Inside Honoured Vets Receive Gift of Time By Janna Ramsay Memories were refreshed on June 5 as veterans living at Sunnybrook 2 Leisure Health Sciences Centre replaced old watches with special new ones. Over 400 veterans received a 60th anniversary VE Day Commemorative watch 4 Nurses week as a tribute to their service. As veterans, family members, friends, and Sunnybrook staff gathered at New Nurse the Warrior’s Hall, anticipation was in the air. Everyone knew about “the 6 Practitioner watches.” Finally, the strain of a bagpipe grew louder, and dignitaries from CIBC, Veterans Affairs Canada, Toronto Police, National Defence and 7 Journey to Ottawa Sunnybrook slowly marched in and took their places. Run for Research Tears filled many eyes as invited guests spoke to the attentive audience, 8 thanking the men and women for their efforts and sacrifices in the name of Bobby Orr Hall peace. Heartfelt words were spoken, 9 of Fame assuring veterans that the younger generation has not forgotten. Educating 10 Youth The VE Day Commemorative watches for Sunnybrook’s veterans were bought 11 Calendar of and donated by CIBC and the Toronto Events Police Senior Officers’ Organization. Time Is Ticking, owned and operated by Robin Divine, made the watches, but the watch face was designed by 15-year-old Laura Konkel. Laura thought it fitting to use the torch that is also found on the grave of every unknown soldier. continued on page 2 Maury Rosenblatt May/June 2006 - Issue 2 continued from page 1 At Home is the official newsletter of "It's so important that we remember you and the sacrifices you've Aging & Veterans Care. The made," Laura told the audience. "I'm 15 and I can't imagine how newsletter is published six times a some of you could have done that at my age. I really want to thank year and is made available to all you for our freedom.” members of the Aging & Veterans Speakers at the event also included Leo Steven, Sunnybrook’s Care community. At Home is also CEO and President, Brigadier-General Guy Thibault, Lieut.-Col. available online at Jenny Newton, CIBC V.P. Gregory W. Tsang, Freda Lochhead, www.sunnybrook.ca under President of the Toronto Police Senior Officers’ Organization, Programs & Services, Aging & Dorothy Ferguson, Operations Director of Aging & Veterans Care at Sunnybrook and Duncan Graham, President of the Veterans and Veterans Care. Community Residents’ Council and Korean War Veteran. Editor: Sally Fur Each watch was personally presented to the veterans in attendance Layout: Andrea Dixon by members of CIBC, Toronto Police, National Defence and Photography: Doug Nicholson Sunnybrook Recreation Therapy staff. (unless noted otherwise) Circulation: 1,800 The next issue of At Home will At Home Article – Leisure be published for Sept/Oct. Deadline for submissions is Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2006 At Sunnybrook we strive to provide comprehensive quality For more information, or to make care – we conceptualize this as the balance of clinical and a submission, please contact Sally safety programs and quality of life programs. Indeed, we Fur at 416.480.6100 ext. 5057 or believe there is a highly dependent relationship between by e-mail to leisure, comfort and healing. [email protected] In past issues we have highlighted clinical care (Alzheimer’s Disease, Model of Medical Care), safety initiatives (Falls in Contributors: Seniors, Infection Prevention and Control, Influenza), and in Lorrie Clarke this issue we wish to share our interpretation of leisure in the Deborah Brown-Farrell context of later life and to describe some of our programs. Janna Ramsay Ana Seara In studies of leisure in later life, leisure is described as an Val White activity or set of activities that serve to enliven relationships Dr. E. Williams between residents and their practitioners. Leisure activities enable the resident to help others, to develop new skills, to acquire new knowledge, to develop connectedness and Material printed in At Home is contribute to their community and to maintain continuity with protected by copyright and may not the past. Overall leisure aims to have the Veteran gain be reprinted without the permission satisfaction from these accomplishments. Our own research of the editor. also found that relationships were the major motivation for continued participation in leisure opportunities. 