It’s National Volunteer Appreciation Week and we want to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of the amazing volunteers who give of their time and their hearts here at Menno Place.
The province of BC has announced the end of respiratory season and the launch of the spring COVID-19 vaccine booster campaign. With decreased rates of respiratory disease across the province, BC is ceasing the additional infection prevention and control measures implemented in September 2023.
This means that visitors to residents who live in Long-Term Care and Assisted Living buildings are no longer required to wear masks.
Beginning Monday, April 8, 2024:
As always, we ask visitors to please stay home if you are ill or are experiencing any respiratory symptoms.
Thank you for working with us these past months by wearing a mask and checking in with the visitation hosts to help keep our residents safe.
Technicians will be coming to test the fire equipment in each of the buildings the week of April 15 – 19. For residents in the apartments a technician will need to enter each apartment. The technician will be accompanied by a Menno Place staff member and all residents will receive notice, in writing, in advance of the testing. Residents do not need to do anything during the test and are able to stay in their apartment while the test takes place.
Please note these tests will cause the fire alarms to sound briefly. They may also cause the fire panels to beep. The bells will turn on and off very quickly. In the event of an actual fire alarm the bells would sound and keep ringing.
Each day that the technicians are here they will begin around 8am and work their way through each building floor by floor. We are not able to predict when they will reach each room. For the apartments the testing usually lasts most of the day.
The schedule for 2024 is:
Terrace East will be tested at a later date.
If you have any questions for Menno Home and Menno Hospital please contact Garry Janzen (Garry.Janzen@mennoplace.ca). For the apartments please contact Leonard Klassen (Leonard.Klassen@mennoplace.ca) .
As we get ready to celebrate Easter weekend residents, family, and friends are invited to join us for Easter Services happening on campus in the Menno Hospital chapel.
Residents in Long-Term Care:
Residents who are able to get themselves to the chapel are welcome to do so. Residents who require assistance will need a friend or family member to porter them to the chapel. We are not able to offer staff portering at this time. Residents can be brought to the chapel up to 30 minutes before the service begins.
Volunteers Needed! Not every resident who needs assistance has family members or friends who are available to help. If you would like to help bring residents to the chapel please contact one of the Menno Place chaplains – Andy (Andy.Capesinio@mennoplace.ca), Ann (Ann.Thakker@mennoplace.ca) or Kerry (Kerry.Dyck@mennoplace.ca).
For residents in the Apartments:
To get to the Menno Hospital Chapel go out through the main doors of Terrace West and follow the sidewalk around to the right to get the main doors of Menno Hospital. Once inside the lobby the elevator will be right in front of you. Take the elevator to the second floor and turn left. Take the first right to cross over the walkway and into the chapel. There will be people around to help direct you.
For apartments residents who need assistance there will be a shuttle bus to and from both the Good Friday service and the Easter Sunday service.
On Good Friday the bus will pick up from Primrose Gardens at 9:25, Terrace West at 9:35 and Pavilion at 9:45.
On Easter Sunday the bus will pick up from Primrose Gardens at 1:25, Terrace West at 1:35 and Pavilion at 1:45.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” 1 Peter 1:3
On March 21, 2024, 2:30pm-3:30pm, Family and Friends (Family Council) will be meeting in person, with the option of attending online via Microsoft TEAMS. The meeting will take place in the Menno Hospital Corporate Boardroom (near the Fireside Café – behind the Receptionist’s desk, just past the bathrooms).
If you plan to attend online through Microsoft TEAMS, please click the following link below to join the meeting by video, or call the number with the code beside it to call in to the meeting. It is recommended to download Microsoft TEAMS onto your device to benefit from all its features, but it not, you can still click the link and use TEAMS through your internet browser.
