Community Partner Update

Apr 2022

As a family owned, mission-driven organization, our top priorities are clear. Meet the needs and exceed the expectations of our residents and families with person-centred care and enriching experiences. Support our staff and engage them in creating great workplaces. Give back in our communities. All in alignment with our Values! Read on to learn more.

Sensory-scapes enhance resident wellbeing
New Sensory-scapes, such as a retro 1950s kitchen and a lively potting shed, are helping to create sensory rich environments to support the emotional wellbeing of residents in peopleCare long-term care Homes. These innovative wall murals portray familiar scenes that evoke fond memories, offering residents a meaningful opportunity to reminisce and reflect on an earlier time in life. Our teams have also worked with residents to incorporate images that hold deep meaning in the local community – for example farming or fishing scenes – to help them feel a sense of belonging and connection to the place in which they lived and worked for many years. Read more about these transformative, resident-centred enhancements in our Homes.
 

 
Meet our Employee Wellness Champions
“If we’re well, we can care for others in a meaningful way…great way to support wellness at work…I see the value of self-care for mental health…” Those are just a few of the reasons peopleCare’s Recovering Strong Champions have stepped up to help us provide opportunities for our staff to focus on their personal wellbeing. One Champion from each of our Homes and leadership support office – and including frontline clinical staff, program leaders and project coordinators – are sharing their ideas and coworkers’ feedback to help us shape a meaningful Employee Wellness Strategy and action plan. Read our Wellness Champions profiles.
 

 
New ethics partnership supports resident right to choose
Without question, residents have the fundamental right to choose how they live their life. It’s our teams’ job to support them in living safely. Often, choices create ethical dilemmas. For example, when the choice poses a health risk, or a resident’s family doesn’t agree. That’s why peopleCare has established an innovative new partnership with the Clinical Ethics team at London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC). Building on our existing ethical framework and practices, LHSC will provide ongoing education and regular onsite support. This will help us continue to ensure the voices of our residents and families are heard, respected and embedded in every decision we make together.
 

 
Creating Homes that reflect our residents and communities
peopleCare is working hard to build welcoming new LTC homes to care for more local seniors. We’re moving full speed ahead in Meaford, with our new home on track to open in October. Check out this cool timelapse to see how time flies since we started construction less than one year ago.  Residents, staff and families in our existing Meaford home had fun recently with a “Name the New Home Areas” contest. Selected by Resident Council, the winning names – such as Beautiful Joe Way – all reflect Meaford’s rich local heritage and history. Watch the big reveal on Facebook. In other news, we were thrilled to receive approvals from the Township and County to build our new 128-bed Tavistock LTC home on the land right next door to our existing home! We aim to get shovels in the ground in late summer this year. Stay updated with Our Developments online.
 

 
Accelerating medication safety in our sector and health system
For close to a decade, peopleCare has been leading safer medication management in LTC with our award-winning innovative Clinical Pharmacy Model, which also frees up clinical staff time for more hands-on care. Now, a peopleCare Home has been named one of only 10 Champion Homes that is partnering with the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) Canada to improve medication safety for LTC residents. The team is thrilled to continue championing and accelerating best practices in medication safety in our sector and the health system, along with our colleagues.
 

 
peopleCare gives back
ICYMI #BeyondOurselves is peopleCare’s approach to being a force for positive change and giving back – both in our communities and around the globe. We recently shared our 2021 Highlights with details on our activities last year to raise money for MEDA and other worthy causes. For peopleCare employees, a huge part of going Beyond Ourselves is contributing in meaningful ways in our communities. From food bank drives and meals for the homeless to delivering treats to local seniors. Supporting families in need to fundraising for favourite charities and more – our staff supported dozens of local organizations last year. Watch our Giving Tuesday Fireside Chat to learn more about peopleCare’s dedication to giving back.
 

 
Let’s get social
A wise person once said that tech is best when it brings people together. Take peopleCare’s Facebook page for example. Through this engaged online community our residents, families and staff share plenty of #HeartfeltMoments – those joyful experiences (big and small) across our Homes that simply light up our days. And we’re delighted to see our Facebook followers have grown by 25% in the past year. That’s hundreds more people who are connecting with us in a very meaningful way. We hope you’re one of them!
 

 
For a printable version of this update, please click here.