Christmas 2015 – Newsletter

Christmas 2015
Spencer Home’s Quality Worklife and Education
Committee presented Laura Small, LPN, with a
Certificate of Recognition as Wellness Champion to
PEP (Priority, Engagement, Possibility). From left to
right Lynn Burdock, Dietitian, Angela LeBlanc, Nurse
Manager, Jennifer Steylen, Nurse Manager, Carl Shaw,
Maintenance, Sharon Sweetapple, Executive Assistant.
Foreground: Laura Small, LPN and Ronda McCready, RN.
The New Brunswick Association of Nursing Homes,
the Canadian Union of Public Employees, the New
Brunswick Union, the New Brunswick Nurses Union,
the Nursing Home Governance Members, together
with the leaders and employees of its member homes,
share a commitment to building and sustaining optimal workplace wellness in the long-term care sector.
Their mission is to collaborate with member homes to
provide effective strategies and programs to build and
sustain a positive and healthy work workplace and
support employee well-being.
The Quality Worklife and Education Committee set up a
an White Elephant Table at this years’ Ladies Auxiliary
Craft and Bake Sale held early in November at the
Home. Sales from the event help raise funds towards
prizes for Staff Appreciation events at Spencer Home.
Shown above is Cheryl Berry, Operations Manager,
Aramark, volunteering her time to help sell gently used
items.
A total of $323.75 was raised. A huge thank you goes
out to everyone who supported this event.
Congratulations to Stacey Hatcher,
RA, Tammy Hall, RA, Heather Leet
RA, Diana Blackett ,RA & Andria
Leaman, RA on their successful
completion of the Back in Form
Trainer Course.
Christmas and the holiday season in general is a time when most people’s thoughts turn
to giving. Again this year we will be having a Giving Tree. The purpose of this tree is
to provide meaningful gifts to those residents who do not receive gifts. Staff will create
a list with gift suggestions which will be placed on an ornament. Staff, families and
friends of Spencer home can select an ornament and buy the gift indicated.
How can I donate?
Remove an ornament from the Giving Tree with the gift suggestion you are willing to
purchase.
Purchase the gift(s) listed on the tag.
Bring the ornament and purchased gift in a gift bag to the Recreation Department for
distribution by Nursing Staff at Christmas.
Please do not wrap gifts. Gift bags with tissue would be appreciated.
Please drop off gifts to the Recreation Department by December 23rd.
For more information contact Mary Bourgeois in Recreation
858-7870 ext. 115.
Did you know that.....
Bing Crosby ‘s ‘White Christmas’ was
released in 1942 and is considered to be
the best-selling Christmas song of all time.
INFECTION CONTROL
Avoid an Unwelcome Bug This Christmas
To keep your Christmas food safe, remember the following things:
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Wash hands thoroughly with soap and hot water and dry them before handling food and after handling
raw meat, going to the toilet, blowing your nose or touching animals (including pets).
After touching raw poultry or meat always wash hands with warm water and soap and dry them thoroughly.
Always clean worktops, chopping boards, dishes and utensils thoroughly after they have touched raw
poultry or meat.
Never use the same chopping board for raw poultry or meat and ready–to-eat food without washing it
thoroughly in warm soapy water. If possible, use a separate chopping board just for raw meat and
poultry.
Keep cooked meat and poultry in the fridge. If they are left out at room temperature, food poisoning
bacteria can grow and multiply.
Wash dishcloths and tea towels daily and let them dry before you use them again. Dirty, damp cloths
are the perfect place for bacteria to breed.
Keep your fridge temperature between 0Cand 5C and avoid over filling it. By keeping food cold, it
stops food poisoning bugs growing.
Holidays and Special Occasions
There is no doubt that caring for a person with Alzheimer's disease may be frustrating and difficult at times. But it
can also be rewarding. Solving problems and becoming confident in knowing how to give care can provide you with
a great sense of satisfaction. As important as it is to reduce the stress of the person with dementia, it is equally important to reduce the stress of the caregiver.
