Stratford Informer

Andrews Senior Care is once again participating in the IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer's. The walk, scheduled for Saturday, May 27 in Charlottetown, is the Alzheimer's Society's largest fundraising event of the year. Join the Andrews Rockstars or support us by visiting our team page here Andrews will match the total raised by our team, adding to the amount donated to the Alzheimer's Society. Pictured are members of our Social Committee Jessica Gauthier, Amanda Kotlar and Lori Moase.

CORE VALUES

Sharon Woods-Bryenton is this month's Core Values Leader

MILESTONES

Kendra Long and Tara Steele are both marking significant milestones

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TEAM PROFILE

Get to know Paul Peters, our new head chef at Andrews of Charlottetown

APPRECIATING HARD WORK

Hello team,

Last week was Administrative Professionals Day and National Nurses Week begins on May 8 To an outsider, these occasions may seem niche and not relevant to people outside the profession. They couldn't be more wrong.

As anyone who has worked in an administrative role knows, the job touches every part of an organization At Andrews and ProTem, our administrative teams are central in our success providing the best quality care to our residents With the P E I lobster fishing season now open, I will use a nautical analogy here - our administrative team keep the ship on course regardless of how stormy the sea may get

Likewise with our nursing teams What would Andrews and ProTem be without the hard work of our health-care professionals? Our residents and their families rely on and trust you to provide them with exceptional care and you exceed that expectation every single day

This sentiment extends to our program coordinators, who met in person recently at o Summerside home It was an excellent opportunity to meet face-to-face and discuss successes as well as where we could improve our activities This is the kind of collaboration and teamwork that gets results

In other team related news, Paul Peters and David Bradley Doiron have joined the Andrews family

Paul is now the head chef at Andrews of Charlottetown He brings a lot of experienc to the role, with 30 years of working in P E I restaurants, the provincial school lunch program and as an instructor at the Culinary Institute of Canada.

David is our new Community Care Manager at Andrews of Stratford David has worn lot of different hats in his 35 years as an LPN. He has experience working in addictions, psychiatry and private clinics and holds a bachelor's degree in psycholog

Welcome to the team Paul and David!

Now, as most of you are probably aware, we are no longer required to mask at our homes This is welcome news to many and a sign we are moving in the direction of a post-pandemic world However, we have a responsibility to keep our residents health regardless of provincial requirements Please exercise the utmost caution and, if sick stay home

Finally, last year we were unable to organize the chef's competition We hope to this summer and will be keeping you informed as the competition date nears

Happy May

Sincerely,

Mizan

It is Andrews Senior Care's goal to respect the dignity an to provide a safe and secure environment; to promote involvement of residents and their family by inviting input and feedback related to the care and services we provide; to value the leadership, expertise and contributions of our staff through empowerment that will lead to excellence in service

CORE VALUE LEADERS

Sharon always makes an effort to get to know each resident and their families.

As program coordinator, she works to make sure every day is full of activities for residents that she knows they will enjoy and that will improve their quality of life. Residents and their families regularly refer to her as " our Sharon," and praise her commitment to creating meaningful experiences for residents.

Every month we will be recognizing a team member who we believe is a Core Values Leader This team member exemplifies one, or all three, of our values through their actions and character

ABOVE & BEYOND

Our

Diedre is amazing with the residents and always willing to help her team members We are fortunate to have her as part of the Andrews of Straford family.

Diedre, a graduate of Holland College’s Registered Care Worker program, first started working as an RCW in 2021 Prior to joining us, she worked for two years in a similar role at a care home in Belfast, P.E.I. For her, the best part of her day is spending time with the residents

“Knowing that we ’ re part of their family (is rewarding),” she said. “I see them more than I see my own family.” In her spare time, Diedre enjoys exploring different trails with friends and cooking Her favourite dish to make is chicken alfredo

OUR OTHER HOMES

Deidre Perrot : Stratford

Above and Beyond winner for April is Deidre Perrot

Donna LeClair : Park West

Josh Majcan : Parkhill

Emmah O'Neil : Summerside

Darlene Thompson : Charlottetown

Michelle Novakovic : ProTem

GETTING TO KNOW. . . PAUL PETERS

Paul is the new head chef at Andrews of Charlottetown.

W H A T W O U L D Y O U C O N S I D E R T H E P E R F E C T M E A L ? Turkey dinner.

C O F F E E O R T E A ?

Coffee

W H A T I S Y O U R F A V O U R I T E M O V I E ? "Roadhouse " There's a remake coming next year!

W H A T I S Y O U R F A V O U R I T E B O O K ?

"The Hobbit "

W H A T T A L E N T W O U L D Y O U M O S T L I K E T O H A V E ?

Any musical talent

W H A T D O Y O U A D M I R E M O S T I N P E O P L E ?

Honesty.

I

?

Prince Edward Island

W H A T M O T T O D O Y O U L I V E B Y ? Good things come to good people

FAST FACTS

Paul has 30 years of experience working as a chef.

