Summerside Informer

A JOB WELL DONE

CORE VALUES

Charlene Gordon Roper is this month's Core Values Leader |

Andrews of Summerside residents volunteer to make sensory aprons | p. 7-8

A HISTORY OF CARE

Andrews of Summerside RN's grandmother inspired her to become a nurse | p. 9-10

Senior Care Advisor Amanda Kotlar presents members of the Andrews of Parkhill team with a cake for being the Andrews home to raise the most money for the Alzheimer Society during our May fundraising efforts. Pictured are Louise MacTaggart, Amanda Kotlar, Francie Speight and Carrie Gallant. Back row: Jennifer Warren, Saranya Kumar Paula Paynter, Caitlen Doucette and Josh Majcan.

'DOING SOMETHING TO HELP'

A SEASON OF GROWTH

It's hard to believe it's August already It feels like such a short time ago we were all bundled up in sweaters wishing for warmer weather Now that it's here, I hope you ' re all taking some time to enjoy it with friends and family

Speaking of time, I find late summer always puts me in a reflective mood It's always felt like a natural turning point in the year For anyone living in an agricultural hub like P.E.I., this would make perfect sense. The planting is long done, the growing season nearly over Soon it will be time to harvest the fruits of your labour

At Andrews, we can do something similar and take a moment to consider how much progress we ' ve made in recent months There's been a lot of seed planting going on behind the scenes and with that, a lot of growth

Our mock evacuations were held in recent weeks and I'm amazed at the improvements we ' ve made since the last time we did them I was able to be at Park West's and was thoroughly impressed with the level of organization and team work involved in getting all our residents and team members outside safely

Likewise, we are always looking for new ways to bring our team members together through our Social Committee We have a number of fun activities coming up on the near future, including goat yoga and axe throwing

Our Social Committee organizes events with the goal of enhancing workplace culture, helping team members bond outside of work hours and promote a positive and supportive atmosphere I personally attend any and all that I am able, because I sincerely want to build on the already amazing workplace atmosphere at Andrews by getting to know team members outside of work

That said, all activities are voluntary No one is required to attend any event and participation is not connected to work performance evaluations or promotions These events are organized by team members, for team members

In addition to Social Committee events, we have other team activities coming soon, including our chef's Black Box Mystery Event in August, to be held at Andrews of Charlottetown More details will be shared ahead of the event As well, Family Day at Shining water is planned for August. A save the date email was already sent with more details to come soon

Finally, I want to welcome Shelley King as the new Director of Care at Andrews of Parkhill We look forward to working with you and supporting you in your new role

Thank you again for all your hard work I hope you ' ve had and continue to have a wonderful summer

Sincerely,

Mizan

It is Andrews Sen to provide a safe and secure input and

CORE VALUE LEADERS

Charlene is always willing to help her fellow team members.

She works to ensure that all new team members feel welcomed and know they are an important part of Andrews of Charlottetown.

She is full of positive energy and is an absolute pleasure to work with.

ABOVE & BEYOND JUNE WINNERS

Leonida is a valued member of our team She’s always willing to go the extra mile, is pleasant and kind to our residents and is an absolute pleasure to work with. We are lucky to have her at Andrews of Summerside

Leonida started working as a housekeeper at Andrews of Summerside nearly one year ago Prior to joining our team, she worked at Wal-Mart.

Her favourite part of her job is being a companion to our residents

“I love seeing the residents,” she said “I love taking care of seniors.”

When she’s not at work, Leonida enjoys relaxing and watching Filipino movies

OUR OTHER HOMES

Leonida Manalo : Summerside

Our Above and Beyond winner for June is Leonida Manalo

Soniya Khattri : Parkhill

Tina McLellan : ProTem

Jenny Watson : Stratford

Lorraine Pitre : Park West

ABOVE & BEYOND JULY WINNERS

Jalene is a dedicated team member, always willing to help fellow team members, offer advice and coaching

She’s amazing with our residents and always goes the extra mile to make sure they feel special She’s one of a kind and we are fortunate to have her at Andrews of Summerside

Jalene started working as a caregiver at Andrews of Summerside seven years ago Prior to joining our team, she was upgrading her education at Holland College with the goal of becoming an LPN

She’s passionate about senior, finding the work rewarding

“They’re so happy, appreciative and loving,” she said of the residents “Some of the best people to be around ” When she’s not at work, Jalene enjoys relaxing with her two kids

OUR OTHER HOMES

Jalene Greenlaw : Summerside

Our Above and Beyond winner for July is Jalene Greenlaw

Emme Koebrich : Parkhill

Shianne Retieff : Stratford

Gurpreet Kaur : Park West

GETTING TO KNOW. . .

MARCIAL GARCIA

Marcial has been a Personal Support Worker at ProTem since February.

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 ? Lots of vegetables, a small portion of protein, and a source of carbohydrates.

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

W H A T I S Y O U R F A V O U R I T E M O V I E ? War Room.

