Time Together: Making the Most of your Visits Providence Health Care (PHC) has adopted the Eden Alternative as the guiding philosophy in our residential care settings. This philosophy provides guidance on how we can help elders continue living meaningful lives when they become unable to live independently. Eden is congruent with, and helps us to live, PHC s Mission and Values. www.providencehealth.bc.ca Providence Health Care wishes to thank the Tapestry Foundation for Health Care for their contribution to this program.
Time Together: Making the Most of your Visits We believe that elders living in care homes struggle to overcome three main challenges loneliness, helplessness, and boredom. It is our community s goal to relieve the suffering these problems cause. Loneliness The pain we feel when we want, but cannot have companionship. Helplessness The pain we feel when we always receive care and rarely have the chance to give care. Boredom The pain we feel when our lives lack variety and spontaneity. We hope this guide will give you some ideas to help all of us work together to make our residences lively and caring. 2. 3.
3. How Can I Relieve Boredom? Our staff work hard to create vibrant communities in order to overcome the boredom that can come from institutional routines. Spontaneous events and fun activities can never occur often enough. Family visits and activities can significantly relieve boredom. Your involvement is key in making sure this happens. Some ideas include: Provide taped books, read a book out loud together, bring home videos or listen to taped letters from family and friends Unless your relative prefers visiting in their own room, consider going to the cafeteria, to a restaurant, for a stroll, or bring in a picnic lunch to share together Consider a hobby such as a crossword puzzle with a group of elders; offer to do a manicure; write letters together; or other activities previously enjoyed by the resident Send flowers, balloon bouquets, or other special items to let your relative know you are thinking of them Sing favorite songs together or initiate a sing-along with a group of elders Join in on birthday and seasonal neighbourhood celebrations. Encourage your relative to participate in events that are going on in the residence 4. Support for Your Visits You probably know what your relative enjoys and what is important to them. Even with this knowledge, not all your visits may be successful. Sometimes your efforts may not be appreciated. Try not to let this discourage you. If a visit is difficult, feel free to talk with one of the neighbourhood staff before you leave. You may also wish to schedule a meeting with the community social worker or pastoral care associate in the residence. Together, we will try to find ways to make your visits the best they can be for both you and your relative. 5. Communication Skills Communicating is something we do all day, and often take for granted. Messages are passed on through body language, tone of voice and through spoken words. Of these, our body language and tone of voice communicate far more than our actual words. This is because they speak to us on an emotional level. INTRODUCE YOURSELF If your relative has memory loss, you may need to introduce yourself at the beginning of each visit, and sometimes again during the visit as well. Avoid asking your loved one if they remember you or something you did together recently, as recent memory fades more quickly. POSITIONING Sit near your relative, at a level where you can make eye contact Focus on what they say and give them your undivided attention Before you start speaking, make sure they can comfortably hear and see you COMMUNICATION SUPPORTS Our body language and our tone of voice communicate far more than our actual words. This is because they speak to us on an emotional level. If your relative has limited English language skills, consider making a list or booklet of key pictures or translated words and phrases from their preferred language, to help staff understand their needs. If your relative cannot speak because of illness or other physical reasons, this list or booklet can also be helpful, as it allows them to point to the word, picture or phrase that best indicates their needs or wishes. 6. 7.
