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We welcome Emily Ballinger, RPN
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Emily joins Sidney Thomson in her new role as Program Coordinator. She has been nursing for the past 15 years specializing in caring for the geriatric population and is dedicated to the well-being and quality of care being delivered to clients.
Emily looks forward to sharing her focus on educating and advocating for this exceptional group, and is passionate about providing the best palliative and end-of-life care possible to all our clients. She is a proud mother of four young and busy boys, who keep her active, always learning and laughing.
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REPORT FROM OUR PROGRAM COORDINATORS
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Quarterly Report From Our Program Coordinators
March 1 to May 31, 2022
Visiting Volunteer Program
We have been supporting at least 20 clients at any given time. About 15 received regular visits from one of our specially trained Visiting Volunteers in this period. Others opted to benefit from advice and advocacy from our Program Coordinator. The hope is that we can soon resume our program into long term care homes, but haven’t been able to start yet.
We have recruited three new Visiting Volunteers, and are looking for more! Please visit https://hhnl.ca/visiting-volunteer-information if you think you might be interested.
Another important component of our Visiting Volunteer program is ongoing training. Sessions on workplace violence, U-First dementia support training, confidentiality, and practical caregiving were offered in this period.
Some of our Visiting Volunteers participated in our Public Education programs, and assist in our satellite offices, and a significant number of hours were spent by five of our Visiting Volunteers writing Cards of Caring to LTC homes in both Almonte. We have a Board member who is writing cards of caring for a LTC home in Carleton Place.
Satellite Office Hours
Our satellite offices are slowly building a following. About a dozen people have stopped by to get information in the last three months. It’s been a bit up and down, since we sometimes had to suspend operation due to various COVID-related closures. We are taking a break for the summer, starting July 1. We hope that more and more people will take advantage of these drop-in hours when we resume in September. Keep an eye on local and social media for details.
Help for Caregivers and People Needing Help With Healthcare System Navigation
A significant portion of every day is spent fielding calls from clients and members of the public to answer questions and providing guidance about how to navigate the healthcare system. We especially want people to know that we are not only here to help those who have received a difficult diagnosis, but also unpaid caregivers in our community — we know that there are many of you out there! One of our more recent collaborations — with the Lanark County Community Paramedicine Program —has helped five clients, some on an ongoing basis. We hope to see this number increase as more people become aware of this option.
Grief and Bereavement Support
In addition to the 8-week support group, about 11 people reached out for support, to whom we provided compassionate care.
Referrals
We always try to make it clear that you don’t need a referral to access our support, but we are pleased when referrals are made, too. It’s all about building awareness…it doesn’t matter how people find their way to HHNL; it only matters that those who need us find us. In this period, 3 people reached out directly, 2 came to us via their physician; 7 via a Registered Nurse or Registered Practical Nurse, and 4 through family or friends.
The Bottom Line
Our public relations/marketing programs are working. With numbers up across the board, it is evident that word is spreading in the community, and we couldn’t be happier. But we know there are still people out there who could use our support and aren’t finding their way to us. As subscribers to this e-newsletter, we know you care! So, we ask you — talk about what we do with your family and friends.
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We had a busy — and Very productive — Spring!
During our strategic planning session last summer we committed to conducting 3 to 4 public education sessions to be completed by the end of 2022. In spite of some people still being reluctant to come out due to concerns relating to the pandemic, we did our best to provide safe spaces, and were pleased with the response we received.
In just the last three months, we delivered the following:
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U-First Training.
This program was offered twice, and the spots filled quickly. There is clearly a need for this type of help in the community.
• Monday, April 4 and Tuesday, April 5, at the Community Presbyterian Church, Almonte
• Tuesday, May 24 and Wednesday, May 25, at the Carleton Place Public Library
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This program, designed by the Alzheimer Society, was presented by Robin Hull, Education Coordinator, Alzheimer Society Lanark Leeds Grenville. This training is for those caring for someone with dementia, and aims to help caregivers understand the person and associated behaviour changes, and how to work as a team to develop individualized support strategies. The program was delivered in two, three-hour sessions and was offered for free.
