SUMMERSIDE
NOVEMBER 2023
HALLOWEEN FUN
Our team members had a scary good time on our first ever group ghost walk in Charlottetown this past month. It was great hearing all the creepy stories about P.E.I. history. See more photos from the ghost walk and Andrews of Summerside’s haunted house on page 5.
CORE VALUES Brenda Shred is this month's Core Values Leader. | p. 3
A DAY OF REMEMBRANCE Residents share why Remembrance Day is important to them. | p. 7-8
GETTING TO KNOW . . . Meet Megan Murphy, Stratford’s new Community Care Manager. | p. 6
CARE AND ACCOUNTABILITY It was great seeing so many team members out at our ghost walk this past month. We had a lot of fun hearing about Charlottetown’s creepy history while touring the beautiful downtown area. With the holidays approaching, our social committee has more team events on the horizon, including the Charlottetown Christmas Parade on November 25. An application to be in the parade has been filed with the city. If accepted, our social committee will be looking for team members to walk in the parade. If interested, contact Amanda Kotlar (akotlar@andrewsseniorcare.com) or Nathan Rochford (nrochford@andrewsseniorcare.com). On a more serious note, I want to address a subject at the core of Andrews Senior Care – accountability, an essential element that shapes our commitment to excellence and the care we provide. Andrews and ProTem are privately-operated homes, specializing in community care, long-term care and dementia care. Privately run homes, such as ours, play a crucial role in serving seniors and individuals living with dementia, along with supporting their families, thus supplementing the existing public system. Our focus remains on delivering exceptional person-centered care, constantly seeking innovative approaches to enrich our residents' experiences. Operating as a privately-run entity grants us the freedom to actively pursue our unique vision for what retirement living and senior care should look like While we operate as a private business, it's essential to highlight that our homes are subject to government oversight. In New Brunswick, our memory care homes adhere to the Standards and Procedures for Adult Residential Facilities. Similarly, in P.E.I., we comply with regulations under the Community Care Facilities and Nursing Homes Act, undergoing annual inspections. The inspection results, available through the Government of Prince Edward Island’s website, ensure transparency. Moreover, should a resident or family member have concerns about care in our homes, they can address them internally with their respective home's Director of Care or turn to the Department of Health and Wellness for an independent investigation. In our pursuit of excellence, our objective extends beyond merely meeting the CCFNHA guidelines; rather, we aspire to exceed them. This commitment drives our efforts as we undergo the rigorous Accreditation process mandated for government homes. We work closely together, united in our dedication to surpass the established standards, ensuring our collective contribution to a superior quality of care and services. This collaborative endeavor reflects our shared determination to elevate our standards and set new benchmarks in the realm of senior living. Our residents chose to live at Andrews because of our reputation in the community. They continue to live with us because of the lifestyle we provide. That’s something we should all be proud of. For example, we had a testimonial recently from a resident’s spouse that made an impact on me. She said after her husband had a stroke he was placed in a home in Charlottetown out of necessity. But the condition of the home and the care he was receiving was disappointing. When the opportunity to move to Andrews presented itself, she jumped. “This was more like a hotel as opposed to a hospital,” she said of Andrews. “I’ve said to people already that it’s an excellent facility for their loved ones.” Our foremost responsibility lies in being accountable to our residents and their families. This accountability serves as the compass guiding our actions and decisions. When we prioritize their needs and satisfaction, it becomes evident in the quality of our care and services we provide. Thank you for your dedication and hard work. We should take pride in the care and service we provide, and nothing should ever deter us from upholding these high standards at Andrews Senior Care and ProTem Memory Care. Sincerely, Mizan
Mizan MISSION STATEMENT It is Andrews Senior Care's goal to respect the dignity and autonomy of our residents; to provide a safe and secure environment; to promote involvement of residents and their family by inviting input and feedback related to the care and services we provide; to value the leadership, expertise and contributions of our staff through empowerment that will lead to excellence in service.
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CORE VALUE LEADERS Every month we will be recognizing a team member who we believe is a Core Values Leader. This team member exemplifies one, or all three, of our values through their actions and character.
BRENDA SHRED, CAREGIVER : ANDREWS OF PARKHILL Brenda has an excellent work ethic, always jumping at opportunities to assist wherever and whenever she’s needed. Brenda helps out in all departments and is extremely supportive to her team members. She maintains a pleasant and professional attitude at all times and is a delight to work with.
