed Forces and RCMP and works as a

mobile learning and self-management tool that

provides information and assistance at the touch of a

button.

OSI Connect is available for clients, potential clients, their families and for professionals. The app is available for iPad, iPhones, Blackberry and Android smart phones and tablets.

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New Management Appointments Because of the mandate of Commissary and the pivotal role and work being done by Maegan Spezowka, I am happy to announce her re-classification to Manager, Commissary effective immediately. Also, I am happy to announce that Robb Allen has assumed the role of Manager, Food Services for Carewest Garrison Green. Congratulations to both Maegan and Robb! We look forward to your continuing contributions to the team and your dedication to the success of the Food Services department.

Festive Goodies Coming Soon It is never too early to begin thinking about Christmas so keep your eyes open for our annual Quick Quisine Christmas baking. An assortment of delicious goods will be available for ordering in the middle of November in the cafeterias such as fruit cake, Christmas pudding, cherry pound cake, mincemeat tarts and shortbreads just to name a few! Stop by the cafeteria at any Carewest site, check out our Christmas baking brochure and stock up on festive goodies.

Contest! Create a new name for Quick Quisine and you could win a $50 spending spree on Quick Quisine products

We want you to put on

your creative thinking caps

and come up with a new

name for Carewest Food

Services’ Quick Quisine

program!

The winner will receive a

$50 spending spree on any

Quick Quisine products.

The contest runs until Oct. 11 and the winner will be

announced in the November issue of Carewrite.

You can enter as often as you like with a different

Quick Quisine name each time.

In the meantime, take

advantage of our unique

Quick Quisine program

offering homemade, nutritious

baked items, desserts, cookies

entrées and soups – made in

our own Carewest

Commissary kitchen.

We offer a diverse selection

of delectable dishes to make

meal preparation easier for you.

Visit our cafeterias and speak to one of our Food

Services team members for more information. If your

site does not have a cafeteria, please speak to the Food

Services Manager or Cook.

To enter, simply send your ideas either by inter-office mail

addressed to Morgan Burgess, Carewest Dr. Vernon Fanning, or

by email at morganburgess@ albertahealthservices.ca

Contest runs until Oct. 11

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

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Kindness to Colleagues

Second phase of Carewest Kindness initiative begins now Samara Sinclair Manager, Communications

The Carewest Kindness initiative –

supported by Employee Health & Safety

(EH&S) – continues through the fall and

winter with the second phase, called

Kindness to Colleagues.

Initiated during this year’s Health

Promotion Month in March, the theme of

which was “Working Towards Wellness –

It Starts With You”, everyone was

encouraged to take action on their own

health and to start with being kind to

themselves and the people around them.

The initiative blossomed from a

Management Day, where managers across

the organization came together and were given The

Business of Kindness book and encouraged to bring

a little kindness into their everyday lives.

The concept spread across the organization as part

of Health Promotion Month, when managers were

sent the Random Act of Kindness cards and pins

and encouraged to share them with their staff.

Treating colleagues with kindness and compassion

is the theme of Kindness Activity Kits distributed

by EH&S during this second phase of kindness

promotion.

Unit and area managers received the kits in August,

containing a set of instructions, awareness posters,

Kindness to Colleagues activity cards, and Random

Acts of Kindness cards and buttons.

The content of the Kindness to Colleagues activity

cards is featured on Page 13.

“Basically, you can do anything you like in terms of

kindness activities with your staff. If you or your

staff are involved in an act of kindness, please have

them write it on the Random Act of Kindness card

and take the button to wear and show you care,”

says Roxanne McKendry, Manager, Employee

Health & Safety and IP&C.

“Please post your acts of kindness for all to see and in November we'll ask for them back so we can feature them in Carewrite.”

If you need more Random Acts of Kindness cards

or pins, please contact Employee Health & Safety at

403-943-8182.

People may forget what we said or did for them, but they never forget that we took

some time and effort to make them feel better. You will know compassion when you see it because it will always lift a colleague to a higher ground, even if for a brief moment in time.

Olivia McIvor, Author, The Business of Kindness

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Kindness to Colleagues activities

TRUST: Practice honesty with consideration

Practice giving more than receiving in

your personal and professional life.

Start with pleasantries like saying

please and thank you consistently.

Let others know they can confide in

you. Listen without judgement and

don’t misrepresent their point of view

to others.

Refuse to participate in gossip and

conversations that don’t support

building up the human spirit and self-

worth of an individual.