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

The Bible.

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 ?

I love singing and cooking

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 ?

Humility, loyalty, and most of all God fearing

I F Y O U C O U L D L I V E A N Y W H E R E , W H E R E

L I V E ?

It would have to be in the Philippines with my family

W H A T M O T T O D O Y O U L I V E B Y ?

In everything you do, do it with love

FAST FACTS

Studied human services and medicine before joining Andrews.

Paul has 30 years of experience as a chef.

Volunteers with Queens County Residential Services, an organization that helps deliver programs to adults with intellectual disabilities.

'Doing something to help somebody'

Andrews of Summerside residents volunteer to make sensory aprons for people living with dementia

The first time Norma Paynter saw someone use a sensory blanket was after she moved into Andrews of Summerside

She was in line at a social function standing behind a man in a wheelchair. He had a blanket draped over his legs. He folded it, opened it, closed it and played with a knot in one end. He did this for an hour.

At the time, Norma didn’t realize the significance of the blanket but saw it brought the man comfort It was behaviour she recognized in her friend, who has Alzheimer’s

“I knew she couldn’t sit still, but I didn’t realize the intensity of it,” she said

In the time since seeing the man in the wheelchair with his blanket, Norma came to better understand the importance sensory items can have for people living with dementia Many people living with a diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer’s become easily agitated Sensory items, like blankets or anything they can safely fidget with, can relieve that discomfort.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

Andrews of Summerside program coordinator Annelize Malan displays a sensory apron alongside resident volunteer Janet Murphy.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

So, when Andrews of Summerside’s program coordinator Annelize Malan asked for volunteers to help with a project making sensory aprons for long-term care residents, Norma put her name forward.

“Hopefully I’m doing something to help somebody,” she said “Maybe me later Who knows?”

The project involved sewing various sensory items to aprons, which can be safely worn by long-term care residents

“There are so many different types of touch quilts and activity mats out there but unfortunately you see so many times when you walk past a resident’s room that these touch quilts are lying on the floor,” Annelize said. “It’s not safe to keep it on with a safety pin, so we needed to find a way to keep in on a resident without it ending up on the floor I was looking on the internet and I came across the apron ”

The group of resident volunteers, led by Annelize, spent two days in early June pinning and sewing items to 10 standard kitchen aprons

“We had all different abilities and people helping us, ” Annelize said. “Some pinned down, some were sewing, some were working with the (sewing) machine.”

In addition to the direct benefit of helping the long-term care residents, the volunteers had fun tapping into old skills and socializing with each other

“It really looked like the residents were enjoying it,” said Annelize “It felt like they were accomplishing something A lot of them have not done any needle work in a long time and they were very impressed with how they can sew again and thread a needle. It was all good for them.”

Norma was glad she signed up to help

“It was fun,” she said “We had one or two (residents) who liked to crack one-liners and keep things stirred up ”

Given the value the aprons can add to a person with dementia’s quality of life, Annelize would like to see more made in the months and years ahead.

“There’s a lot of institutions and places that would benefit from having this,” she said “If it’s something we can grow bigger and do in the community, that would be awesome ”

Norma Paynter takes instruction from Annelize while pinning sensory items to an apron.

Items like zippers, beads, buckles and different materials can all be found on the aprons. Because residents may prefer one sensation over another, Annelize wanted to include as many options as possible on the aprons.

'She was my example'

Andrews of Summerside RN Tracy Perrin says grandmother inspired her to go become a nurse

Some people choose a profession because of the money, others a personal passion For Tracy Perrin senior care was the family business

Tracy, who has been an RN for 27 years, started working in the field when she was 11 Her first job was sweeping floors for $2 50 an hour in her parent’s community care home in Long Pond, N L The work wasn’t glamorous, but she was eager to be part of the action

“I think I was just naturally born a nurse, ” she said. “I was really interested.”

She quickly moved from sweeping floors to helping with baths and other care duties By 15 she was learning to do ostomy care

That might not sound like typical teenage behaviour, but in the Perrin house it fit

By then, the early 1980s, the Perrin’s had been in the care business for close to 40 years Many family members had sought careers in care, all following in the footsteps of the family matriarch

Ethel Perrin

“She is my world,” said Tracy “She was my example ”

THE EARLY YEARS

Ethel was born in 1905 in Paradise, N.L. Her father died in a sealing vessel accident in 1914 forcing her to move in with her grandparents. They were strict, typical of that generation, but they were also loving and kind Most importantly, they instilled in Ethel a work ethic that would carry her through many challenges in her life

CONTINUED ON 10

Tracy Perrin has been a nurse for 27 years. Her family, however, has been in the care profession for generations.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

At 16 Ethel started working at a tuberculosis sanatorium in St. John’s, N.L. It was her first taste of care work and, at the time, it was not something she enjoyed. It depressed her to watch young people dying, with little anyone could do to help She left the job two years later and didn’t return to care work for another 24 years '

By 1945 Ethel was married and owned a house with her husband John Perrin The two had survived the Great Depression, eking out a living as farmers It was a simple life, but it suited the couple

In fact, they felt so fortunate relative to the times they were living in, they volunteered to take in foster children At first it was just two but over the next seven years it grew At one point she cared for five siblings.

