Keeping up with Kensington July 2019

KEEPING UP WITH

Volume 3 | Issue 7

K E N S INGTON

July 2019

At Kensington Health, we believe that caring for someone means caring for all dimensions of a person’s wellness including the mind, body, and spirit.

We sat down with John Yip, CEO of Kensington Health and Corinne Rusch-Drutz, CEO of the Kensington Health Foundation, to discuss what makes Kensington special.

“There is an interconnection between the services we offer.” says Corinne. “There is a real feeling of community that comes not just from residents and staff, but also from their families and caregivers. There is a feeling that everybody is part of a bigger conversation.”

Read full story here: https://bit.ly/2XTComV

Watch our latest video, capturing the impact of services offered at Kensington: https://bit.ly/2LABapP

LETTER

FROM THE

CEO

Watch our latest video for their full discussion:

On July 17, face your coworkers in an intense match of ping pong in our first ever Kensington ‘K-Pong’ event. Partnered with National Hot Dog Day at Fancy Franks, drop by Major Street for a free hot dog and make a $5 donation to play a game of ping pong with your friends and coworkers. All funds raised will support Kensington Health’s programs and services that are not funded by the government including our fresh food program, music therapy program, and essential medical equipment.

Are you ready for the CEO Challenge?

Those who dare can donate to challenge me in a ping-pong match. If you win, Corinne and I will match your donations up to $500. I’ll be practicing my moves from now until then, so bring it on! I’ll be ready to defeat the best of the best.

Stay tuned to learn more about this amazing community event. We will also have an ice cream truck, DJ, and fun for the whole family. Mark your calendars, and join us outside of Fancy Franks with our community members in support of Kensington Health.

KENSINGTON GOLF CLASSIC You might have been wondering where everybody was on June 17th if it seemed like a lot of people were away from their desks. That’s because they were hitting the green for Kensington at our largest annual fundraiser, the 2019 Golf Classic. What does golf have to do with community care, you might wonder? And it’s a good question.

Health care is complex. And so is our funding model.

That’s why philanthropy plays such a significant role in our ability to offer quality care. While the government is a vital partner in our work, so are donors and corporate supporters. Because provincial funding covers only basic hospice, long-term care and clinical needs, it doesn’t pay for the full costs of Kensington care. In fact, all the things that have come to symbolize the quality of our care, like music therapy programs, cutting edge surgical and infusion equipment, and freshly made food are funded through philanthropic support.

So if you’re wondering what “links” us to the golf course, it’s fundraising. Many of our programs wouldn’t happen if it weren’t for the tremendous generosity of our donors who allowed us to raise more than $330,000! Of course, it’s not just the remarkable support of those in our community, but those who work here day-in and dayout who support our events in other ways. Our Board members and volunteers who give so much of their time.

And staff teams from across the organization all make an investment by asking vendors to make donations, helping us make the day an exceptional one.

That’s the spirit that has allowed us to raise nearly $3.8M in the Golf Classic’s nearly 20-year history. Because in a true community, everybody looks after each other and we are all responsible for community health and well-being. And for Kensington, that kind of commitment, is just par for the course.

From top panel: Corinne Rusch-Drutz, CEO of Kensington Health Foundation.

Middle panel: John Yip’s foursome.

Bottom panel: Kensington volunteers.

Our warmest thanks to everyone who supported the 2019 Golf Classic!

- Corinne Rusch-Drutz, CEO, Kensington Health Foundation

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

THE LIND FAMILY

BRIAN & FRAN MCFARLANE

MARIE ROUNDING

LILLY WONG

JOHN YIP & FAMILY

NEW PROGRAM: COMMUNITY DAY HOSPICE The Community Day-Hospice program will start running at the end of July.

Started as a vision to support the community According to a study by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, only 15% of Canadians have early access to palliative care in the community, even though 89% of all Canadians could benefit from it in their last year of life.

To address this growing issue, Kensington’s Second Mile Club will be offering a new Community Day Hospice program beginning at the end of July, aiming to address a gap in Toronto’s health care system for palliative care delivered in the community. This five-day per week program will give clients the care they need for their physical, emotional, social and spiritual health in the community, while they continue to live in the comfort of their home.