COMPASSION: Show you care with unconditional acceptance

If a colleague seems overwhelmed

with their workload, talk to them and

offer suggestions or assistance.

Extend a friendly invite to a shy

colleague for lunch or to join you on

a coffee break. Welcome new recruits

into your circle of friends quickly.

Place people before tasks. Give them an

acceptable amount of your time when they

request it.

COURAGE: Step through fear to do what is right

Write down three safe risks you

would like to take in your work and

personal life. Build a plan around each

one to get you started.

Refuse to say, “I have always done

it this way” ever again.

Ask a colleague/friend to teach you

something new that will stretch your

mind to new dimensions.

FRIENDSHIP: Welcome others into your circle

Place an anonymous supportive note on a

colleague’s workstation. Bring them

midday tea or assist with their workload.

Walk a colleague or friend to their car or bus

stop at night.

Celebrate a Kindness to Colleagues day by

committing conscious acts of kindness to each

other. Start to make it a daily habit.

Roomies are both 102 years old Carewest Dr. Vernon Fanning roommates Josephine Hazelton, left, and Violet Prew in the Regional Community Transition Program (RCTP) pose for a photograph together after learning they were both 102 years old. But not for much longer, as Josephine’s 103rd birthday is just around the corner.


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Carewest employees and volunteers make up

a vibrant community with diverse talents and

dreams. This month, we profile Lucy Lazatin,

Food Services Assistant at Carewest Sarcee.


E M P L O Y E E P R O F I L E Lucy Lazatin

They call her The Dancing Queen and it’s not hard to

see why.

Arms spread, face to the sky, Food Services Assistant

Lucy Lazatin can be seen and heard from across the

room as she dances from table to table, singing for the

residents while they dine.

Bon Jovi, Billy Joel and Elton John tunes are common

favourites and every morning Lucy will come to work

with a new song of the day.

“I sing and dance for the residents. I love to do it for

them to make them happy,” says Lucy.

“I cannot control myself – even in the hallway I need to sing. I don’t know why. Even at home, always singing and dancing.”

Born and raised in the Philippines, Lucy was married

for 20 years with three sons and working as a secretary,

when her husband passed away.

At 44 years old, she decided to go in search of a fresh

life of opportunity for her and her children and she

came to Canada, sponsored by her sister.

“I had two sisters in the Philippines but felt, as a

widow, I needed to try my best to raise my kids – it’s

not always good to ask people for help all the time. I

survived,” says Lucy.

“My oldest was 18 and the second was 15 and the third

one was eight.”

The move was a big turning point in Lucy’s life and she

found herself back in school studying to be a caregiver,

while she and her boys lived with her sister and her

brother-in-law.

Her first year in Canada passed quickly and Lucy

worked as a caregiver and marveled at how large the

country was.

After earning her VISA, Lucy found a job as a clerk in

the Husky building downtown and worked there for

four years.

Continued on Page 15

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Employee Profile: Lucy Lazatin

Continued from Page 14.

After that, she returned to caregiving, this time with the

Calgary Progressive Lifestyle Foundation.

“I worked there for one year taking care of the patients.

One day, my boss asked me a favour to help my patient

in the gift store here at Carewest. That’s where I met

my (future) boss here. I applied at that time and started

right away,” says Lucy.

“That was March 2006. I have a good job now. I love it

– preparing all the food in the morning, serving the

residents’ breakfast and lunch. My favourite part is

spending time with the residents.”

That time includes outbursts of singing and impromptu

dance moves that bring joy to the residents and laughter

to her coworkers.

When she was younger, Lucy taught dance lessons for

three years but attributed her love of dance to a diet her

mom had when she was pregnant with Lucy.

“When my mom was pregnant, she was always eating fish and that’s why I got the moves,” Lucy jokes.

Lucy admits she grew up in a family with serious

parents and music and dancing was not part of her

upbringing.

Despite that, Lucy, as well as her brothers and sisters,

all love music and dancing, which makes for exciting

family reunions.

“My sister lives in Coach Hill and I have one brother in

Douglasdale and one in Somerset and every month, we

have a reunion. Last month, was at my sister’s house

and next month, at my house. We sing karaoke and

dance until 1 a.m.,” says Lucy.

“I guess it runs in the family – I have two sisters in the

Philippines and every two years they come to visit us

and all we do is singing and dancing.”

Lucy’s immediate family consists of four sisters and

two brothers – many of whom helped her establish a

life in Calgary.

