Pioneer House Pearls
SEPTEMBER 2008
With the beautiful weather we have had in the last few days, after what seems to have been a very chilly winter, many of our residents have been found basking in the sun of our lovely outdoor areas. Naturally, we are careful about protecting everyone’s skin with sunblock and a hat, but the benefits of sunlight cannot be underestimated.
It has been shown to promote production of Vitamin D, essential for strong bones, which is so important as we age. Brittle bones mean lots of aches and pains, stooping and a high risk of fracture. Who would have thought that the sun can help prevent fractures?
Sunlight is a mood enhancer, as well, and we are lucky to have such a light and airy facility which allows the sun in at a time of year when we appreciate it most, but shields us from the hottest glare. Our activities room and PALs lounge are both north facing and a joy to be in at the moment. Both have wonderful views of Mudgee too!
Earlier this year, we were very lucky to successfully apply for a grant from Family First Credit Union, which we used to create a Sensory Room, in our High Care Dementia Specific Unit. This has recently been completed and provides a lovely room for one to one sessions for residents with dementia.
Our Sensory Room is a place where a resident can spend time with a staff member, stimulating their five senses in a calm and supportive atmosphere. We have visual stimulation, which includes items which provoke memories of earlier times for residents. These can then be used as topics of conversation and allow the resident to evoke memories of lives well lived. We have auditory stimulation, including music and sounds which are soothing and which have relevance to the resident. We have olfactory stimulation, using aromatherapy oils to stimulate memory and provide a calming effect. We also use differently textured objects to stimulate our sense of touch and remind us of other objects of a similar feel. Our sense of taste can be a very evocative sense and we like to discover favourite foods for residents to use for calming effects and as special treats which can also bring back memories. For anyone who is interested, I love chocolate!!
We have noticed a significant effect on the behaviours of some of our residents with dementia since the introduction of our sensory room, and our Activities staff are finding it to be a very worthwhile investment.
One of the most valuable tools a family member can provide for their relative with dementia, in an aged care facility, is a memory book. These books are filled with photos, drawings and items of relevance to the person, perhaps a piece of poetry, letters etc. They form a valuable tool in assisting a resident to settle and reduce distress. The memories they evoke provide us with an opportunity to get to know the resident and to give the resident an opportunity to talk about their lives and the events that shaped them. Often events not spoken of before are raised when looking at a memory book and can be a valuable source of family history for family members. Getting to know a resident significantly impacts on our ability to assist them and manage their behaviours, a vital part of dementia specific care.
Diana Newman, CEO/Director of Nursing
August 2008
Last month I wrote of our wonderful “Dementia Champions” and the fabulous work they are doing. This group has been very ably led by one of our Registered Nurses, who is currently undertaking a Certificate IV in Business Management, along with 9 other staff at Pioneer House.
We offered this course to staff to improve the skills of staff in dealing with Frontline Management issues at the facility and the results have been outstanding. It has provided staff with the confidence and knowledge to initiate innovative ideas and to maintain the momentum.
We are constantly amazed at the ideas some of our staff produce, and the encouragement that other staff are being given by these newly confident staff is also producing some wonderful outcomes. The flow on effect is allowing other staff to become more confident and assume roles of responsibility.
Not only are our staff benefiting, but our most important stakeholders, the residents are also benefiting from our improved service and attention to detail.
Education is important to us at Pioneer House. We believe that education is an important tool to assist staff to improve their practice and the service we provide to residents. We also have access to the Aged Care Channel, which regularly broadcasts programs specific to Aged Care, and which are up to date with contemporary practice.
We have had sessions including Customer Service, Residents’ Rights, Depression in the Elderly, Pain Identification and Management, Elder Abuse: Protecting Residents, to name a few. The programs are interactive, so we are able to ask questions, via phone or fax and have the experts provide us with the answers.
We also have other people providing us with education from the Mudgee community and we are lucky to have the support of other health professionals to achieve this. Most of our staff are looking forward to the Manual Handling and Massage education session scheduled this month, where free back, neck and shoulder massages will be provided for staff whilst they are learning. I have volunteered to be their practice dummy!!!
Massage forms a big part of the therapy programs at Pioneer House. We use it to relax contracted limbs, provide stress relief, and complement pain management, as well as for the sheer pleasure of it! We also have a new exercise bike which is available for residents and staff to improve their fitness (and, yes, to shift those few kilos that seem to creep up on us.)
Massage also forms a part of our Palliative Care program and is proving effective in reducing the amount of pain relieving medication required by residents with terminal illnesses. Massage also provides an opportunity to spend time with each resident and can involve the sharing of thoughts, the provision of information and provides an insight into each resident’s understanding and acceptance, or lack of it, of their illness.
One of the other things that is so important in life is having fun. To this end we schedule a variety of activities for our residents that enable everyone to have fun. Chloe, our dog is an integral part of this, and she provides much joy to nearly everyone with whom she comes in contact. She engages with everyone, and it is not uncommon to find her on the lap of a resident, with both fast asleep. She seems to know when it is OK to be boisterous and when she needs to be quiet and gentle. She has been a wonderful addition to our family, thanks to Rhonda, our RAO, who is her Mum. Chloe does have some little habits that find us with toilet brushes in the foyer, but many residents have toys in their rooms to distract her from this slightly unsavoury behaviour. All in all she is a great joy to all of us.
Diana Newman
CEO/Director of Nursing
July 2008
At Pioneer House we continually strive for improvement in our service to residents. With this in mind we are very excited that some of our staff have become “Dementia Champions”.
Now that we have both Low and High Care Dementia Specific Units, we are faced with fresh challenges in caring for our residents with Dementia. The group of staff who have taken on this special role meet regularly to discuss strategies for meeting the needs of our residents. The members of this group consider individual and group needs and then make recommendations regarding the care of these residents.
The recommendations are well documented and available to all staff to assist them in care delivery. The “Dementia Champions” then provide support and assistance to other staff in managing some of the behavioural issues that arise when a person has dementia.
The staff members who form this group have enthusiasm which knows no bounds. Many of them are devoting their own time, on occasions, to ensure that this group meets its goals and continually strives to improve the quality of life of the residents.
An important aspect of Dementia Care is the provision of activities and we are commencing a program of outings for small groups of residents. We also have a wonderful volunteer who, along with some helpers, runs a Men’s Group each week. The group is making all sorts of fabulous things and participants look forward to this special morning each week.
Our “Dementia Champions” are one of a number of groups at Pioneer House who specialize in specific areas of care. We also have our Continence Management Team, our Occupational Health and Safety Team, our Manual Handling Team and Quality Improvement Team, to name a few.
Volunteers are another special group at Pioneer House. They provide us with valuable assistance in many areas, but most particularly with Activities. Without this fine group of people we would be unable to offer the variety of activities that we currently provide.
We are privileged to have the children from “Imaginations” to visit regularly, to interact with our residents, including some serious fun with bubbles and balls and balloons. The opportunity to spend time with these delightful children is treasured by our residents. The community is an important part of our residents’ lives and we appreciate all opportunities of this nature.
Life at Pioneer House is rarely dull, thanks to the efforts of our staff, volunteers and the community!
Diana Newman
CEO/DON