Unfortunately, persistent and intense migraines forced Ethel to discontinue the foster care arrangement However, it wasn’t long before she returned to providing care, this time to adults with intellectual disabilities

As part of a pilot project aimed at deinstitutionalizing mental health care, Ethel was asked by authorities with the Waterford Hospital to take in a number of former patients She agreed, stipulating that she would need more space before being able to care for more people

The authorities agreed and over following years both Ethel’s patient load as well as her house grew At the home’s peak, Ethel was caring for 64 people. The house, formerly a modest abode, now had the monicker of “The Big House.”

With more patients came more work and Ethel had to hire additional staff to help keep up However, she insisted on doing as much as she could on her own Perhaps a symptom of her frugal years during the Great Depression, she personally darned patient’s socks and mended their clothes at no cost to the patient

“My mother says she’d never seen a woman work so hard, prior to meeting my grandmother, or since,” said Tracy

A GROWING BUSINESS

Over time, Ethel’s children began to play a role in the family business, learning what there was to learn from their mother and father. At 72, Ethel, then a widow, stepped away from the “Big House”, dividing the business up between her three sons and two uncles She bought an older home, oversaw the renovations, and opened it up to another 16 men from the Waterford Hospital Eight years later she retired for good

The family opened multiple care homes in Newfoundland and eventually P E I , where they opened Clinton View Lodge in 1987

By then Ethel was in her early nineties and had developed some health issues which required her to move from her home in Newfoundland to P.E.I., where she could be closer to family. She stayed briefly with Tracy’s parents, before moving into Clinton View Lodge, where she remained until passing away in 2009 at 103 The following year the family sold the lodge, closing a chapter on their decades of care work

AN INSPIRATION

For Tracy, who was always close to her grandmother and even shares her unfortunate predisposition for migraines, Ethel was an inspiration

“I don’t know if she had it wrong or right,” Tracy, now a nurse at Andrews of Summerside, said “She probably didn’t have it right, because all she did was work. But it was a good cause. She looked after people and did a really good job at it.”

In fact, some of the foster children and patients she looked after maintained contact with Ethel years after the fact

“They’d be adults, 40, 50 years old,” Tracy said. “Even if they moved away from Newfoundland, whenever they came back in the summer and look up Mrs Perrin They’d want to see Mrs Perrin ”

One patient in particular became like a daughter Betty, who lived with the Perrin’s, developed an especially close relationship with Ethel, even following her footsteps into senior care. As an adult, she spent every summer vacation visiting Ethel at her Newfoundland home.

“She just instilled in me to care for everyone, ” Tracy said of her grandmother “Look at them as God would and treat them kindly and fairly and gently ”

Ethel Perrin.

Barb Pye has been an Andrews of Parkhill team member for 10 years.

When Barb first joined our team as program coordinator in 2013 she didn't intend to stay long However, plans changed

"I came for two, stayed for 10," Barb said

The Andrews team, the residents, the work itself, all contributed to a sense of purpose that Barb fell in love with

"They welcomed me with open arms, " she said "This place, I can't explain it I don't say I come to work, I get to come here every day. It's not a job. I can't explain it. It's so rewarding."

During her decade as program coordinator at Parkhill, Barb has grown the residents' activity schedule, adding programs like noodle ball and basketball. Most recently she spearheaded the home's fundraising efforts for the IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer's and raised more than $1,300 in a matter of weeks.

"I'm just overwhelmed," she said of the fundraising results. "It's amazing. The people here, I can't say enough about them. They're part of me. "

MARKING MILESTONES

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

Crystal DesRoche has been an Andrews team member for 18 years.

Crystal started working as an LPN at Andrews in 2005 after a short stint at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital

Her first role with Andrews was as shift supervisor, but Crystal took advantage of a number of growth opportunities over the course of her career Before long she was promoted to nursing supervisor at Andrews of Stratford and finally community care manager She remained in that role for a number of years before choosing to return to being shift supervisor

"I feel the leadership team has always pushed me and listened to me when I wanted to make changes within the company, " she said "They were very supportive of whichever direction I wanted to go "

With her official 18th work anniversary in September, Crystal said her passion for the job hasn't changed since she first stepped foot inside Andrews at age 21

"I just love hearing the residents stories, I love making them happy," she said "If you can walk out of the room and have a smile on their face there's nothing that makes you feel better "

RESOURCES/GAMES

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

Jessica Gauthier Human Resources Advisor hr@andrewsseniorcare com

1-902-894-3439 ext 2422

If you have any questions for our HR team about benefits, ADP support, Immigration Program support or any other questions please contact me

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