“I have sisters who help me a lot in Canada, as well as

my brother Mario. He was helping a lot when I needed

help. Every time I ask for help from my brother, he

never says no,” says Lucy.

“I have a lot of good friends in Carewest Sarcee, staff

and residents. I like them a lot because they are good to

me.”


Grandparents’ Day Therapy Aide Greg Archer helps residents (left to right) Turq McCollum and Bill Bruch at Carewest

Colonel Belcher ring in Grandparents Day on Sept. 5 with coffee and cake.

Photo by Vicki Davis

C3 Stampede line dancers Yee haw! Members of the Comprehensive

Community Care (C3) team performed a “boot scoot ‘n boogie” line dancing routine for clients at

Stampede time.

16


When resident Chris Cameron first came to

Carewest Sarcee, he made it his personal mission

to give every woman in the care centre a hug. The

outgoing 79-year-old said persistence paid off as

one particular holdout, finally wrapped in his

embrace, told him it was the best hug she ever

had.

“Score one for me,” he said.

Once a truck driver from the Okanagan, Chris was

forced to give up his career after experiencing

problems with his legs.

“I moved to Carewest Sarcee from the Rockyview

Hospital, where they were trying to kill us with

their cooking. I came here and thought I was in

seventh heaven. There’s such a difference – it’s

basically the same food but they give it a twist

here,” says Cameron.

“Years ago, I had a coffee shop on the highway

and had a young guy working for me and what he

could do with a hamburger was absolutely

shameful but we sold so many that I didn’t worry

about it.”

Chris has been a resident at Sarcee for about one

year and has already made a reputation for

himself.

For every major holiday – Christmas, Halloween, Valentine’s Day – Chris’ walker (or, as he likes to call it, his chariot) becomes a focal point for residents, staff and visitors as he proudly displays months of creative effort, culminating in a masterpiece on wheels.

Christmas trees, a moving train set, lights, sounds

and toys are expertly mounted to his chariot,

which becomes a roving holiday display.

Every year his twin granddaughters are enlisted to

help create it. They brainstorm ideas and then

come back with the tools and materials to make it

happen.

“When I start on this, it takes up the best part of

six months of the year. The first one we start up

with is Halloween and we give Halloween a real

blast. At Christmas, the tree is all lit up and it

gives the ladies here something to giggle about

and that’s why we do it,” says Chris. “This year,

we’re hoping for a big fiberglass pumpkin all

carved and lit with batteries.”

Continued on Page 17

OUR RESIDENTS’ STORIES Chris Cameron specializes in mobile works of art


17

Chris Cameron specializes in mobile work of art Continued from Page 16.

“It’s just a

hobby but it

brings a

cackle and a

giggle to a lot

of people.

That’s what I

do it for – it’s

not for me but

for those I

pass everyday

and you’d be

surprised at

the amount of

friends you

make in a

day.”

It’s not a

surprise Chris

is good with

his hands, as

he worked

with tools his whole life.

Fresh out of high school, he was hired as a

mechanic for a farm implement company. He

worked there for many years, gaining valuable

experience during the day and then spending the

evenings at the old coral or local pubs – anywhere

that featured music or dancers – anything Chris

could “stomp his feet to”.

His experience as a farm equipment mechanic

paid off and Chris was hired by a transport

company to service their trucks. He went from

servicing trucks to driving trucks – transporting

everything from equipment to livestock – a career

that saw him through to retirement.

Today, Chris is looking forward to

welcoming a new member to the

family as his son has just announced

his engagement.

Ruth Longhurst retires

When Ruth Longhurst was hired in 1987 as a staff

nurse at Carewest Dr. Fanning, it was to fill a three-

month maternity leave position.

Twenty-six years later, her career with Carewest has

taken her from staff nurse to interim pain and

palliative care nurse, project coordinator for the

Fanning Centre's client room renovations in the mid-

nineties and, finally, coordinator of Carewest's Pain

& Palliative Care Consulting Service – a position

she has held since 1998.

“I have loved my job, working with our clients and

their families, but I know that it is time to take leave.

‘Thank you’ are words that seem so insignificant

compared to how I feel about those who have

supported me and blessed me through my husband’s

illness and death, and my retirement.”

“I’m not an expensive retiree” says Ruth, who is

looking forward to the simple pleasures in life like

friends, gardens, cooking and grandchildren. She

also hopes to do some volunteer work in other

countries with church groups.

“I don’t know what else life will deal me but I plan

to live and enjoy each day one at a time and be

pleasantly surprised by the events that come my way

that were not planned,” says Ruth.

