Spring, the season of renewal and growth, has finally arrived! As the snow melts and the New Brunswick landscape turns green, NBANH is fully embracing the momentum of the season. We are feeling energized and eagerly looking forward to the upcoming events that we have planned for this vibrant time of year. We are especially excited about our Annual General Meeting (AGM), where the theme for this year's conference will be "This is Long-Term Care in NB". NBANH’s AGM Conference brings us together as a sector to connect, collaborate, and learn about some of the exciting initiatives and innovations happening in Long-Term Care.
Regional meetings are once again on our schedule. These gatherings are instrumental to our community engagement efforts, allowing us to thoroughly explore various Long-Term Care agenda items from a local/ regional perspective. We eagerly anticipate these important discussions.
As National Volunteer Week approaches, we would like to extend our deepest gratitude to all volunteers working in nursing homes for their invaluable contributions to the lives of residents. NBANH encourages community members to explore volunteering opportunities at their local nursing home. By working together, local communities and nursing homes can create positive change and contribute to a bright future for our communities and our long-term care sector.
It's important to highlight some of the remarkable projects and initiatives happening in our local nursing homes. We are happy to see that the Nursing Home Without Walls program is seeing success, with significant media attention following the province's announcement of further investment in the healthy aging program. Another noteworthy initiative that perfectly embodies the spirit of spring is Résidence Mgr Melanson’s Tower Garden, a wellness program recently featured as part of NBANH’s Nursing Home Proud Social Media series. To learn more about this and other amazing nursing home initiatives, we encourage our readers to follow our Facebook page.
As we eagerly anticipate sunnier days and warmer temperatures, let's embrace the spirit of renewal and growth that spring brings. Together, let's continue to cultivate a thriving and vibrant nursing home sector that prioritizes the well-being and happiness of our residents.
Mary Ryan launches her book entitled: Wading into Life’s Changing Tides, a resident’s experience of living in long-term care
Thomas Hall, Fredericton
In the heart of Fredericton, at Thomas Hall, Nursing Home, resides Mrs. Mary Ryan, a remarkable soul of 89 years young. With a lifetime of stories etched into her memory, she embarked on a new chapter, not merely for herself but for all who would listen.
The book launch took place at the Old Government House with more than 60 distinguished guests, including the Honourable Brenda Murphy, Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick and Honourable Jill Green, Minister of Social Development.
The title captures the essence of the book: her experiences living at Thomas Hall Enhanced Care and her reflections on the guiding principles outlined in the Blue Book, which serves as a compass for the Great People of Shannex.
NBANH proudly presents Résidence Mgr Melanson's Tower Garden, a nursing home wellness initiative that uses therapeutic gardening practices to promote residents’ physical, emotional, and cognitive well-being.
The Tower Garden leverages vertical gardening technology, making growing green vegetables more accessible and manageable for residents with physical limitations.
Kudos to Résidence Mgr Melanson for demonstrating they are #NursingHomeProud with their Tower Garden initiative, promoting a healthy lifestyle by empowering residents to grow and enjoy fresh greens year-round.
Stay in the loop! Follow us on Facebook for the Latest on the Nursing Home Proud Series!
Adopt a Stuffie
Drew Nursing Home, Sackville
The residents enjoyed adopting a “Stuffie” at the Drew Nursing Home. The residents had a good, sometimes challenging, time finding the best suitable stuffie to bring home. This activity was possible due to an incredible donation. Thank you!
Winter Carnival – 2nd edition
Les Résidences Jodin Inc.
The Winter Carnival is organized by the activities team so that residents and employees can participate in a week full of activities and surprises! Whether it was themed days as shown in the photo with a pajama day, movie afternoons, special snacks, or even a visit from Mr. Balloon, the residents, volunteers, employees, and families enjoyed this great week!
The Winter Carnival closed on Friday with a snowshoe hike on the Prospecteur trails for employees and their families. The goal of this Winter Carnival is to bring happiness, entertainment, and to add a little warmth to this “slightly” cold season.
If you would like to share a story with the nursing home sector, please send your Success Stories to Mélanie Eva.
As we get closer to the event, we will spotlight our speakers. Here’s one of our Keynote guest speakers:
Dr. Nadine Persaud is currently the Executive Director of the Kensington Hospice and the Senior Director of Client Services at Kensington Health. Dr. Persaud has been working in the hospice palliative care field for the past 16 years. She sits on the Accreditation review panel for Hospice Palliative Care Ontario and previously sat on the Board of Directors for the Hazel Burns Hospice. Dr. Persaud sits on the Operations Committee of GIPPEC (Global Institute of Psychosocial Palliative and End-of-Life Care and is also the Co-chair of the sociodemographic data collection learning collaborative through Hospice Palliative Care Ontario.Click here to continue reading Dr. Persaud's biography.
Change the Culture of Aging at Walk with Me by the Researchh Institute for Aging (RIA)
Walk with Me is a national conference aimed at changing the way we age in Canada. Hosted by the Research Institute of Aging (RIA), this year's conference is being held in Ottawa, Ontario from May 1-3, 2024. We know driving change can feel lonely. Walk with Me is an opportunity to create connections and build partnerships that empower you to nurture the journey to a social model of care in senior living. Connect with leaders in the sector and gain practical supports and strategies to take with you.
Visit the-ria.ca/walkwithme to register and secure your spot today. Walk with Me is presented by Marquise Hospitality. To view the full program visit: the-ria.ca/walkwithme.