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ABOVE & BEYOND OCTOBER WINNERS EMMAH O’NEIL : SUMMERSIDE JOINED IN 2022
Emmah was recognized for going above and beyond. Also pictured is Andrews of Summerside DOC Kim Jay.
Our Above and Beyond winner for October is Emmah O’Neil. Emmah prioritizes our residents’ experience in everything she does. She’s cultivated an amazing rapport with them through her kindness and positivity. Likewise, her enthusiasm carries over to her relationships with her team members, who go to her for advice and guidance. We are fortunate to have her at Andrews of Summerside. Emmah started working as a caregiver with us one and a half years ago. Prior to joining our team, she worked as a server. She’s passionate about senior care, something she credits to time spent visiting her grandmother when she was growing up. “I really enjoy the connections you make with the residents,” she said. “They teach you a lot.” When she’s not at work, Emmah enjoys knitting and crocheting with friends, a skill she learned from our residents.
OUR OTHER HOMES
Lisa Pink : ProTem
Brenda Kinch : Parkhill
Harpinder Kaur : Stratford
Jayne MacGillivray : Park West
Lisa Ramsay : Charlottetown
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HALLOWEEN FUN
Team members got into the spooky spirit this past month, taking part in a ghost walk, volunteering in Andrews of Summerside’s haunted house night and dressing up in costume on Halloween.
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GETTING TO KNOW. . . MEGAN MURPHY Megan Murphy is our new Community Care Manager at Andrews of Stratford. Megan joined our team a little over a month ago. She’s a graduate of Holland College’s LPN program and has worked in both hospital settings and senior care homes. She’s passionate about senior care and memory care and is looking forward to growing in her role at Andrews of Stratford. To better get to know her, we asked her a series of questions we ask all our team members.
WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER THE PERFECT MEAL? BBQ steak with new potatoes and fresh yellow string beans from my garden.
COFFEE OR TEA? Neither! A can of Pepsi instead.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MOVIE? That's tough! I love horror, so either The Conjuring or The Fourth Kind.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK? Forever Boy by Kate Swenson.
WHAT TALENT WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO HAVE? The ability to communicate with those that are non-verbal.
WHAT DO YOU ADMIRE MOST IN PEOPLE? Empathy.
IF YOU COULD LIVE ANYWHERE, WHERE WOULD YOU LIVE? Hawaii.
WHAT MOTTO DO YOU LIVE BY? "When the going gets tough, the tough get going.”
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Andrews of Charlottetown resident Freda Pineau poses with a Remembrance Day quilt gifted to her by the Royal Canadian Legion in memory of her two husbands, who both served in the Second World War.
‘I’m proud to do it’ Residents share why Remembrance Day is important to them Remembrance Day is an especially important day for Andrews of Charlottetown resident Freda Pineau. Both of Freda’s husbands (she remarried Arthur Pineau after her first husband Ferdinand Gallant died from complications with ALS) served in Europe in the Second World War, landing on Juno Beach during the D-Day Invasion in June, 1944. Every year she makes the trip out to Rustico, her hometown and where both Arthur and Ferdinand grew up, for the Remembrance Day ceremony. She’s even had the honour of laying wreaths in memory of her husbands. “I’m proud to do it,” she said. Freda’s experience is not unique among residents at Andrews Senior Care. Many either served in the military or have family who did. Peter Berners, a resident at Andrews of Stratford, served for two years in the British Occupation Zone in Germany after the Second World War. His time in the service left a lasting impression. At age 91 he still proudly wears the poppy every November 11. CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
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CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 “It means a lot, to serve your country,” he said. “It’s a good feeling to have served.” Jerry O’Rourke, a resident at our ProTem Memory Care home in Moncton, joined the Royal Canadian Air Force when he was 17 and served for a number of years. Likewise, his father served in the Second World War and survived being onboard a naval ship when it went down in the Atlantic while transporting soldiers to Europe. His years in the service and having grown up with a veteran for a father gave him a unique perspective on Remembrance Day. “I choke up a little bit,” he said. For others, the day is more sombre. Andrews of Summerside resident Doris DeWolfe’s father served in the First World War and her grandmother died during the German occupation of the British island of Jersey during the Second World War. Andrews of Stratford resident Peter Berners served in the British Occupation Zone in Germany after the Second World War.
