A heartfelt THANKS for your support on our first Giving Tuesday!
We are incredibly grateful to each and every one of you who joined us in our first Giving Tuesday campaign at Menno Place.
It’s Giving Tuesday!
Giving Tuesday is December 3rd, but you can keep giving through December 6th. Together we can make real and positive change for our 700 treasured residents
Help brighten Lives this Giving Tuesday
Giving Tuesday is December 3rd, and this year you can help brighten the lives of the 700 seniors who call Menno Place home.
Menno Hospital E2 Kitchen Renovation
We would like to inform you about the kitchenette renovation project in the Menno Hospital East 2 area. The renovation is being carried out in accordance with licensing and infection control standards to ensure the highest quality of care for your loved ones. The work is expected to be completed by mid-December.
Our contractors are committed to minimizing any disruption to the residents’ daily activities. Every effort will be made to ensure that the renovation process is as smooth and quiet as possible, with minimal impact on the comfort and routines of the residents.
If you have any questions or concerns about this project, please do not hesitate to contact us. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation during this time.
Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely ,
Smitha Varghese, Director of Care
604 851 1337
Family and Friends (Family Council) Dec 12, 2024
On December 12, 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 Reception desk).
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.
Click here to join the meeting now
Meeting ID: 287 805 325 698
Passcode: 7E2KVC
Dial in by phone
+1 778-731-1352,,892411930# Canada, Port Moody
Phone conference ID: 892 411 930#
Family and Friends is a regularly scheduled meeting for family members, friends or representatives of residents in Menno Home and Menno Hospital. Our guest speakers will be the Health Care-Aid Lead Tonya Neufeld and Physiotherapist Sangeetha Thukkaram. Each will be discussing their roles and how they support our staff, residents and families 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.
Strong Winds and Heavy Rainfall: Special Weather Statement
A strong fall storm system will direct an atmospheric river towards the South Coast, bringing heavy rain to the region. Rain is expected to begin early in the day on Friday and continue into Sunday morning.
Upcoming Overnight Water Shut Offs
We are upgrading our water systems on campus. As a result, there will be a complete water shutdown (hot and cold) overnight on the following dates. All nursing staff will have access to hand wash stations while the water is shut off. We trust that the overnight hours will have only a minimal impact on our tenants.
Water Shut Off Schedule:
For tenants who live in the apartments:
Ensure you have some water set aside to drink before you go to bed. Every toilet gets one flush after the water is shut down; you may wish to fill a bucket with water for an additional flush. Hand sanitizer can be used to clean your hands as needed.
For residents who live in Long-Term Care:
Care staff will make sure you have what you need.
For all:
We will have maintenance staff on campus during this time. The fire sprinkler system will remain active during the shutdown.
Thank you for your patience and cooperation.
Long-Term Care Caregiver Support Group
Family, friends, and caregivers of residents from Menno Home and Menno Hospital are invited to join our Caregiver Support Group.
As family and friends, you share similar experiences and you are not alone. Our Family & Friends Caregiver Support Group is about having a safe place to talk about your emotions, connect with other family, friends and caregivers, learn how to support your loved one in care and learn how to take care of yourself. Our support group will meet to share stories and support each other through the difficult moments. Our hope is that you will feel encouraged, supported and strengthened to continue this ongoing journey.
Details:
The Family and Friends Support Group will be a closed group with a maximum of 10 members. This is to create a safe and familiar space where you can build trust with other members over time and feel comfortable sharing with one another. Registration will be on a first come first serve basis. There will be a total of 6 sessions, occurring once every 2 weeks:
Dates:
November 7, 21, Dec 5, 19, Jan 2, 16 (Biweekly)
Time:
2:30 -3:30 pm
Topics may include:
- Burnout, Compassion Fatigue, and Secondary Stress Syndrome
- Ambiguous Loss and Grief
- Understanding behaviors
- Learning to cope with difficult emotions
- Communication (how to have a good visit, effective communication)
After this group has completed, another group will be started in Spring 2025. Members who have completed a Family & Friends Caregiver Support Group series can register for another group in the future.
The group will be facilitated by Menno Home Social Worker Kim Wiebe and Menno Hospital Social Worker Dan Janzen.
For more information and to register please contact Menno Home Social Worker kim.wiebe@mennoplace.ca (604)851-1361
Shake Out Earthquake Drill – Thurs October 17, 2024
Menno Place will practice our earthquake preparedness safety drill – the Great British Columbia Shake Out – on Thursday, October 17th at 10:17am! DROP, COVER AND HOLD ON. All staff and residents at Menno Place will be participating with practice drills.
Drop, Cover, and Hold On when the earth shakes.
Taking the proper actions, such as “Drop, Cover, and Hold On”, can save lives and reduce the risk of injury. Everyone, everywhere, should learn and practice what to do during an earthquake, whether at home, work, school or traveling.
If you’re at Menno Place on Oct 17th, please prepare to participate in this drill.
At 10:17am you will hear an announcement: “Earthquake drill STOP, DROP, COVER, HOLD ON”
- You are required, if safe to do so, stop current activity, drop to the floor and take cover under a table or desk.
- You should count out loud for the duration of the simulated earthquake. This will help keep you focused and calm, as well as providing an indication of how long shaking can last.
- When the shaking portion of the drill stops, stay in place and count to 60, giving displaced objects a chance to settle.
Some education tips:
- Residents in beds, recliners, wheelchairs should not be transferred until after the shaking stops. Stay put. Cover your head and neck with your arms or a pillow until the shaking stops.
- Wheelchair users: lock the wheels, cover your head and neck.
- A safe place for residents who cannot drop is next to an inside wall away from moving/falling objects
- Do not use doorways
For those who use adaptive equipment:
Menno Place Observes Truth and Reconciliation Day
Menno Place honoured Truth and Reconciliation Day on campus on Thursday, September 26, 2024.
Staff were invited to wear an orange t-shirt. (Read about why we wear orange shirts on Truth and Reconciliation Day.) There was a presentation for the residents by Cecelia Reekie, a member of the Haisla First Nation, at 2:00 in the Menno Hospital Chapel.
As the Honourable Justice Murray Sinclair, Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, said, “Education got us into this mess and education will get us out of it.” Leaning into this need to start with education, staff from Menno Place participated in a series of discussions based on the Listening to Indigenous Voices curriculum. The discussions were facilitated by Bridget Findlay, Mennonite Central Committee BC Indigenous Neighbours Coordinator, along with guest speakers from local indigenous communities.
If you would like to go through this material it is available online at: http://ltiv.ca
Taking Steps Towards Reconciliation
As we honour Truth and Reconciliation Day it can be hard to know where to begin to tackle such a complex and painful history. In the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada the authors wrote about the importance of all Canadians practicing reconciliation in our everyday lives.
Here are 5 ways you can step into the conversation and practice reconciliation:
- READ about residential school history
https://nctr.ca/education/teaching-resources/residential-school-history/ - EXPLORE the stories of the victims and survivors
https://witnessblanket.ca/explore - LISTEN to kids from the Sk’elep School of Excellence sing “We Won’t Forget You”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0YYkvIWbng - WATCH stories of survivors:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJHR1STq_-s - PARTICIPATE in the Stetís ímexstowx Gathering at The Reach Gallery Museum in Abbotsford
https://thereach.ca/events/stetis-imexstowx-gathering/
