Grandparents Day 2023 Feedback Survey
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Welcome to Pooja – Executive Director of Care Services
From: Sujata Connors, CEO
To: Menno Place Team
Re: Executive Director of Care Services
Please join me in welcoming our newest team member: Dr. Pooja Mishra!
Pooja will be joining us Tuesday, September 5th as the Executive Director responsible for Long Term Care and Assisted Living. Working in dyad partnership with Dr. Ken Dueck, she will join the executive team in expanding our relationships with key stakeholders and leading clinical strategies to support resident and family centred care and aging in place.
Pooja is driven by her passion for helping and healing people. Over the last 20 years her career has focused on the care of seniors and vulnerable populations. Pooja started her healthcare journey in India where she graduated from medical school and completed a residency in ENT surgery from a large multispecialty hospital. After a decade of practicing as a physician, she pursued and completed her postgraduate education in hospital administration. She used this education to broaden her healthcare leadership experience by working in different care settings such as primary care, ambulatory care, and community services.
Pooja comes to us with significant skills in continuous quality improvement, team building, collaboration, and negotiation. Over the past seven years, she has been leading community programs like home health, home support, and palliative care in Canada. She has led large teams and collaborated with multiple stakeholders to implement person and family centred care in community programs. Most recently she worked as the Director for palliative care, cancer care and the general internal medicine clinic at Richmond Hospital.
Pooja lives in Delta with her husband and two teenage kids (son 17, daughter 15). During her free time she can be found gardening, long distance running, and swimming.
Pooja sent the following message to be shared with the team:
“I am eager to join the team and be part of this tight knit community. I look forward to working with all of you and learning from all of you. I hope that over the course of a few weeks after I join, I get a chance to meet you all in person. Meanwhile, if you would like to connect with me please feel free to reach out Pooja.Mishra@mennoplace.ca.”
We are excited to see Pooja apply her experience and first-class education to support Menno Place in reaching our goals. She will be located in the MBS corporate office space, so be sure to drop by and say hello!
Grandparents Day is almost here!
It’s fun for the whole family on September 9th from 11am – 2pm! Bring your loved one from their unit or apartment into the courtyard with you to enjoy the live entertainment, food, and more!
Hymn Stories – September 2023
The Love of God, written and composed by Frederick M. Lehman by 1919, has its roots in a Jewish poem, written in Germany in the eleventh century. The Jewish poem, Hadamut, in the Aramaic language, has ninety couplets. Find out more about this gospel song!
Click to listen.
Do you have a family story to share?
As any of our seniors on campus could tell you, a lot can happen in 70 years!
At Menno Place, we’ve had the privilege of serving the community of Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley for generations. In September, we’d like to capture some of the incredible stories of these families on video and share them with our community!
Has more than one generation of your family received care at Menno Place?
Maybe a grandparent received care here years ago, and now your parent is living at Menno Place. Or, maybe you and several of your relatives have lived here over the years.
We’d love to hear from you!
If you’d like to be considered for this special storytelling opportunity, please let us know by filling out the form below. Our communications team will contact you to gather more information and determine how we can best tell your story!
Click here to tell us your family story!
Do you have a family story to share?
As any of our seniors on campus could tell you, a lot can happen in 70 years!
At Menno Place, we’ve had the privilege of serving the community of Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley for generations. In September, we’d like to capture some of the incredible stories of these families on video and share them with our community!
Has more than one generation of your family received care at Menno Place?
Maybe a grandparent received care here years ago, and now your parent is living at Menno Place. Or, maybe you and several of your relatives have lived here over the years.
We’d love to hear from you!
If you’d like to be considered for this special storytelling opportunity, please let us know by filling out the form below. Our communications team will contact you to gather more information and determine how we can best tell your story!
Click here to tell us your family story!
In-Person Chapel Returns Sept 17!
We are thrilled to announce that in-person chapel is returning to the Menno Place campus starting Sunday September 17th 2-3pm! This service will take place once a month in the Menno Hospital chapel.
Everyone is welcome:
1. Residents who are able to come on their own may do so.
2. Residents who need assistance must have a family member or friend bring them or designate someone to do so. We are not able to provide staff to porter residents at this time.
Gathering in person for worship is a significant part of one’s faith experience. We want to provide this opportunity. Thank you for participating with your loved one to make it possible.
Volunteers Needed! Not every resident who needs assistance has family members or friends who are available to help. If you or someone you know would like to facilitate an in-person worship experience for those who need it please contact one of the Menno Place chaplains – Andy (Andy.Capesinio@mennoplace.ca), Ann (Ann.Thakker@mennoplace.ca) or Kerry (Kerry.Dyck@mennoplace.ca) . Thank you!
Join the fun for Grandparents Day on September 9th!
It’s a free afternoon for the whole family! Join your loved one in the Menno Place courtyard on September 9th from 11am – 2pm for games, crafts, live entertainment and more!
Staying Cool in Hot Weather
It’s going to be hot for the next couple of days. Make sure you know how to stay cool and safe and watch out for symptoms of heat exhaustion.
How to keep your body cool and comfortable:
- Drink lots of fluids
- Stay in a cool space
- Wet a facecloth with cold water and put it on the back of your neck
- Dress in loose fitting, light colored and breathable fabrics
- Pay attention to how you feel and watch for symptoms of heat exhaustion
How to keep your apartment cool and comfortable:
- Make sure the heat is turned off
- Keep your doors and windows closed during the day (you can open them overnight)
- Close your blinds or curtains
- Limit outside walks to the early morning
- Cool off in the air-conditioned common areas of your building
Watch out for symptoms of heat exhaustion:
If you experience any of the following symptoms move to cool space immediately and let someone know you are not feeling well: skin rash, heavy sweating, headache, dizziness or fainting, nausea or vomiting, rapid heartbeat and breathing, muscle cramps, extreme thirst, and/or dark urine or decreased urination.
Leonard Klassen
Interim Manager of Independent and Supportive Living
If you have any questions please contact reception – 604-851-4004 (Terrace East and Terrace West) or 604-851-4000 (Primrose Gardens and Pavilion).
Increased Water Restrictions in Abbotsford
Due to prolonged dry weather the city of Abbotsford has raised the water restrictions to level 3. This will not cause any changes to resident care – showers, meals, and laundry remain the same – but residents and visitors will notice some changes to the campus grounds.
These changes include:
- All fountains on campus have been turned off
- Grass will not be watered and will go dormant and turn brown
It’s important that we all work together to follow the guidelines and help conserve water. What can you do to help?
For Residents:
- Please let staff know right away if any of the taps in your apartment are dripping or leaking
- You can still water plants on your balcony/patio using a watering can
For Staff and Families please remember to follow the city guidelines:
- Lawn sprinkling is prohibited
- All water features must be turned off
- No washing cars or boats
- No filling or refilling pools
The hanging baskets by the main doors of each building are on a drip system so they will not be affected by these changes. Thank you for working with us to be good neighbors. If you have any questions about water restrictions please contact Leonard Klassen – Leonard.Klassen@mennoplace.ca .