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Grief and Bereavement Support Group
Wednesdays, from March 30 until May 18, 2022. The closed group sessions were held at the Community Presbyterian Church in Almonte, over eight weeks. Board member Ruth Du Bois and Liz Higginson, both retired nurses, who have many years of experience in bereavement support, facilitated the program. Our facilitators received positive feedback and are planning to offer this program again.
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Practical Caregiver Training for non-Paid Caregivers. Home Hospice North Lanark is partnered with Champlain Hospice Palliative Care Program to present the Practical Caregiver Training for the second time (the first was last fall). The training took place over the course of five Friday mornings at St. James Church, Carleton Place. One of the presenters, Ruth Du Bois, wrote a lovely "report" about this valuable course. READ IT HERE. A repeat of this training is in the works for fall.
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We partnered with Bridging Generations Pakenham to present:
• Wednesday, March 16 An Introduction to HHNL and
What is a Circle of Care?
• Wednesday, April 13 Advance Care Planning
• Wednesday, May 18 Understanding Grief
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As you can see, we are well ahead of our goals. Our Public Education program will start again in the fall. Keep an eye on local media, our social media and the website for details.
If there is a topic you would like to suggest for a future presentation, please contact Jan Watson at chair@hhnl.ca
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FOCUS ON SOME OF OUR FABULOUS VOLUNTEERS
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Handmade cards and personalized notes brighten days for residents in Long Term Care Homes!
What do pretty coloured papers, glue, fine scissors, tiny decorative jewels and glue have to do with Home Hospice North Lanark? These are some of the tools and supplies used by some wonderful volunteers, who spend time creating lovely notecards and writing personalized notes, that are then used to send "Cards of Caring" to folks in some of the long-term care facilities in North Lanark. This initiative started when our Visiting Volunteers couldn’t go into people’s homes in the early days of the pandemic, as a way of maintaining at least some level of contact with clients.
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Two good friends, Marni and Nicole, get together on a regular basis to visit and create cards using the same type of techniques used in scrapbooking, a popular craft. They generously donate their creations that are then used by Visiting Volunteers Catherine, Patricia, Brenda, Linda and Patty, who write cheery notes to clients at Almonte Country Haven and Fairview Manor in Almonte. Marni also volunteers as a member of the Communication and Public Education Committee.
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Meanwhile new Board member Angela Beazley jumped right in! She enjoys making “5D diamond cards” a fun craft using tiny “jewels” resulting in sparkly cards that she then uses to write nice messages to residents at Revera Stoneridge Manor Long Term Care Home in Carleton Place.
These cards are sent for birthdays, as a welcome note, or just as a "pick me up" note and also for Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas (each facility is using them in slightly different ways). In total, close to 200 cards will be created, written and enjoyed by wonderfully deserving seniors in North Lanark each year.
Thank you so much to all our volunteers who take part in this!
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Would you like to become more actively involved with HHNL? We have lots of opportunities for you:
>>> We are seeking new Visiting Volunteers.
Learn more here: https://hhnl.ca/visiting-volunteer-information/
If this interests you, please send an email to Emily Ballinger at emily@hhnl.ca.
As our organization grows, we need to make sure that new people come on board with new ideas and fresh eyes. And, as we all know, many hands make light work!
>>> We are seeking new Board Members
As Directors come to the end of their term, we need to fill those positions. If this interests you, please send an email to Jan Watson at chair@hhnl.ca.
>>> We are seeking new Committee and Sub-committee Members
If this interests you, please send an email to fundraising@hhnl.ca or eventvolunteer@hhnl.ca
Volunteering with HHNL is a satisfying experience; knowing you are making a real and lasting difference in the lives of people in your community. It is also an opportunity to learn new skills, grow as a person, gain valuable experience, and work with other dedicated people.
If you are not personally in a position to apply for a volunteer opportunity at this time, think about the people around you, and share this! Thank you.
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