If you are caring for someone with dementia, it may not be possible to celebrate every holiday the same way you are
used to. Enjoying fewer get-togethers might give you the energy to enjoy those occasions more, without becoming
exhausted. Here are some helpful suggestions to make the most of your holiday season.
• Choose those occasions and traditions that are most important to you and your family.
• Try to keep celebrations small.
• Consider hiring help or asking other family members and friends to help, perhaps by bringing food, or coming early
to help set up. There are a number of in-home care agencies in the area that may offer one-day assistance.
• Ask the person with dementia if they would like to contribute. Even if they can no longer bake cookies, perhaps
they can stir batter or add ingredients. Before inviting the person with dementia to assist, plan ahead, lay out everything they will need before hand to reduce potential distractions and stress.
• Involve them in planning a dinner or talking about whom to invite.
• There is a misconception that people with Alzheimer’s and dementia cannot make new memories after their diagnosis, that is false. Create a new family tradition, like watching a favourite holiday movie, decorating the tree together
and reminiscing about favourite ornaments, attending a religious service together or singing traditional songs.
• If you are visiting an unfamiliar home, try to anticipate what you will need, for example, labelling the bathroom
door, identifying where things are kept that they might need, bring along extra supplies that might be needed for
providing any personal care needs.
• If visitors will be staying with you, try to anticipate what they will need to know, for example, about not leaving the
front door open or leaving pills or other potentially hazardous items where the person can find them.
• Remember that quiet, one-on-one activities, such as looking through a photo album together or playing cards, are
less stressful than noisy activities with several people, even for someone who used to enjoy that type of activity.
• Most importantly, don’t feel ashamed if you forget a name of a relative you haven’t seen in a while. Have those relatives re-introduce themselves as they arrive, for example “hi Aunt Mary, it’s your niece Jane!”. The holidays are a
special time for everyone and we are surrounded by those that care, they will understand if you might forget.
Holidays in a long-term care home
If the person with dementia is in a long-term care home, you will need to find new ways to help them celebrate family traditions around holiday time. For example:
• Bring a favourite holiday treat to share.
• Sing traditional songs.
• Bring photo albums and story books to enjoy together.
• Join your family member in any holiday activities the home organizes.
• Try not to focus on the old traditions that may be lost, rather think of this as a time to make new traditions and new
memories. A person with Alzheimer’s or dementia can still contribute to the family unit, they just might need more
time or things may just need to altered.
If the person with dementia is able to go out or visit the home, try it for a few hours several times before the special
occasion to get a sense of how he or she reacts to the change in environment. Pay attention to non-verbal cues.
Article from the Alzheimer's Society of New Brunswick website.
Moncton Jeep Club
NEW EMPLOYEES
Winter will soon be upon us and that means SNOW!
Darlene Fougere, Environmental Attendant
Curtis Leet, Environmental Attendant
Angela Gallant, RN
Melissa Woodworth, RN
Hope Houssen, Dietary Student
Emily Clevett, Dietary Student
Often during snow storms, members of the New Brunswick
Jeep Club (Moncton Chapter) volunteer their time during
snow storms helping local hospital and nursing home employees (essential services) get to and from work at no
charge.
If you don’t feel comfortable driving during a snow storm,
please call the Moncton Jeep Club @ 863-4269.
Health and Safety Committee Members
Julie Weir, Chair
Bev Harper, Co-Chair
Lynn Burdock
Curtis McPhail
Angela LeBlanc
Jennifer Steylen
Ronda McCready
Cathy Smyth
Tiffany Bradley
Una Flynn
Cheryl Berry
Laura Jones
Nicole Roy
When bringing in treats for your loved one, please
make sure all food and candy are stored in a sealed
container.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Did you know that.....
In Greek, X means Christ; that is where the word “Xmas”
comes from!
Merry Christmas Everyone
From the
Spencer Home Foundaon
Memorials&donationsmaybemadethroughtheSpencerHomeFoundationwebsite
utilizing canadahelps.org or at the Spencer Home business ofice (open Monday—
Friday8am-12:30&1:30-4pm).