Photo courtesy of Gerald Seller

Chris Cameron makes seasonal modifications to his chariot, which

he creates with the help of his twin granddaughters.

Photo courtesy of Joan Gilmour

Ruth Longhurst, second from the left, is pictured at her retirement party with colleagues (left to right)

Jennifer Cummings, Ana Lazzaroto and Halley Leung.

Beat the bug… Get a flu shot

18

New!

Gomukasana – Cow Face Pose keeps shoulders and upper back limber In keeping with Carewest’s Wellness initiative, each month we are featuring a yoga posture to help to keep your body mobile and flexible.

Tom King Equipment Coordinator &Yoga Instructor

When you work in the same position for long periods of time, your muscles

begin to fatigue and grow stiff. This can easily happen if you sit at a desk or if

you are doing the same task all day.

The yoga posture called Gomukasana – which literally means Cow Face Pose – will help limber up your arms,

bring mobility to your shoulders and alleviate some of the tightness across your upper back.

Photo courtesy of Tom King

Sharoni Fixler demonstrates Gomukasana. An experienced and certified Iyengar Yoga teacher and the owner of Yoga For Health

(www.yogaforhealthcalgary.com) in Calgary, Sharoni offers a discount to

Carewest employees through Carewest’s Social Club Discount program.

Step-by-step Gomukasana 1. Sit up straight at the front of your chair with

your feet placed firmly on the floor in front of you.

2. Extend your right arm across in front of you and then extend your left arm on top of the right arm. Cross at the elbows.

3. First, bend your right elbow, bringing your forearm to vertical. Then bend your left elbow, bringing your left forearm to vertical.

4. Now intertwine yours arms finishing with your palms together, fingers extended.

5. Lift your right arm up until your upper arm is parallel to the floor.

6. Breathe normally and hold this for approximately 30 seconds.

7. Release your arms and then repeat starting with your left arm.

http://www.yogaforhealthcalgary.com/

19

Coffee Break Sources: www.armouredpenguin.com & www.sudokuessentials.com

Word search Fall Influenza Campaign

Samara Sinclair, Manager, Communications

Sudoku Level: Medium

How to play Sudoku Fill in the game board so that every row and column

of numbers contains all digits 1 through 9 in any order. Every 3 x 3 square of the puzzle must include

all digits 1 through 9.

Donations needed Clean out your closets and support a great cause

Carewest Dr. Vernon Fanning Centre is looking for donations to help raise money through Bazaar and Toggery Sales for resident programs. If you have clothes, jewellery, DVDs or household items that could use a second home, please leave them at the front desk. No furniture please. For more information, please contact Activity Convenor Tracy McKenzie at 403-230-6985 or [email protected]

http://www.sudokuessentials.com/

20

Photos by Amy Martin

Signal Pointe garden glory This summer, Carewest Signal Pointe’s gardens looked

amazing – thanks to family, friends, volunteers and loved ones who gathered at the care centre to embellish the outdoor gardens, planter’s pots and flower boxes with different types of beautiful foliage at the annual family spring planting night. Pictured here are (left) resident

Eleanor Hambley and daughter Sharon Barrett and (right) resident Sharon Standley.

Canada Day colours Throughout Carewest, staff celebrated Canada Day with a patriotic flourish of red and white. Pictured here and looking lovely in their Canada Day attire are May Dulce, Maricel de Guzman, Debbie Reykdal, Gloria Olpindo, Rose Liam, Abie Andales, Nenita Venzuela and Aida Maroti – all from the Musculoskeletal (MSK) program.

Photo courtesy of Aida Maroti


Flood prompts evacuation On June 20, 2013, a local State of Emergency was

called in Calgary after record rainfall flooded parts of the city in what’s being called one of the largest natural disasters to ever hit the province. Affected communities included the Mission area

where Carewest Rouleau Manor is located. Seventy-two clients with varying dementia

diagnoses were evacuated from Rouleau Manor to Carewest Dr. Vernon Fanning Centre that

evening, where they were received, had dinner and then were assigned to available beds or

spaces across Carewest sites. Everyone pitched in to make sure residents were safe and well cared

for. In the photo above, staff from Carewest Transportation Services assist residents being

evacuated from Carewest Rouleau Manor.

Documents

See Page 3. -itively rescue - Carewest – Innovative …carewest.ca/dir/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Carewrite...1 September 30, 2013 Paws-itively heartwarming rescue Photo courtesy