Join on your computer, mobile app or room device
Click here to join the meeting
Meeting ID: 271 376 938 581
Passcode: nHytcN
Or call in (audio only)
+1 778-731-1352,,458622161# Canada, Port Moody
Phone Conference ID: 458 622 161#
Family and Friends is a regularly scheduled meeting for family members, friends or representatives of residents in Menno Home and Menno Hospital. We’re delighted to announce that this meeting will feature guests from the Executive Team. They’re eager to connect with you and hear your feedback, whether it’s praise or concerns, to enhance the quality of care and overall experience at Menno Home and Menno Hospital.
Family Council is a great way to connect and learn about the opportunities that are on the Menno Place campus, as well as getting to know other family members that are on a similar journey with their loved ones in long term care. We hope you will be able to join us.
Date: January 3, 2024
To: All Menno Place staff, residents, and Families
From: Smitha Varghese, Director of Care, Menno Hospital
Re: Menno Hospital pharmacy transition from ARH pharmacy to Apex pharmacy
We are pleased to announce that Apex Pharmacy will be our new pharmacy partner for Menno Hospital Long-term care beds. This change will commence on January 8th at 8am. There is nothing that residents or their families need to do at this time. Menno Place will take care of all of the details.
Menno Place has a long-standing relationship with Apex at Menno Home and Terrace East Assisted Living. We have known Apex Pharmacy co-founders Elke and Jason for a very long time. They specialize in working with seniors and are well known in the community for their excellent services and wide range of products. We are excited about this expanded partnership!
This transition will provide opportunities to improve resident care and enhance staff experience. We will introduce new procedures like e-MAR (electronic medication administration record) and online medication incident form and will be able to have clinical pharmacist participation in our care conferences. We anticipate your cooperation and support during this process to ensure seamless transition and a successful partnership and collaboration.
Please feel free to reach out to me for any questions/further information regarding this transition.
Over the past 70 years Menno Place has provided trusted care to more 27,000 seniors. As part of the celebrations for the 70th anniversary we interviewed current and former staff and residents about the impact Menno Place has had in their lives. These are their stories.
‘Tis the season to celebrate, and for many of us that involves gift-giving. We want to share a few reminders with all of you about Menno Place policies.
GIFTS FOR STAFF
If you wish to give a gift to the staff, here are some guidelines:
If residents wish to make a financial contribution to Menno Place, donations to the Mennonite Benevolent Society can be made at reception (charitable donation receipts available).
FUNDRAISING
There is to be NO fundraising, solicitation of gifts, or request for money at Menno Place (whether from or by residents or staff). There should never be any obligation or social pressure to make a financial contribution. Fundraising is NOT allowed at Menno Place (unless Menno Place announces and endorses an official project; this will be clearly communicated through a memo).
FRAUD AWARENESS
At this time of year, unsavory people are often more active in trying to get money and information from our residents. Please remind your loved ones to be very careful with whom they share any personal information (such as banking information, birthdate, social insurance number) when receiving random phone calls. It is doubtful that a resident will receive a phone call from the CRA about an overdue account, from Amazon about a compromised credit card, or from a stranger asking for funds to help a grandchild get out of jail. If a resident gets a call like this, it’s best to hang up and initiate a call to CRA or their financial institution or their grandchild. This way you know you can be sure they are speaking with the right person.
If your resident is suspicious or feel you may be a victim of fraud, please contact the Seniors Abuse & Information Line 1-866-437-1940 or a trusted family member. A helpful brochure with more information can be downloaded by clicking here.
Thank you for being so kind to our staff and wanting to honour them at this time of the year. It means so much to us. By sharing the gifts, all our staff feel your appreciation.
On behalf of all of us who work at Menno Place, thank you for making this place so special. We appreciate you very much. We want to wish you a Merry Christmas and many blessings for the new year ahead. Stay safe and thank you for choosing to live at Menno.
For 70 years Menno Place has provided hope, dignity, and compassion to more than 25,000 seniors in Abbotsford. At Menno Place it’s not just about a bed, food, and medical care. It’s about the incredible staff, volunteers, and donors who make it possible for our 700 residents to live their best lives.
Use the form below to share your greetings as we celebrate this milestone and look forward to another 70 years of compassionate Christian care for the seniors in our community.
