What's New at Salem Home
Duet Bicycles & New Handi-Van
The Salem Foundation, through the generosity of community donations, graciously donated two Duet Bicycles to the residents of Salem Home. The bikes allow residents to be part of a bike ride, experiencing the outdoors and the community of Winkler in a very different way. Sherry Janzen, Salem Home Chief Executive Office, said “having these bikes has opened a whole new world of opportunity for residents and their families!” Residents and their families, including early age grandchildren, have enjoyed many group outings on bikes … visiting the new Heritage Park, the beautiful floral gardens throughout the city, the downtown area, and the residents’ previous neighbourhoods. Along with the feeling of being young again, the bike rides give the residents the pleasure of enjoying the outdoors, bring back many memories of family adventures and recollections of the previous gardens and yards they tended and took pride in.
Research shows that residents who participate in bike rides experience less depression, and are more energized by the world around them as they feel the wind on their faces, get to see new things, and have one to one socialization during the ride. Please refer to: http://www.frankmobility.com/duet-vid.php.
The Salem Staff and resident families have observed the wonderful calming effect a bike outing has on restless residents while allowing them to enjoy the outdoors, the warmth of the sun and the sites of nature.
The other set of “new wheels” … the handi-van … has also proved to be very popular with the Salem Home residents and Adult Day attendees. They are enjoying the comforts and improved transportation of a new handi-van thanks to community support through the 2010 Matching Funds initiative, the April 2011 “Faspa, Fellowship & Song” fundraiser and the support of Pfahls Drugs. The new van has increased variable space allowing more residents to go on outings, a comfortable ride and lower windows which provide residents with greater visibility to observe the scenery. The van went into operation in late July. The residents and adult day program attendees have already been out on a number of outings including picnics, lunch and breakfast outings, and even a trip to "Your Thrift Shoppe Inc." in Plum Coulee. Comments about how much they've enjoyed the improved ride and the fun of the outings continues to resound in the hallways of Salem Home! The handi-van has definitely increased the resident and adult day program attendee's joy and excitment about the way that they are able to experience their community as they previously did.
Pembina Valley Online - Salem Foundation Purchases New Handi-Van, Duet Bikes
Standards Visit
August 17, 2011 - Manitoba Health and the RHA spent the day at Salem Home doing a Standards Review. They reviewed how we provide care, the policies we have in place and conducted a thorough inspection of our facility. Salem Home met all of their standards. We received many “well done’s” and “you are to be commended for’s. . .” during the debriefing session. We are so proud of how our staff provide such great care for our residents!
Surveyors: Manitoba Health - Carol Johnston and Barbara Graham-North. RHA - Paulette Goossen, Program Director for Long Term Care and Palliative Care.
Completion of Multi-Purpose Room
Tuesday, June 21, 2011 was an exciting day for Salem Home. It was a day that was a long time in the visioning and planning. The completed Multi-Purpose Room was formally dedicated and opened to the public.
The space has been used by residents and staff alike – the residents watched the royal wedding while being served tea and crumpets, and education sessions for staff have been held in the room affording an inviting learning environment.
The construction of this space was made possible through a generous gift from Mr Abe B Wiebe and his late wife Tina. We are immensely grateful for this gift and the possibilities it provides.
Pembina Valley Online's Articles - Grand Opening Held for Salem Home's MPR, and New Training Suite Unveiled at Salem Home.
To view more pictures, please see our Multi-Purpose Room Grand Opening photo gallery.
Completion of Lift Project
The beginning of 2011 saw the completion of the Lift Project. The Salem Foundation purchased the final 30+ lifts that saw the completion of installing a permanent lift in resident rooms. This project is a significant investment by the Foundation and community that focuses on resident comfort and safety during a transfer. As well, this creates a safer way for staff to transfer residents.
The installation of the lifts has given staff more time to spend with the residents – staff no longer wait for equipment when they need it, the time spent cleaning the lift between each use has been eliminated, and staff do not have to search for equipment when they need it.
We are blessed to live in a place that recognizes the elderly as part of their community and supports the care of the residents. Without this commitment, equipment such as the permanent lifts would take years to accomplish.
Pembina Valley Online Article - Ceiling Lift Project Finished at Salem Home
Salem Home Annual General Meeting
Salem Home held it’s AGM on Monday, June 20, 2011. This is a business meeting of the corporation to which the corporate churches send delegates. Overall, it is a review of the completed fiscal year through reports from the board, CEO, Physician Liaison, Ladies Auxilary, and the auditors. This year was an exceptionally busy year so a PowerPoint presentation was given as the CEO’s report, as pictures are worth more than words.
It is evident that the work of Salem Home is composed of many people doing specific things to ensure that the residents receive the best care we can provide. We are blessed to have a staff who are committed to the residents. It is impossible to capture their dedication in words or pictures, and to do so, limits the creativity and caring they demonstrate as they interact with the residents.
Winter 2010 & Spring 2011 - Construction of Multi-Purpose Room
It didn't take long for construction to begin after the sod-turning ceremony. Please see our Photo Gallery to view pictures of the work in progress.
November 2010 - Sod-Turning Ceremony
The official sod turning ceremony for the new Multi-Purpose Room was held on Monday, November 8th. The event was covered by the local media. To read the related articles, please see the Winkler Times or Pembina Valley Online. Photos taken at the ceremony may be viewed in our Photo Gallery.
September 2010 - QUIS-EH-O Training Sessions
At Salem Home we are continually seeking better ways to assist our residents. We have introduced the QUIS-EH-O program which measures the resident's "lived" experience. QUIS measures the quality of interactions between the resident and those around him/her, including staff. EH measures Environmental Health. O measures the Organizational Health. Each component is important in determining how the resident lives in the Home.
A number of staff went through the training session, and at the conclusion they made recommendations of what could be modified or changed to ensure that the residents are engaged in what is happening around them. A number of those changes will be implemented in January 2011. One of those changes will include "clutter boxes". These are boxes filled with items that will promote interactions with other residents, cognitive stimulation, or help to pass the time. With the changes already introduced over the past two years, we are looking forward to seeing what a difference QUIS-EH-O will make in the resident's lives.