Canada is a net exporter of fresh-cut Christmas trees.
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$27.9 million — The value of fresh-cut Christmas trees exported from Canada to the
rest of the world in 2013.
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1,574,847 — The number of fresh-cut Christmas trees exported from Canada to the
rest of the world in 2013.
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$25.5 million — The value of fresh-cut Christmas trees exported from Canada to the
United States in 2013.
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1,535,836 — The number of fresh-cut Christmas trees exported from Canada to the
United States in 2013.
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$4.6 million — The value of fresh-cut Christmas trees imported from the United States
to Canada in 2013.
Artificial Christmas trees
Fresh-cut Christmas trees were also exported to:
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Antigua and Barbuda
Aruba
Bahamas
Barbados
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Bermuda
Cayman Islands
France
Jamaica
Japan
Netherlands Antilles
Panama
Russian Federation
Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Thailand
United Arab Emirates
$56.2 million — The total value of artificial
Christmas trees imported to Canada in 2013,
up from $49.5 million in 2012.
$55.0 million — The value of artificial Christmas trees imported to Canada from China in
2013, up from $48.5 million in 2012.
Source taken from http://ww.statcan.gc.ca/
Halloween 2015
Staff Appreciation BBQ
Spencer Home resident standing
proud by the poppy cross.
Can you guess who this is?
Whether you are interested in long term care or short term stay, Spencer Home can accommodate your needs.
We are an Accredited level three nursing home operating in the Moncton area for more than 40 years. We offer:
• Long Term
Care for individuals requiring daily nursing care.
• Relief
Care for those who require nursing care for a short term such as a convalescent period or in circumstances
where a caregiver is away or unavailable.
For more information or to arrange for an appointment
please call us at 858-7870.
Angela LeBlanc
Nurse Manager ext. 113
Jennifer Steylen
Nurse Manager ext. 112
Christmas Stove Potpourri
Apple Orchard Punch
Ingredients:
• 1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1 (32 oz) bottle of apple juice, chilled
1 (12 oz) can of frozen cranberry juice
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1 orange (sliced)
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4 cinnamon sticks (broken in half)
1 cup orange juice
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1 TB cloves
1 1/2 litres of ginger ale
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1/8 tsp nutmeg
1 apple
2-3 cups water
Directions:
Combine ingredients in a small pot and
simmer over low heat for as long as desired. Add more water if it gets low.
Enjoy the holiday scent!
Favourite Old Time Gingerbread
concentrate
In a large punch bowl, combine apple juice,
cranberry juice concentrate and orange juice.
Stir until dissolved, then slowly pour in the
ginger ale.
Thinly slice the apple vertically, forming
whole apple slices. Float apple slices on top of
punch.
Antipasti Pizza
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
1 cup molasses
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons extravirgin olive oil
1 pound prepared pizza dough
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/2 cup pitted olives, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup artichoke hearts, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes (optional)
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Coat each of two
rimmed baking sheets with extra-virgin olive oil.
1 cup hot water
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Greased and flour one 9 inch square pan.
Cream together the sugar and butter or margarine.
Add egg, and beat well. Mix in the molasses.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt,
cinnamon, ginger and clove. Add dry ingredients
to the creamed mixture; add the hot water, and mix
well.
Pour batter into pan and bake for one hour. Allow
to cool in pan and serve.
Divide prepared pizza dough into 32 pieces. On a
lightly floured work surface, press each piece into
a 2-inch round with the palm of your hand.
Transfer to sheets, flipping once to coat lightly in
oil. Season with salt and pepper. Divide
mozzarella, olives, and artichoke hearts among
rounds.
Sprinkle with red-pepper flakes, if using. Bake
until cheese is bubbling and dough is crisp and
golden brown, about 12 minutes.
Spencer Home
35 Atlantic Baptist Ave.
Moncton, NB E1E 4N3
Tel: (506) 858-7870 Fax: (506) 858-9674
E-Mail:
[email protected]
Website:
www.atlanticbaptisthousing.com