Interested in enhancing care in the community?

Learn more about our volunteer program, apply today and contribute to quality care in our community.

Visit: https://bit.ly/VolunteerAtKH

“The Community Day Hospice is a program that we hoped to start at Kensington for a very long time and we are excited to see this hope turn into a reality,” says Nadine Persaud, Director of Client Services, Kensington Health.

“The aim of this program is to be present, listen, and provide clients an opportunity to create memories with a support system that feeds their resilience in a vulnerable time in their lives.”

The Community Day Hospice program was pitched by Nadine after years of experience working in hospice care throughout Toronto.

She saw the impact this program could have on people by providing a comfortable space for clients and caregivers to support their needs while coping with illness so that they can continue to live at home.

“I supported a young man who was living with advanced brain cancer. He often explained the Day Hospice program as being his oasis that changed his life,” says Nadine.

Feeling alone and vulnerable at a time of great uncertainty, the program helped him find meaning during a very difficult time.

Now with the Community Day Hospice program planning to launch this July, Nadine is excited to see the program come to full fruition.

“We are filling a gap in community care by creating a safe space where individuals can make meaningful moments throughout their journey.”

Nadine envisions this program evolving to eventually support clients’ physical needs in addition to psychosocial support, which will create a truly holistic model.

The Day Hospice program care team is primarily dependent on volunteer support, guided by Kensington employees. The care team will be responsible for creating an individualistic experience for clients through mindfulness sessions, psychosocial support, and caregiver support.

To learn more information about the Community Day Hospice program, please contact Nadine Persaud, Director of Client Services at extension 1040.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE EYE BANK TEAM Congratulations to the team at the Eye Bank for receiving its threeyear accreditation from the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA).

Our location surpassed the standards of the EBAA. “Thank you to everyone at Kensington who helped to support this exciting process. The entire team at the Eye Bank dedicated their time and effort to offer assistance to the inspectors, demonstrate process and lend support. Many thanks also goes out to the Senior Leadership Team for their guidance. Thank you to everyone for helping make this a success.”

- Christine Humphreys, Director, Eye Bank of Canada, (Ontario division)

WELCOME NEW STAFF Maria Kostadinova RPN, Kensington Gardens Diann Agusto RPN, Kensington Gardens Sally Blainey Coordinator of Volunteer Services, Kensington Health Fiona Gates Coordinator of Volunteer Services, Kensington Health

UPCOMING EVENTS K- Pong & National Hot Dog Day

Bryan Wong Research Summer Student, KVRC Diana Neblasca, Scope Technician, KSC Lisa Tate Program Coordinator, Second Mile Club

Date: Wednesday, July 17 Location: Fancy Franks (326 College St.) On July 17, join us outside of Fancy Franks on National Hot Dog Day and rally your community members and play ping-pong in Kensington’s first K-Pong event. With a free hotdog in one hand and a paddle in the other, drop by Major Street to challenge your friends, colleagues and even strangers to a match. Games will be $5 for 5 minutes, with all donations going to support programs and services at Kensington Health.

If you would like to volunteer for the event, please email Isabella Powers : ipowers@kensingtonhealth.org

HUMANS OF KENSINGTON Kensington Health is pleased to announce the appointment of Mano Chandrakumar as our first ever Research Manager. This new position will be tasked with expanding the quality and quantity of the research programs across Kensington Health.

Meet Mano:

Mano Chandrakumar, Research Manager Kensington Health

“I’m a graduate of the University of Toronto with an Honours degree in Human Biology Specialist program. In 2014, I completed a Master of Science in Clinical Research and look forward to completing a Master of Business Administration in Health Care Management next year.

Prior to joining Kensington Health as the Research Manager, I have worked at the University of Toronto, Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Sciences.

I also worked at the Hospital for Sick Children for more than 12 years coordinating and assisting research projects and I managed differing aspects of research in the Eye Movement and Vision Neuroscience Laboratory & Department of Ophthalmology.”

I love playing squash, soccer, & basketball, running, hiking, biking, and enjoy road trips.

I also enjoy being of service to people.”