6. Overcoming Barriers to Visiting WHAT IF MY RELATIVE HAS MEMORY PROBLEMS? It may be difficult to visit your relative when she/he has no idea who you are, or keeps asking the same questions. That is why it is important to identify yourself when you come in. This helps your relative orient to the present. Below are a few ideas to make the visit fulfilling for all: Try to remain calm and accepting even if you have to repeat the same information many times. Remember, even though your relative may forget many details, they are happy to be with you during your visit. Consider taking pictures in your relative s care home neighbourhood. These can later be shown to remind them that you were there. Remember, the feeling from your visit will last a lot longer than the memory of what you did. Consider shorter, more frequent visits. You may want to keep a guest book for visitors, where they can write comments about their visit or news they shared. Taped messages are also enjoyable because they can be played repeatedly. Think about using your tone of voice and sense of touch to communicate. Your relative may not be able to respond to you verbally anymore if they have lost their ability for language, but they will respond to tone of voice and touch. A hug can also say a lot. You may enjoy listening to music together, especially music that has been particularly special for them. 8. Your relative may have lost their ability for language, but they will respond to the tone of your voice and touch. A hug can also say a lot. Engage in activities that avoid frustration for your relative. Check whether activities are over-stimulating, causing the resident to become overwhelmed, anxious or fearful. Make sure the resident is able to tolerate lively activities before taking them into these situations. 7. How Can I Talk to My Relative When They are Hard of Hearing? If your relative wears a hearing aid, make sure that it is placed properly in the ear, the batteries are working, and that it is clean. It may be that your relative needs to have their ears checked for wax build-up. Please ask the care staff or the nurse who is looking after your relative for assistance if you have concerns. They can look into possible causes and solutions if your relative experiences increased hearing loss. IF YOUR RELATIVE IS HARD OF HEARING, HERE ARE SOME THINGS TO TRY: Find a quiet place to visit Sit next to your relative s best ear Sit facing your relative at eye level, making sure your lips can be seen when talking Talk in a slightly louder, lower tone of voice Speak normally, without shouting or exaggerating your lip movements Use short, simple sentences If all else fails, and your relative s vision is adequate, try writing out your message 9.
8. As a Regular Visitor, How Can I Keep My Energy Up? HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF: Build relationships with staff members so that you develop a sense of trust that your relative s emotional and physical needs will be met in your absence Find a balance between visiting and the rest of your life responsibilities. As a caregiver, you need rest and time in your other roles to maintain your energy, health and enthusiasm Please see our care home s social worker if you would like more suggestions on this topic Your time, patience and caring will help to minimize the loneliness, helplessness and boredom for which our elders are at risk. We hope that you and your relative will enjoy many memorable visits together A FEW FINAL NOTES - Medical Interpretation Support For our residents with limited English language skills, staff are able to request an interpreter to help communicate with our elders and their family about medical matters. Volunteer Resources Our residential homes are fortunate enough to have volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering or feel your relative would benefit from having a volunteer visit with them, please let one of our staff know. Keeping our Environment Infection Free We encourage all our visitors to use the hand sanitizing cleanser available in our care homes, especially during flu season. This helps minimize the spread of infections in our community. CONTACT INFORMATION FOR PROVIDENCE HEALTH CARE Your time, patience and caring will help to minimize the loneliness, helplessness and boredom for which our elders are at risk. Brock Fahrni Pavilion 4650 Oak Street Vancouver, BC V6H 4J4 604-806-9710 St. Vincent s: Langara 255 West 62nd Avenue Vancouver, BC V5X 4V4 604-325-4116 Youville Residence 4950 Heather Street Vancouver, BC V5Z 3L9 604-261-9371 Marion Hospice 900 West 12th Avenue 9th Floor, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1N3 604-731-5947 Holy Family Hospital 7801 Argyle Street Vancouver, BC V5P 3L6 604-321-2661 St. Paul s Hospital 1081 Burrard Street Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6 604-682-2344 Mount Saint Joseph Hospital 3080 Prince Edward Street (off Kingsway) Vancouver, BC V5T 3N4 604-874-1141 10. 11.
Tapestry Foundation for Health Care (formerly known as St. Vincent s Holy Family Health Care Foundation) raises funds to enhance the care of hospital patients, and seniors who make their home in Providence Health Care s residential care community. Donations support purchases of medical equipment, quality of life programs and services, special projects, education and research in the field of elder care. Tapestry Foundation brings together three organizations with a long history of supporting health care in Vancouver St. Vincent s, Holy Family and Mount Saint Joseph Hospital Foundations. The new Foundation supports seven of eight Providence Health Care sites that include Brock Fahrni Pavilion, Holy Family Hospital, Marion Hospice, Mount Saint Joseph Hospital, St. Vincent s Campus of Care, St. Vincent s Hospital Langara and Youville. The weaving together of three foundations, seven health care sites, and faith-based community care was the inspiration for including tapestry in the Foundation s new name. Throughout history, Sisters in the founding orders, as well as people in many cultures, have used elaborate tapestries to illustrate spiritual stories and important events. In much the same way today, Tapestry Foundation is celebrating life s rich tapestry by weaving together threads of care and compassion into the diverse cultures and faiths of the patients, residents, caregivers and donors within its community. For more information about Tapestry Foundation for Health Care, and how you can support patients and residents, call 604-877-8335. Notes: 12. 13.
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