Summerside Informer

NIGHT AT THE MOVIES ABOVE

Check out this month's Above and Beyond winner

Check out photos from celebrations at our homes.

RESIDENT RECIPES

‘THERE’S

This month we feature a decadent butter tart recipe from resident Evelyn Rafuse | p 4-5

Andrews activity directors attend session on strength training for seniors | p 7-8

PET THERAPY

ABOVE & BEYOND

Spending time with animals proven to benefit seniors and people living with dementia | p 6-7

Check out which of our team members were recognized for going above and beyond this month.

Team members enjoyed an evening at the movies at City Cinema in Charlottetown on Monday, Feb. 19. We had 47 people able to join us in a viewing of “Back to the Future” on the big screen. Thank you to everyone who came. It was great to see so many team members all under one roof!

THE IMPORTANCE OF BALANCE & APPRECIATION

Congratulations to all our homes for passing provincial inspections The quality of care we provide at Andrews is something we should all be proud of Our success as an organization depends on team work and dedication from every department and you all consistently rise to the occasion Thank you

Likewise, the rollout of our RN education program is going well We’ve heard a lot of positive feedback and will continue to develop training that suits the needs of our team and residents

In addition to training and professional development, enhancing the already positive team culture we have at Andrews and ProTem is something we value. Senior care is an industry that requires us to be at our best professionally and interpersonally For that to be even remotely possible, we need balance A special thank you to Tanya Weatherbee for organizing the beautiful staff rooms at ProTem I’m sure they will be well utilized by team members in the months and years ahead

While we ’ re on the topic of ProTem, welcome to the team Adrienne Lacroix! Adrienne is the current activity director at ProTem while Amanda Shea is on maternity leave

Since starting with us last month, she’s been busy keeping our residents active and engaged through exercise programs, crafts and games Keep up the good work, Adrienne!

I also want to extend a note of thanks to everyone who came out for our “Night at the Movies,” a few weeks ago. My son and I had a blast watching “Back to the Future” on the big screen and it was great seeing so many of our team members and their families enjoying the movie

Our next team event will be an evening of bowling at the Credit Union Place in Summerside this month Details have been sent to the DOC’s, posted on the Rockstar page and are on the following page as well

Looking to the months ahead, we have some exciting news slated for May We will be holding a week-long celebration of our team at all our homes to show our appreciation for all your hard work throughout the year Details will be announced at a later date, but make sure you ’ ve got May 6 - May 12 marked on your calendar

Wishing a happy Ramadan, Purim, Naw Rúz and Easter to all who celebrate this month

Sincerely,

Mizan

BowlingNight

Andrewsteammembersareinvitedtoajoinusforaneveningof bowlingandpizzaattheCreditUnionPlaceinSummerside.

Location:CreditUnionPlace

Date:Tuesday,March12

Time:6p.m.to9p.m.

Cost:$2.30pergame,includesshoerental.

Complimentarypizzawillbeavailable.

Theme:St.Patrick’sDay

PleasesignupbyMarch3.TheCUPhasrequested alistofourtotalnumberofattendeesbyMarch4.

Our homes were bustling the week of Valentine’s Day with teas, special meals and lots of live music. Andrews of Charlottetown held a Valentine’s Day tea, featuring finger sandwiches, tarts, live music and dancing.

V A L E N T I

Andrews of Stratford celebrated twice during Valentine’s Day. One February 13, residents enjoyed a Valentine’s tea and then on Valentine’s Day, residents celebrated with a meal of baconwrapped beef roulade, mashed potatoes, vegetables and straweberry flan for dessert.

In addition to our home celebrations, Kent Building Supplies donated flowers and cards to our residents at all five of our P.E.I. homes.

Residents at Andrews of Summerside, Parkhill and Park West celebrated Valentine’s Day with a sweetheart lunch, live music and crafts. Residents at all three homes were also gifted flowers and cards from Kent Building Supplies.

‘There’s no expiry date’

Andrews activity directors attend information session on strength training for seniors

“You don’t use it, you lose it.”

That was the core message for Andrews’ activity directors at a recent information session on strength training for seniors hosted by Jason Mosher, owner and operator of Naturally Fit gym in Charlottetown, P.E.I.

Jason, who has an extensive history in strength sports as well as working as a group trainer, personal trainer and fascial stretch therapist, spent an afternoon in early February guiding our activity directors through a series of exercises and how to incorporate them into their exercise programs for residents

He said for most seniors the goal of strength training is to maintain physical independence

“We’re not going to get hypertrophy, which is recruiting more muscle fiber,” Jason said “We’re just trying not to lose what we had With strength training, we ’ re not talking about going and deadlifting 800 lbs when you ’ re 80 years old We’re talking about being able to pull your socks up on your own ”

That loss of mobility and independence is an experience Jason understands professionally as well as personally Over the course of his career, he’s trained everyone from high-performance athletes to stroke survivors and people recovering from surgery But after a fall from a 17-foot ladder in 2022, he had to build his own body back up

“Broke both my arms, smashed my head really bad,” he said

CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

Naturally Fit owner Jason Mosher poses inside his Charlottetown gym. Jason recently gave a free information session on strength training for seniors to Andrews’ activity directors.

“Torn bicep, torn shoulder, torn pec, torn abductor, both knees, both ankles, ribs I had five herniated discs in my back My neck was pretty near broken but I’ve corrected pretty much all of that. It really gave me a lot of time to dissect a lot of my training.”

For Jason, the injury reinforced the importance of having a strong physical foundation.

“You slip on some ice, strength training and mobility training will allow you to recover from that slip,” he said. “If you ’ re stiff and fragile you ’ re going down and you ’ re going to break your hip.”