2 May/June 2006 Excellence in geriatric medicine Perhaps none of this is surprising. However, it does require by Dr. Evelyn Williams complex programming if we are to plan activities to address these various outcome areas. Additionally, to ensure the Sunnybrook Health Sciences objectives for our unique activities are ones the veterans enjoy, Centre, and Aging & Veterans the calendar must be flexible. Care, is an academic teaching centre fully affiliated with the This programming challenge rests with the Recreation, Music, University of Toronto. Art and Horticulture Therapists. Together they garner the advice of the Veterans and their families and then develop the activities Each year, many students calendar. And, these activities are as diverse as the Veterans from the University of for whom they are planned. Some are tried and true activities Toronto, other universities, that are enjoyed time and again, others are new, rotated and/or and community colleges planned on demand. These range from on-unit individual or come to K and George Hees group activities to off-unit specific groups to large group wings to train in disciplines such as nursing, audiology, programs and then to community outings and summer camp. pharmacy, occupational We seek to understand what is important to each Veteran and therapy, physiotherapy and then offer opportunities accordingly. For those Veterans living medicine. with dementia, activities strive to help them be fully engaged in living in the moment. All of the physicians in The Division of Long Term Care At the outset of this article we stated that we believe quality have academic appointments care is achieving the balance between clinical, safety and with the Department of Family quality of life programs. Leisure experiences that provide a and Community Medicine, sense of relief or diversion have definite benefits, helping to University of Toronto. facilitate comfort and healing. These experiences range through music, art, gardening, group discussions, courses, Starting in July 2006, first games, trips entertainment, volunteering and many, many more. year post-graduate trainees in Calendars posted on each unit record the different activities, family medicine will spend one month in K and George and as of July 1st these can also be seen on our new digital Hees wings for their geriatric screens. rotation. There will also be post-graduate psychiatry We encourage everyone to participate in an activity they’ve trainees visiting K1E, the enjoyed for years, or something new – and if you have a palliative care unit for the suggestion, we’d like to hear that too! Our goal is to provide month. programming that is pleasurable to the Veterans who call Sunnybrook “home”. Learning how to provide excellent medical care for the elderly patients with dementia and other complex health problems is a vital part of medical education. Dr. Jocelyn Charles Dorothy Ferguson Acting Program Chief Operations Director Aging & Veterans Care Aging & Veterans Care May/June 2006 3 Nurses Week 2006 Aging & Veterans Poster Contest By Val White It started out as just a poster contest for nurses week and turned into one of the most uplifting experiences for the nursing staff of LSSW. Initially, the chance to win a pizza party elicited more saliva than enthusiasm. However, what ensued over the next few weeks was truly an inspiring event. With each passing day the excitement an enthusiasm for the poster grew and grew. Karen Henshaw (RN) and Carlene Wallen (RPN) were the masterminds and creative directors behind the poster. The rest of the staff were all part of the assembly line. It was a replica of a board game with pictures of many of the LSSW staff in interesting situations, with hilarious captions regarding healthy living. As the poster developed, it became much more than an expression of healthy living, it became a reflection of the dynamics of the unit. Special thanks to Nicole Pittman in Recreation Therapy for supplying the photographs. Photo by Dale Roddick Nursing Week 2006 Promoting Healthy Choices for Healthy Living Above L to R: Sandra Chiu, RN, Esmenia Lasco, RPN, Carlene Wallen, RPN, Lorna Gittens, RN, Karen Henshaw, RN, Millina Mitchell, RPN. Congratulations to K2W who were awarded the Sunnybrook’s finest group Care of the Aging Award this year! In May, winners of the Fourth Annual Schulich Awards for Nursing & Above L to R: Ana Baltazar, PSA; Pat Hosein, RPN; Kathy Clinical Excellence were honoured at the Sunnybrook Estates. Yakimik, RN; Darreth Fearon, PSA; Maria Locquiao, RPN; Thirteen awards in total were handed out, 10 for nursing and clinical Millie Dyer, PAA; Bridget Jackman, RN; and excellence and three for academic excellence. Cheryl Callahan, Mayrose Agne, RN. RPN, from LTSE was the sole recipient from Aging & Veterans Care. Above L to R: Leo Steven, President & CEO, Cheryl Callahan, Virginia McLaughlin, Chair, Sunnybrook Board of Directors 4 May/June 2006 Nightingale Nominations Hospital-Wide Memorial Service Congratulations to Brian Radford, The Sunnybrook Health Sciences RN, Palliative Care Unit (K1E) who was Spiritual Care Team invites the one of 47 nurses nominated for this hospital community to the Hospital- year’s Toronto Star Nightingale Award. Wide Memorial Service to be held in Two other Sunnybrook nurses were also the McLaughlin Auditorium nominated: Susan Margaret Thorne, R.N (Sunnybrook campus - EG18a) (Sunnybrook campus) and Anne beginning at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, Schaedlich, R.N. (Holland Orthopaedic September 18th, 2006. & Arthritic Centre). Congratulations! The Memorial Service provides an opportunity for family members, partners and friends of those who Nursing Sisters Celebrate died during the months of January through June 2006, to celebrate the Nursing Week lives of their loved ones along with those who cared for them in this hospital community.