Paul has 30 years of experience as a chef.

In addition to working at Island restaurants, Paul also worked with the provincial school lunch program.

Paul is both a graduate of, and former instructor at, the Culinary Institute of Canada.

'I feel his presence'

Steve Zaat continues father's tradition of playing Andrews Senior Care homes

Stepping inside Andrews of Stratford for the first time was an emotional experience for Steve Zaat

For years before his death in January 2021, Steve’s father Cornelius “Con” Zaat, a beloved P E I musician, played regularly at Andrews Senior Care homes So, when Steve, a musician in his own right, started doing shows with Andrews in 2022, it felt like a sort of homecoming.

“I feel his presence, ” Steve said of the activity room where his father spent so much of his later years entertaining residents “I feel honoured to be able to follow in those particular footsteps I know he was really proud that music had continued.”

Music has always been central in Steve’s life Whether it was playing guitar around the house as a teenager, or singing with his sister in the local Dutch choir As he got older, music became less of a private passion and more of a trade In 2022, Steve released his second studio album “Not that Far”, which explores themes of grief, loss and healing.

His decision to start playing senior care homes was influenced by seeing the joy his father brought to people as well as his own religious beliefs

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“I wanted to do something that was purposeful,” Steve, who is Baháʼí, said “I could play at a pub and sell a bunch of drinks, but with a bit of a higher purpose in mind, I feel like performing for seniors takes it a step above ”

Sharon Woods-Bryenton, program coordinator at Andrews of Stratford, said having Steve perform has been a treat for the residents

“’Con’ was an Island treasure and our residents loved his visits and music,” she said. “When Steve called after he moved back to the Island, I knew it would be like having a part of ‘Con’ back Both Steve and Con are extremely accomplished musicians, but it really is their heart that shines through as you can see the joy they give and get from performing and sharing music with our residents ”

Which for Steve, has always been the point

“I feel like live music is good for anyone at any age, ” Steve said “It just reaches the heart and brings back memories. There’s a couple of songs I do where everybody sings along. It’s heartening.”

An added benefit is meeting residents who remember “Con”

“A lot of the places I play, they know him,” Steve said “When I played Andrews of Charlottetown, eight people came up to me and said ‘I knew your father ’ I get to tell the story about dad when I’m performing here He’s the reason I’m here doing this in the first place ”

'Con' poses for a photo with former residents Gerald and Ann Ells.

Steve performs "Prince Edward Island, A Home Away from Home,' written by his father "Con" Zaat. Listen to more of Steve's music here

Tara Steele has been with Andrews of Charlottetown for 28 years.

Tara started working as a dishwasher with Andrews through a job placement program in 1995 and never looked back

"It's a good place to work," she said "I've made a lot of friends through the years Everyone is friendly and helpful "

Over the course of her career, her role has evolved to include " a bit of everything " Sometimes she's handling cleanup, sometimes she's doing food prep She enjoys the bustle of working in the kitchen The constant motion, the team atmosphere are all perks as far as she's concerned

"I enjoy the work," she said "I'm never bored "

She added the social side of working at Andrews is one of the primary reasons she's stayed with the company for as long as she has.

"I like the people, the social aspect," she said. "Being a part of that environment."

MARKING MILESTONES

Every month we will be highlighting team members who've reached significant milestones with us

Kendra Long as been an Andrews team member for 17 years.

Kendra began her career at Andrews of Summerside She was freshly graduated from Holland College and decided to follow in the footsteps of her aunt who was the Director of Care at Andrews of Charlottetown

She spent roughly five years working as an LPN before being promoted to nursing supervisor She remained in that role for seven years, at which point became the Community Care Manager at Andrews of Charlottetown and, as of this month, Director of Care

During her years with Andrews, she's had numerous opportunities for advancement and support from the leadership team every step of the way

"I had to go back to school and take some upgrading and they paid for my courses and they gave me time off so I could attend school and still work," she said, adding that spirit of teamwork is present at every level of Andrews

"I feel like we ' re all a big family," she said "I really do feel that way When I come to work I look forward to seeing everybody here "

Are You Feeling Stressed or Overwhelmed?

Take advantage of our Employee Assistance Program through Lifeworks This program is available 24/7 online or over the phone and services to help you with work, family, health, money, and life The following is information on how you can access the program:

Toll-free support line: 1-877-207-8833

TTY: 1-877-371-9978

Through their website login.lifeworks.com

Username: murphy

Password: eap

Are

Community Cash 50/50

DON'T MISS OUT ON THESE BENEFITS

Paid vacation time starting at 4% per year (Approximately 2 weeks)

Health and dental coverage, of which we cover 50% of the costs

A pension plan where we match your contributions of up to 4% of your salary annually

A fitness subsidy of up to $250 annually

Discounts with local companies, including pharmacies, home heating oil providers and restaurants