Exercises he recommends for seniors starting out include chair squats, offset step-ups, weighted core twists and offset farmer carries. All of these can be done with as little weight as 1 or 2 lbs and can be modified depending on the person ’ s current mobility and strength levels.

“Heavy for you can be way too heavy for me, ” he said “You want to go very minimal at first and when that’s super easy, then you increase We’re going to start with very basic movements and see where our recovery is As we age, it’s not so much about ‘I feel strong,’ it’s that I don’t recover as well You have to keep that as a factor ”

Annelize Malan, activity director at Andrews of Summerside attended the information session and will be expanding her residents’ current exercise routine to include more strength training

“My goal is to introduce it to residents who want to do a bit more, ” she said “It’s something that they’ve never done or haven’t done in the last number of years There are some people who’ve never lifted a weight in their lives ”

While a majority of residents prefer to do exercises seated, Annelize hopes to improve their confidence over the long term

“Getting them to do a little bit more and getting the confidence in standing up and holding onto a chair or doing exercise next to their chair,” would be a realistic goal for a lot of her residents

Sharon Woods-Bryenton, activity director at Andrews of Stratford, already had strength training elements in her fitness classes but will be adding more going forward

“It’s just so important for our seniors to have good core strength and balance,” she said “The more we can do to help them build that or maintain that strength, the better ”

While many people are hesitant about starting strength training as a senior, Jason said there’s no age limit

“My oldest client was 92 years old, after a stroke,” he said “There’s no expiry date You can start at any time but you have to start with reasonable expectations There’s going to be atrophy There’s going to be weakness But you ’ re getting these things fired up Start any time You want to get out of bed? Start.”

Jason guides activity directors through a series of strength exercises for seniors.

ABOVE & BEYOND FEBRUARY WINNERS

JUDY SHAW : SUMMERSIDE JOINED IN 2021

Judy was recognized for going above and beyond

Our above and beyond winner for February is Judy Shaw

Judy is a hard-working housekeeper who loves seeing residents happy and taking care of our home

Judy started working at Andrews of Summerside three years ago Prior to joining us, she worked as a cook for seniors

For her, helping people is the most rewarding part of her job

“Just to see the residents happy is a big thing for me I love working with seniors,” she said “I like how I feel when I go home everyday knowing I can make a difference ”

In her free time, Judy likes to read, take walks, ride her bike and spend time with her friends

OUR OTHER HOMES

Mayumi Semila : Parkhill

Rose Marie Hoffman : Stratford

Juveena Julius : Park West

Nidhi Thomas : Charlottetown

Luanne Landry : ProTem

GETTING TO KNOW. . .

NAIDA BAWAG

Naida works in admin support at Andrews of Park West

She had this to say about working at Andrews:

“I've always had a soft spot for elders Perhaps it's because of my granddad, who lived a remarkable 102 years. Working here brings back memories of him. He's one of my most cherished childhood memories, always kind and funny, never one to say “ no. ” I believe these core memories help me connect deeply with the residents here at Andrews; just listening to their stories, I can't help but be blown away by the depth of their experiences ”

W H A T W O U L D Y O U

I'd totally do a happy dance for garlic butter shrimp and rice - it's my ultimate comfort food! It tastes even better when I'm sharing it with my favorite people I mean to me, good food becomes great or perfect when enjoyed with those we vibe with

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

Coffee, for sure!

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

Actually, I'm really into Korean series these days rather than movies But there's one movie I'll never forget: “The Pursuit of Happiness ” It reminds me of the importance of resilience and determination in the face of adversity

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

I've got this book called Atomic Habits if you are aiming for personal growth, this book is your best bet

W H A T T

I'd love to have the talent for photography or graphic design, like a pro.

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 ?

I admire people who treat others with respect, kindness, and consideration regardless of differences I also admire those who are creative because they bring new ideas and ways of thinking.

Honestly, I couldn't imagine living anywhere else because I'm already living in my dream place Canada has always been a dream of mine, and going to the beach is my favorite getaway So, being right here on the island is simply perfect This is the place where I truly want to live; it's my ideal home

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

“Move forward Give back” That's how I want to live I'm grateful for the support I receive when learning something new As I grow and achieve my goals, big or small, I aim to pay it forward and support others too

Tony Buena has been an Andrews of Stratford team member for 14 years.

Prior to joining Andrews, Tony spent 14 years as a teacher in his home country of the Philippines

When he first moved to P E I he started working in housekeeping at Andrews Not long after, he transitioned to dietary, a role he remains in today

For him, the thing he values most about Andrews is the sense of community Working in a kitchen involves a lot of moving parts and to make things run smoothly, everyone needs to be on the same page

“We are a team,” he said “Working as a team is very important ”

He added, interacting with the residents is rewarding

“They’re really nice people,” he said “It seems like they are my parents, my family That’s what I feel ”

MARKING MILESTONES

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

Brenda Arsenault has been a ProTem team member for 11 years.

Before joining ProTem, she worked in human resources as well as the fabric industry But, after helping care for her stepfather when he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, she shifted her career focus to caregiving

She initially spent time working in a lower care level home before accepting a position at ProTem

“I felt I needed to work in a level 1 or 2 prior to coming here,” she said “To see if this was really something I wanted to do ”

Once she started at ProTem, she was impressed with the care model and the small-home way of operating

“The care is personal,” she said. “We get to know (the residents), we get to know their families, their pets, everything and that’s the whole thing.”

In addition to the type of care provided to residents, Brenda appreciates the leadership style at ProTem.

“You form these relationships with them,” she said. “They come over and they actually talk and listen to us.

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

Jessica

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