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Red Deer Advocate MONDAY, DEC. 21, 2015
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RUSSIAN NEW YEAR’S PARTY
LONG-TERM CARE
Local facilities have room for improvement: report BY SUSAN ZIELINSKI ADVOCATE STAFF Long-term care facilities in Central Alberta have some work to do to reduce the use of restraints, potentially inappropriate use of antipsychotics, and the number of residents experiencing worsening pain according to new data. This week Canadian Institute for Health Information showed daily physical restraints were used on 19 per cent of residents in the Central Zone compared to 8.6 per cent across Alberta in 2014-15. CIHI says restraints are sometimes used to manage behaviours or prevent falls. But there are many potential physical and psychological risks associated with applying physical restraints to older adults, and such use raises concerns about safety and quality of care. In Central Zone, 28.9 per cent of residents were taking antipsychotic drugs without a diagnosis of psychosis compared to 21.1 per cent provincially. CIHI says these drugs are sometimes used to manage behaviours in residents who have dementia. Careful monitoring is required as such use raises concerns about safety and quality of care. In Central Zone, 18.5 per cent of residents had worsening pain compared to 13.2 per cent across Alberta. CIHI says worsening pain can be related to a number of issues, including medication complications and/or improper management of medication. Careful monitoring of changes in pain can help identify appropriate treatment. Worsened pain raises concerns about a resident’s health status and the quality of care received. Dr. James Silvius, provincial medical director for seniors health with Alberta Health Services, said in general he was reasonably pleased with the data results, but there is some work to do, like reducing use of restraints in Central Zone. “It declined for three years and then it went up in Central Zone. I’m not entirely sure why that is. We know there are certain sites that are a fair amount higher than others. When you think about the size of many of these facilities, small changes in the number of people can really skew the data unfortunately,” Silvius said on Friday. In the Red Deer region, the use of restraints was highest at Rimbey Hospital and Care Centre at 43 per cent and lowest at Extendicare Michener Hill in Red Deer at 0.1 per cent. He said the potentially inappropriate use of antipsychotics has actually dropped significantly in Central Zone from 34.7 per cent last year to 28.9 as AHS works to reduce the use of antipsychotics. “We recognize that this was an issue within AHS. We started to work on it. Central Zone has further to go than some of the others and we’re making good progress.” Residents taking antipsychotic drugs without a diagnosis of psychosis was highest at Olds Hospital and Care Centre at 37.5 per cent and lowest at Extendicare Michener Hill in Red Deer at 20.2 per cent. When it comes to worsening pain, there are some sites in the zone that are doing better than others. “One of the sites that have done very well made recognition and management of pain a specific focus of activity last year and their results are way better than just about anyone else’s which suggests there’s some best practice sitting in Central Zone which we need to look at replicating.” He said that site was Extendicare Michener Hill. Residents with worsening pain was highest at Bethany Sylvan Lake at 31.5 per cent and lowest at Extendicare Michener Hill at 4.9 per cent.
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Red Deer embraces season of giving BY MARY-ANN BARR ADVOCATE STAFF If there’s any doubt that Red Deer overflows with the spirit of giving, look no further than the Christmas charities helping record numbers of people in need this year. With the final numbers mostly counted, the combined efforts of the Red Deer Christmas Bureau, Salvation Army, Central Alberta Women’s Outreach and Family Services of Central Alberta will bring comfort and joy to several thousand people — many of whom have never had to apply for assistance before. And those that offer support to these agencies are coming through as always, although there’s still need, and time, to give. The Christmas Bureau, the hub of the season’s drive to help families and children — had a total of 1,237 applicants this year. This week there are 1,146 hampers going out to families, helping 1,345 children, Christmas Bureau president Teresa Kutynec said. Going back as far as 2002, the 2015 numbers are the highest, even about 100 higher than during the global economic crisis several years ago. Despite the high numbers, the bureau will be able to help everyone. “It’s people out of work and I think people weren’t quite prepared for everybody being off for this long. The oilpatch hasn’t gone back to work. There’s a lot of people who have been off since February and still haven’t found any work.” “I think it’s a bit of a humbling experience for them. They’re having to use a service they’ve never used before, where they’ve possibly donated to in the past.” Kutynec is worried already about next year, and that the growing need will be a trend. “We’re all a bit concerned. … It’s a lot of new people.” Families receive toys for their children as well as a hamper that contains food including a turkey and ham, vegetables, and all the fixings. The bureau’s cash drive for $150,000 may not be reached, Kutynec said, because they still had about $40,000 to go as of Friday. The annual charity checkstop raised $16,000, about $1,000 more than last year. That money is split between four groups, including the Christmas Bu-
Photo by JEFF STOKOE/Advocate staff
Salvation Army Cadets Scott and Cathy Allen of Kitchener, Ont. work in the basement of the Salvation Army Church in Red Deer preparing Christmas Hampers last Thursday. reau. “We wish everybody a Merry Christmas and we hope that everybody gets back to work and if they used the service and the next year if they don’t have to, then maybe they can give then.” People who want to donate can still do so today and Tuesday by dropping by the bureau between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. with cash or cheque at #15 7428-49 Ave., or go to CanadaHelps.org and search ‘Red Deer Christmas Bureau’ to make a donation online. Over at the Red Deer Salvation Army, Major Larry Bridger said they are seeing strong support. “The response in the last few days has been overwhelming to be honest,” he said Friday. “The people of Red Deer, when there’s a need, they respond wholeheartedly.” Bridger said that a lot of people came by to make donations of gift cards and cash after learning about the need in local media earlier in the week when they still needed over 50 more sponsors for their Adopt A Family program.
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Rebels blown away by Hurricanes With more than 5,300 fans in attendance, the Rebels were embarrassed by the visiting Hurricanes Saturday night.
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Photo by Ashli Barrett/Advocate staff
Father Frost and children react as storybook characters come to life during an interactive Russian Children’s New Year play Saturday afternoon at the Dawe Centre Gym. The Russian New Year’s party and play are an annual event that bring out more than a hundred of the city’s residents, many with Russian heritage.