Resident Care Services
The Resident Care Department dedicates itself to a high standard of care in cooperation with other departments within the Home. It endeavors to maximize the independence of each resident and provide as much support and comfort as possible to improve the quality of life for our residents. The Department supports and enhances the various activities of daily living, keeping in mind the physical and psychological abilities of the individual and assists residents to realize their potential. Every resident is encouraged to participate in decision-making and is respected and supported in making their decisions.
Resident Care staff monitors residents’ needs and assistance is given whenever needed (e.g. personal hygiene and grooming, mobility, use of toilet facilities, bathing etc.). Independence is encouraged and supported through individualized Restorative Nursing Programs. The Registered Staff provides all medications and treatments as ordered by the Nurse Practitioner and/or Physician.
The Home contracts with local external health care professionals to augment care, many of whom provide their therapy services within the Home.
Therapy services include laboratory, x-rays and oxygen, physiotherapists, foot care, vision, hearing and dental clinics, speech and swallowing therapists, physician consultants, nurse clinicians, pharmacy, and massage therapists.
The Medical Team, supported by attending physicians and a nurse practitioner, contributed to the success of the medical program. The team is also supported by the Simcoe-Muskoka District Health Unit’s Mental Health Team which includes registered staff, PSWs, and two psychogeriatric physicians. Together, they continue to provide exceptional physical and emotional care to the Home’s residents.
Bathing
Residents may have baths and/or showers (two baths or showers a week are routinely provided) and Resident Care staff will discuss your bathing preferences, options, and schedule with you to meet your bathing needs.
Dementia Care
Support and guidance in the care of residents experiencing various forms of Dementia and associated responsive behaviours is provided by the Behavioural Supports Ontario Mobile Support Team, the Wendat Program, the Behavioural Intervention Response Team and the local Psychogeriatric Resource Consultant. Employees of the Home are educated in techniques to care for residents with Dementia including Montessori Based Approaches to care, Non-violent Crisis Intervention, PIECES assessment and care planning and U & Me First training.
Hand and Foot Care
General hand and foot care is provided by the Resident Care staff. The registered staff will assess the need for specialized foot care on arrival and regularly thereafter as required. Specialized foot care services are available to residents in-house on a fee for service basis through a contractual arrangement with the Home. Costs for specialized foot care services are the resident’s responsibility and he/she will be billed for the service by our financial department. Residents are welcome to continue to use the services of their own foot care specialist, by making their own arrangements.
Palliative Care
The Care team collaborates closely with the resident and their family to provide compassionate end of life care. Our multidisciplinary care team is available to support residents and their families when end-of-life palliative care or advanced symptom control is needed. The goal of palliative care is comfort and dignity for the resident as well as the best quality of life for both the resident and his/her family, including relatives, partners, and friends. An important objective of palliative care is relief of pain and other symptoms. Palliative care is planned to meet not only physical needs but also the psychological, social, cultural, emotional and spiritual needs of each person and family.
Skin & Wound Management
The Home has an interdisciplinary skin and wound care team as part of the Skin and Wound Care Management Program. The Team’s purpose is to function as a resource to the staff of the LTC Home caring for residents experiencing and/or at risk for altered skin integrity. The team makes recommendations and guides the care of residents in wound prevention and management. The nurse manager performs weekly rounds to assess wounds and follow up with the registered staffs that provide routine wound care to the residents. skin assessment continues to be done on admission and with each quarterly assessment or change in resident status.