November Newsletter

KEEPING UP WITH

Volume 3 | Issue 11

K E N S INGTON

November 2019

COMMUNITY-SHAPED AT KENSINGTON HEALTH Brad Hampton Wallis has been a patient of Kensington Screening Clinic since September 2018, and is diagnosed with Crohn’s disease.

November is Crohn’s and Colitis Awareness Month! Did you know that Canada has one of the highest rates of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis in the world? Both are two main forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are diseases that inflame the lining of the GI (gastrointestinal) tract and disrupt your body’s ability to digest food, absorb nutrients, and eliminate waste in a healthy manner.

There is no known cure, and current therapies are directed at managing the condition to avoid flare-ups. Most patients require ongoing medication and encounter many challenges.

Brad Hampton Wallis, has been a patient at Kensington Screening Clinic for more than a year. He was sick for a few years before finally being diagnosed with Crohn’s.

“What has stood out to me about the clinic and the staff is the sense of community. Everyone talks to each other.”

Kensington Screening Clinic offers anxiety-free, community-based care in a comfortable setting.

Learn about the different services we provide for people living with Crohn’s and Colitis: http://bit.ly/CrohnsColitis2019

LETTER FROM THE

CEO

Dear colleagues, Kensington’s third annual Quality Day was a hit! It was a special day of celebrating the many ways Kensington staff strive toward improving the quality of everything we do. Thank you to all presenters and their teams for their Quality Improvement Projects – they are a true testament to our collective commitment to providing quality care for the people we serve.

I was impressed by our guest speaker, Dr. Zayna Khayat, Future Strategist at SE Health, who spoke about the future of health care and the need for all of us to re-invent how we deliver health care around the patient. If you didn’t get the chance to see her live, you can view her talk here: http://bit.ly/KHQualityDay2019 I would like to thank and congratulate the organizers of Quality Day: Gem Maravilla, Quality Coordinator; Ana Paula Anjos, Manager of Quality; and Darla Matheson, Director of Quality and Risk. A job well done!

Over the next year, I challenge you all to include patients, residents, families, and caregivers in our quality improvement projects – and let’s invite them to present at Quality Day. It’s because of them that we do this work. If 5 patients present next year, I’d call that a success.

I also want to remind you of Bill O’Neill’s challenge to include community members outside of Kensington at Quality Day. Three wonderful Quality Day’s have showcased our own commitments to better. It’s time to share what we are doing and learn from others.

I would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Penny Squires, Manager of Health & Safety, for winning the Coop Employer Mentor Award at Ryerson University, an award dedicated to those who provide exceptional guidance and training to students. Kensington is an academic centre of excellence, and Penny goes above and beyond in her work with students. She is very deserving of this honour!

THE BUZZ ABOUT THE GARDENS Support life enhancement programming for seniors like Erma living at Kensington Gardens and see your gift matched for maximum impact. Thanks to a generous donor, gifts made until December 31, 2019, will be matched (up to a maximum of $15,000)! Stay tuned for more details on how you can enhance quality of life at Kensington this holiday season!

Every summer, Erma (right), resident at Kensington Gardens, enjoys seeing the bees and tasting the honey made at Kensington.

When people think about long-term care, beekeeping is not something that immediately springs to mind. Yet, at Kensington Gardens it’s one of the special ways philanthropy keeps our residents humming.

Every two weeks starting in early spring, experienced beekeepers tend to beehives located in the gardens of Kensington. Residents make a bee-line for the flowered gardens so they can see the honey being extracted. All the while, socializing with friends in the sunshine and reconnecting with nature in an urban setting. This special beekeeping program, designed to promote wellness and enrich our residents’ experience, is a hallmark of Kensington quality that goes well beyond the scope of government funding. Programs like beekeeping, which bring community educators and residents together for a buzzworthy afternoon, are funded entirely by philanthropic support.

“The bees are wonderful. They bring a lot of life to the gardens. And the honey is great,” says Erma, who enjoys the honey in tea, along with all our Gardens residents.

Programs like beekeeping, music and art therapy, massage and aroma therapy, spiritual programming and fresh fruits and vegetables have come to symbolize the distinct quality of life at Kensington and are not supported by government funding. They are made possible by generous donors who share our commitment to enhanced senior care!

At Kensington, we care for every element of wellness including the mind, body and spirit. Unlike programs that require language and fine motor skills, the calming act of watching the honeybees do their handiwork in the beauty of the gardens reminds residents at all levels of cognition that they are a vital part of nature.

The honey is almost here! Honey harvested from the Kensington Gardens bee hives will be available for purchase in the coming weeks.

Each jar of raw honey is $5 and proceeds go to the life-enhancement programs at Kensington. Look for the honey in both the north and south building reception areas!

AJIITHA’S STUDENT EXPERIENCE AT KENSINGTON Kensington Health isn’t just a community health services provider, but a proud teaching facility and academic centre of excellence.

Employees at Kensington educate hundreds of learners each year, giving them the critical skills they need to succeed in a variety of professions such as nursing, medicine, personal care, social work, kinesiology, therapeutic recreation, nutrition, information technology, and administration.

This year, Ajiitha Anand joined Kensington Health as the Communications Intern for the summer after completing her Public Relations & Corporate Communications postgraduate certificate at Fanshawe College. During her time here, she worked on tasks such as the monthly newsletter, social media content, videos, photography, print material and website content.

“I didn’t feel like I was going into work while at Kensington. I felt like I was coming to see my family,” says Ajiitha, remembering her time as an Intern. “Beyond my normal communication tasks, I learned a lot about community, what community care really is, and I learned a lot about myself.”