For her, wearing the poppy on Remembrance Day is a reminder of the horrors of war. “I wear it because I feel it signals that we all want to have peace,” she said. Jane Pearce’s father served in both world wars while her brother served in the Royal Canadian Navy during the Second World War. Her father was tight-lipped about his time in Europe. The only detail he ever shared with her was that during the First World War he and his fellow soldiers were at one point forced to resort to eating horse meat.
ProTem resident Jerry O’Rourke served in the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Jane still remembers when her brother left for Europe. Her father was already in the service when her brother was called back up. Her mother arranged for a neighbour to drive the whole family to Wood Islands, where her brother would catch the ferry to Nova Scotia before departing for Europe. He was halfway across the Atlantic Ocean when news broke that the war was over. Jane and her mother were thrilled. “He was just a kid,” said Jane. For Jane, Remembrance Day is filled with mixed emotions. “In my father’s case, I think of what did he go through as a kid, 17 years of age,” she said. “We read things and they were marching and plowing through muck with the one pair of boots and socks, wondering would they ever get back. He did, thank God.” With Remembrance Day on a Saturday this year, Andrews Senior Care and ProTem
Jane Pearce’s father served in both world wars, while her brother served in the Second World War.
Memory Care homes will be holding ceremonies during the week prior. Dates for respective homes will be posted on the activity calendars.
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MARKING MILESTONES Every month we will be highlighting team members who've reached significant milestones with us.
Rick Ayles has been a ProTem Memory Care team member for 13 years. Rick began working in maintenance at ProTem in 2010 after spending a number of years in a similar role with Tim Hortons. Raised by his grandparents, Rick developed a deep respect for seniors early in life. The experience also helped him professionally. A tinkerer by nature, Rick’s grandfather taught him many of the Jack-of-all-trades skills needed to work in maintenance. “He would be building a little shack out back and stuff like that and that’s where I learned,” Rick said. While Rick inherited a similar tinkerer disposition as his grandfather, the main reason he’s stayed with ProTem for as long as he has is the residents. “It’s the residents, it’s the families,” he said. “When they go in their room and things look really good, making them laugh every now and then, it’s pretty cool.”
Sherri-Lynn Boland has been an Andrews of Summerside team member for seven years. Initially, she worked as a dietary aide but eventually became sous-chef, her current role. She credits her love of cooking to growing up in rural Newfoundland. “I lived with my great aunt Mary, she’s who raised me,” she said. “We were always in the kitchen. I just feel comfortable in that environment.” Her passion for cooking as well as the work environment makes going to work every day easy. “Andrews never feels like it’s really work,” she said. “It’s not the same thing every day, it’s not repetitive.” In addition to cooking for a living, Sherri-Lynn enjoys baking and cooking in her off time as well. She relishes any opportunity to make traditional Newfoundland food like Jigg’s dinner, a traditional meal of corned beef, root vegetables and dumplings, and Sunday dinners of roast beef. “It just reminds me of home,” she said.
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RESOURCES/GAMES
Are You Feeling Stressed or Overwhelmed? Take advantage of our Employee Assistance Program through Lifeworks. This program is available 24/7 online or over the phone and services to help you with work, family, health, money, and life. The following is information on how you can access the program: Toll-free support line: 1-877-207-8833 TTY: 1-877-371-9978 Through their website login.lifeworks.com Username: murphy Password: eap
Are you, a friend or family member looking to buy or sell a property? You could earn up to $250. Read below to learn how.
Jessica Gauthier Human Resources Advisor hr@andrewsseniorcare.com 1-902-894-3439 ext 2422
If you have any questions for our HR team about benefits, ADP support, Immigration Program support or any other questions please contact me.
Community Cash 50/50 Weekly 50/50 draw in support of support not for profit groups including Murphy's Pharmacies Community Centre and the Holland College Athletics Department. Anyone can play for just $2/week.
We are pleased to offer a new Referral Program between Provincial Realty and Andrews Senior Care. The Referral Program will work as follows: Each employee that retains a Provincial Realty real estate advisor, or refers a friend or family member who uses their service for selling or purchasing properties over $150,000 will receive a gift card as a token of our appreciation. For more information, please contact Provincial Realty at 902.892.2266 or email us directly office@provincialrealty.ca.
DON'T MISS OUT ON THESE BENEFITS aid vacation time starting at 4% per year (Approximately 2 weeks) P Health and dental coverage, of which we cover 50% of the costs A pension plan where we match your contributions of up to 4% of your salary annually A fitness subsidy of up to $250 annually Discounts with local companies, including pharmacies, home heating oil providers and restaurants
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