For this round of the Nursing Home Proud series, NBANH is looking for submissions on the following:
- National Nurses Week is approaching from May 6th to 12th. Let's celebrate the extraordinary contributions of nurses in nursing homes by sharing stories of touching moments, creative projects, or special events planned for National Nurses Week. Together, we can honor these amazing health professionals and highlight their remarkable impact!
- June is special for us as we celebrate Nursing Home Week (June 9th -15th)! NBANH is excited to invite nursing homes to share their stories, initiatives, and remarkable moments with us. We are excited to showcase the outstanding work happening in nursing homes across the province.
Submit your stories to René and let's celebrate the greatness within our nursing home community! Together, we can spread positivity and appreciation for the invaluable work you do every day.
Recruitment and Retention Update
Lunch and Learn: April 24th from 12 pm to1 pm
We have an upcoming Lunch and Learn on April 24th from 12-1 pm. This Lunch and Learn will feature Immigration NB’s Melanie Mundle, a Regional Workforce Development Officer, to talk about immigration. Click here to register!
RESOURCES & PUBLICATIONS
Nursing Retention Toolkit
Health Canada
Health Canada with their Chief Nursing Officer, Leigh Chapman have released the new Nursing Retention Toolkit, Improving the Working Lives of Nurses in Canada. The toolkit is intended to change the way retention is thought about, improving working conditions and cover a range of strategies that can be applied to multiple settings.
In particular, the study provides a detailed portrait of sandwich caregivers for the first time in nearly 20 years, including who these caregivers are, how much care they provide and to whom, and the impacts of this unpaid caregiving on the caregivers. Unpaid caregiving is an important component of the care economy – a highly relevant issue for Canadian society and the economy, especially given the recent pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic on social care and healthcare systems.
A few highlights:
- In 2022, 42% of Canadians aged 15 years or older provided unpaid care to children under 15 years old or to adults 15 years or older with a long-term condition or disability in the past 12 months.
- 1.8 million Canadians (or 13% of unpaid caregivers) were “sandwich caregivers” – that is, they provided unpaid care to both children and care-dependent adults. Women were more likely than men to be sandwich caregivers.
- 86% of sandwich caregivers said that their care responsibilities affected at least one aspect of their health and well-being, compared to 74% of caregivers for only adults and 62% of caregivers for only children.
Clinical Guidelines on Social Isolation and Loneliness by CCSMH
The Canadian Coalition for Seniors Mental Health (CCSMH) have released their first clinical guidelines on Social Isolation and Loneliness, which can be found here. These guidelines offer 17 recommendations to address prevention, assessment and interventions.
Aging in New Brunswick: A Users's Guide
The Aging in NB User Guide was put together by a group of researchers and practitioners in New Brunswick who work with older adults. We aimed to help older adults in New Brunswick navigate the complex landscape of information, services, forms, and resources. Click here to view the library of resources including a chapter on Long Term Care Homes.
FROM OUR PARTNERS
Understanding Inflation & Global Supply Chain Drivers
AGM Education Session
Whether or not you are responsible for purchasing at your location, you will undoubtedly have noticed rising prices at the grocery store. We are seeing the price of food and many other essential items increasing at levels not seen in years.
Join Complete Purchasing Services and our Supply Chain Professionals to learn more about the drivers of inflation, commodity prices, and what is happening in the global supply chain markets. We will also provide practical tips, ideas and insights that can help your operations to better navigate the impact of inflation on your operations and budget.
Join us on May 16th at 12:45 pm during the AGM! During this Education session, you will:
- Learn more about the drivers of inflation, commodity prices, and what is happening in the global supply chain markets
- Gain ideas and practical tips to better navigate the impact of inflation on your operations and budget
- Use this opportunity to ask questions to an expert.
Meet iTacit at the AGM and Conference
iTacit is the leading frontline digital workplace and training solution helping New Brunswick nursing homes to improve workforce management and patient care. We equip HR leaders, nurse managers, directors, and their teams with tools to streamline operations, enhance communication, and maintain compliance with ease.
Join us on May 15th during the DON Education session at the AGM and Conference! You will learn how to use iTacit to:
- Automate critical healthcare processes and enhance team coordination.
- Provide targeted training and automate learning paths with our healthcare LMS.
- Improve onboarding for nursing and care staff to quickly adapt to their roles.
- Utilize a dedicated career center for smarter recruiting and staff retention.
Ask about our new training courses - coming soon for New Brunswick Long Term Care homes!
Ready to take the next steps in your quality improvement journey?
AGM Information Session
Accreditation Canada’s Long-term care program and standards ensure the highest level of quality based on findings from literature reviews, clinical expertise, evidence‑informed practices, and those with lived experiences.
Join us live at the NBANH AGM and Conference! Drop in for Accreditation Canada’s information session to learn more about our program, the new CAN/HSO 21001:2023 Long-Term Care Services standard, and our survey process.
Join us on May 15th, 2024 at 6 pm!
Clickhere to learn more and access resources. Click here to view the Long Term Care Accreditation Program.
Silver Group Purchasing
Click here to view SGP's program. The program is built on our partnership that support our business, educate your team, keep you connected, save you money and add value to your business.
If you have success stories, questions, comments, or other submission ideas, please forward them to Melanie Eva by at meva@nbanh.comor by phone (460-6262).