Ajiitha took the time to take snippets of the different days during her internship to give you a sneak peak of what it’s like to be a student at Kensington.

Ajiitha spent the summer of 2019 at Kensington Health as a Communications Intern.

Watch her video here: https://youtu.be/e0AIGfhM62Q

GIVING THE GIFT OF SIGHT THROUGH EYE DONATION “Donor tissue saved my sight” November is Eye Donation Month and the Eye Bank (Ontario Division) is raising awareness to encourage more people to register as organ and tissue donors. Donated eye tissue plays an important role in helping people see again through corneal (the clear surface that covers the eye) transplants and scleral (the white part of the eye) transplants. Unfortunately, eye tissue availability is one factor that may impede how quickly a patient gets the eye surgery they need.

Alvin Hallett, 83, is no stranger to vision impairment. During a procedure to have his cataract removed, there was a complication that damaged his cornea. After multiple visits to the doctor, and recognizing that his damaged cornea would not heal on its own, Alvin was referred to Kensington Eye Institute for a cornea transplant.

An expert in the outdoors

Registering as a donor is easy and makes a big difference. It only takes a few minutes to register to become a donor and can have an immense impact on many lives.

Happily married with two children and two grandchildren, Alvin loved exploring the great outdoors.

“My favourite thing to do was boat on the lake. I even built a full-service marina and boat storage,” said Alvin. “But with my vision impairment, I was now unable to see on water. I felt very dependent at this time.”

Providing faith and hope Alvin was referred to Dr. Clara Chan, Medical Director of The Eye Bank of Canada (Ontario Division), and Ophthalmologist specializing in cornea and cataract surgeries at Kensington Eye Institute. In August 2017, Dr. Chan performed a successful cataract surgery on Alvin’s left eye, and in April 2018, performed a successful cornea transplant in Alvin’s right eye.

Fifteen minutes after his surgery, Alvin was overjoyed that he could see the room around him.

Words can’t express how thankful I am Alvin recognized that without the generosity of individuals willing to register as an organ and tissue donor, his procedure to restore his sight would not be possible.

“I want to thank the person, and their family, who donated their cornea.

I wish I could meet you and thank you. I never fully realized what I had until I lost it, and because of your donation, I can see the world again,” said Alvin. “There are many people in Ontario, in Canada and around the world that need eye tissue, and the help that donors provide is crucial and important. Your help can make life better for those in need.”

Registering to be an organ and tissue donor takes only takes two minutes.

Register today at: beadonor.ca/kensingtonhealth

Read the full story here: http://bit.ly/eyedonation2019

WELCOME NEW STAFF

EVENTS

Ioana Keane RN, Kensington Hospice

Pema Wangmo PCA, Kensington Gardens

Staff Town Hall

Maryanne Cunanan PCA, Kensington Gardens

Hyunjeong Jeon RPN, Kensington Gardens

Romilen Rosario PCA, Kensington Gardens

Shelleone Farquharson Kitchen Coordinator, Kensington Hospice

Althea Zafaralla PCA, Kensington Gardens Jollee Ann Bolo RPN, Kensington Gardens

Kanwal Thind Eye Bank Coordinator, Eye Bank of Canada

Date: Thursday, November 21 Time: 7 a.m., 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m.

Location: Multipurpose room at 25 Brunswick Ave.

Kensington Bazaar

Date: Saturday, November 23 Time: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Location: 25 Brunswick Ave.

Staff Holiday Party

Date: Thursday, December 5 Location: Courtyard by Marriott Toronto (475 Yonge St.) Spots are limited. Registration opens on Wednesday, November, 6. You can register at the 25 & 45 Brunswick reception areas. The theme this year is Kensington Kandyland!

FALL PREVENTION AT KENSINGTON Falls are the leading cause of injury-related hospitalizations among Canadian older adults.

20-30% of older adults fall each year. That number is even higher in long-term care, with 44% of residents being at high risk for fracturing a bone, especially when a fall, or sudden movement happens.

Focusing on prevention Fractures can cause severe pain, disability and can sometimes be fatal. Focusing on fall prevention can increase quality of life of residents at Kensington Gardens. Not only do we meet the provincial requirement, but we have a significantly lower number of falls than many long-term care homes in the province.

“We recognize that everyone is involved in fall prevention,” says Anna Slawski, Director of Care at Kensington Gardens (North building).

Fall prevention at Kensington Gardens is a team effort, right from admission. It involves the nursing team, physiotherapy, restorative care and even the dietitians.

Bhargav Kothari is a Registered Physiotherapist (left) and Nuno DaSilva, is the Manager of Resident Safety (right) at Kensington Gardens. They work together to prevent resident falls.

Physiotherapy and restorative care play an integral role in the process; they work together and supplement each other.

Read the full story here: http://bit.ly/FallPrevention2019

HUMANS OF KENSINGTON “I was born in Quebec, as the youngest of five children. I moved to Toronto when I was 25 years old and worked a variety of jobs, before retiring 20 years ago.

Philip Paquet Member of Second Mile Club

I am 86 years old, and I have been a member of Second Mile Club for 20 years. I really enjoy the social aspect – doing crosswords, playing games, discussing ideas and exchanging opinions.

I have a profound interest in history. In my youth, I found a cannon on an abandoned battlefield after climbing a cliff. In the 1960s I read an article in Reader’s Digest about Oak Island, an island on the southern coast of Nova Scotia, surrounded by theories of possible buried treasure. I have been following recent developments and writing about it ever since.”