Long Term Care Program
The Long Term Care Program of Western Health provides direct and indirect services that are aimed at meeting the diverse needs of residents/clients. The program strongly supports community/home living for as long as possible with the resources of Western Health. The Long Term Care Program provides comprehensive and holistic care, while enhancing quality of life, taking into consideration the uniqueness of each individual and the available resources.
Mission Statement
To enhance the quality of life for individuals who require long term care services.
Philosophy
The management and staff, who provide services to residents and clients of our Long Term Care Program, believe in and support the value statements of Western Health. From these value statements, we have further defined our philosophy of long term care, which is designed to foster the best possible quality of life for individuals through a social model of care.
We believe that:
- Residents and clients must be treated in a manner that:
- respects their right to privacy
- maintains their self-worth, self-esteem and dignity
- fosters independence and maintenance of their optimum level of functioning
- An interdisciplinary, holistic, humanistic and restorative approach is essential to enhancing the quality of life of individuals.
- Residents and family members should be provided opportunities to participate as partners in care and service delivery through:
- input in decisions that impact on their quality of life
- involvement with resident/family council, interdisciplinary team meetings, etc.
- The delivery of services within a long term care setting should:
- reflect the diverse physical, cultural, social, emotional, spiritual, recreational and economic needs of the residents
- Each person has the right to live in an environment which:
- is homelike and is able to be personalized with favourite pictures, photographs, furnishings, so long as space limitations, safety requirements and other resident's rights are respected
- supports a pattern of life and conditions of everyday living which are as close as possible to the normal circumstances and traditional ways of life of Newfoundland
- promotes personal independence, self-reliance, freedom of choice, and respect for each person's individuality and beliefs.
- The Long Term Care facility must be perceived as an integral part of the community, whereby:
- residents are provided an opportunity to participate in activities within the greater community
- the community is encouraged to participate and become involved with enhancing the quality of life of residents
Resident and Family Guide Long Term Care
Long Term Care Rights and Responsibilities
Service Provision
Service provision includes around-the-clock nursing care. Licensed Practical Nurses and Personal Care Attendants provide day-to-day care under the direction of a Registered Nurse. Other services include: medical, social work, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech language pathology, recreation therapy, pharmacy, volunteer, outreach, hairdressing, barbering, nutrition, housekeeping, laundry, accounting, and pastoral care. Where services are not located on site, referrals are made for the resident to access services based on assessed need.
The long term care program provides six major areas of service:
- Long Term Stay Program
- Resident Family Gardens
- Protective Care Brochure (PDF)
- Long Term Stay Brochure (PDF)
- Making Memories (PDF)
- Short Stay Admission
- Adult Day Support Program
- Meals on Wheels
- Affordable Housing for Seniors (cottages)
- Emile Benoit House
- Protective Community Residences (PDF)
General Information
Visiting Hours
Western Health aims to provide person-centered care to all of our clients, patients, and residents. Family members of clients, patients, and residents are an important part of the healthcare team and contribute to the caring and healing process. Visits from family and friends are important to patients and residents during their stay at a Western Health facility. Families and visitors can choose to visit patients and residents at Western Health at any time according to the preference of the patient/resident or the Substitute Decision-Maker (SDM). The need of patient/resident to maintain contact with their family and friends during their stay will be balanced with the inter-professional care team’s need to provide timely and effective care to all patients/residents in the room. In Keeping with Infection Control policies, visitors with cold and flu-like symptoms are asked not to visit the home to help decrease spreading of illness.
Valuables
The facility does not assume responsibility for money and valuables which residents keep in possession. However, in the event that an item is missing, notify the nurse-in-charge and staff will conduct a reasonable search. It is strongly recommended that residents not keep valuables in their rooms and only a minimal amount of money should be kept on a resident at any given time.
Electrical Appliances
Appliances such as TV's, radios, shavers, and hair dryers may be brought to the facility but must be CSA approved. An electrical check is required by maintenance staff before use.
Room Assignments
Transfers within the facility or to another site may be required because of incompatibility with roommate, changes in level of care, or the need to accommodate emergency situations. The facility reserves the right to make necessary room changes but will make every effort to keep changes to a minimum and to notify resident/client/family prior to the transfer. Prior to any change, every reasonable attempt will be made to notify the resident/client/family.
Leave of Absence
Residents may go out for a daily outing or an extended visit with family and are encouraged to attend family functions whenever possible. If residents wish to take a temporary leave of absence from the facility, the nursing staff must be notified in advance, and the expected time of return must be given. The board and lodging rate remains the same during absence from the Home.
Please see our locations page for information about long term care at each site:
http://westernhealth.nl.ca/index.php/locations/long-term-care-centres/corner-brook-long-term-care-home
http://westernhealth.nl.ca/index.php/locations/long-term-care-centres/protective-community-residences
http://westernhealth.nl.ca/index.php/locations/rural-health-centres/bonne-bay-health-centre
http://westernhealth.nl.ca/index.php/locations/rural-health-centres/calder-health-centre
http://westernhealth.nl.ca/index.php/locations/rural-health-centres/rufus-guinchard-health-centre
Family and Resident Feedback/Survey Highlights
Provincial Health Aging Framework
Western Health supports the direction of the Department of Health and Community Services with its Healthy Aging Framework. To read more about the framework, click here.
Dementia
Thank you to the Alzheimer Society of Ontario for sharing this resource:
A Guide to Understanding Dementia Behaviour (PDF)