M A I M O N I D E S Volume 14 No. 1 Winter 2005 For the staff of Maimonides Geriatric Centre Annual Holiday Party Staff from every department took part in the annual Holiday party in the synagogue on December 14, 2004. Members of the Team, Food Services, Technical Services, Therapeutic Recreation, Rehabilitation and others could be seen mingling and socializing. There was food, dancing and loads of fun. Thanks to valuable feedback from staff, the Human Resources department revamped this year's event to include karaoke and hors d'oeuvres. If you have other suggestions for next year's event, please contact Jacques Labrecque in Human Resources. Parties like this one serve to thank all the staff for their hard work and dedication throughout the year. Best of luck in 2005! More pictures on page 3
Changes in Michel Bélanger resigned from his position as Head Nurse on Pavilion 3. Tam Nguyen resigned from her position as evening Coordinator. Angela Wilson will be unable to work for a few months. José Marchand and Natasha Pierre will be working 7 days every two weeks as evening coordinators. Céline Plante will assume the Head Nurse position on Pavilion 3. Fruan Tabamo is the Head Nurse on Pavilion 2 three days a week and will work one weekend out of two in the Coordinator Office replacing Angela Wilson. Lynn Fournier has joined the Team as a Consultant. Lynn's mandate will be to help the interdisciplinary team in areas such as behavioral problems and pain management. The mandate of Diane Demontigny will be slightly changed while she will supervise the Coordinators, and the two Consultants. Tina Palumbo now reports to the HR department. Madeleine Senosier was recently hired as a fulltime Infection Control Consultant to work with Lynn Fournier and Carmella Campanelli. This restructuring in will lead to a better quality of care for our residents and a more efficient department. Please welcome everyone in their new roles. Lucie Tremblay Director of and Clinical Services Maimonides Community Helps Tsunami Victims Thursday, February 17th, 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm in the lobby-area. Maimonides residents and staff are planning a sale to help the tsunami victims. This initiative will bring together the entire Maimonides community. Proceeds will go to Federation CJA to be donated to the Tsunami victims. Come out and show your support while providing aid to the thousands of tsunami victims. Staff is encouraged to donate items for the sale. Please call Shoshana Friedman at (514) 483-2121 local 2218 for more information. Page 2 Maimonides Geriatric Centre News & Views Winter 2005
Annual Holiday Party continued from page 1 Maimonides Geriatric Centre News & Views Winter 2005 Page 3
Laundry Bags too full Respect and safety in the workplace comes in small gestures. Caring for our co-workers can make a difference in all our lives. As well, work safety is everyone's business. Because of that, staff is being asked NOT to overfill laundry bags. Bags that are overstuffed often open and get damaged when coming down the chute leaving soiled laundry everywhere. Bags are also very heavy making it difficult for both nursing and laundry staff to lift them. You are encouraged to use more bags with less laundry in each bag. If it has to be forced down the shoot, it is too full. Please do your part to ensure respect and safety of all. Welcome to the following NEW EMPLOYEES Chantal Biron Gloria Callan Carvene Ebanks Erica Fisher Lynn Fournier Jonathan Goudreau Michael-Bereket Haileab Mina Kazemi Jose Marchand Clover Mccalla Vanessa Neverson Dipa Patel Michel F. Robitaille Henri Alain Salvara Eleanor Tamilia Lauren Wolfe Our best wishes to the following NEW MOTHERS Intermediate Resources Social Services Dawn Mcnichols Laarni Santos Technical Services Page 4 Maimonides Geriatric Centre News & Views Winter 2005
Centraide Campaign The 2004 Maimonides Centraide campaign was a huge success. Just over $4000 was raised to help people helping people in the Montreal community. A special thank you to our representative Joyce Malabre and her very supportive 6th floor team for all their help. Combined Jewish Appeal Campaign Maimonides raised $4025 in the 2004 Combined Jewish Appeal campaign. Monies go to support the Jewish community. Thanks to every one for their support. A special thank you to Margie Stober for being our representative. To all staff at Maimonides, On December 2nd 2004, our family was deeply saddened by the death of a beloved family member, Mary Kocaj Dzygala. She had only been at Maimonides for a short period of time since last October. However, during that short time, we are most heartily grateful for the compassionate care and attention she received from all those with whom she came into contact with, especially Lucie Charland and the entire 5 south staff. The caring staff on 5 South treated her as though she were one of their own family members and this provided us with such a sense of comfort and reassurance for the times we were not able to be by her side. We were so thankful for the excellent Occupational and Physiotherapy she was provided with, which helped her tremendously in terms of having more energy, strength and an increased appetite. Although she was a picky eater in her later years, we were so pleased that she had gained weight at Maimonides. We were extremely appreciative to the staff for preparing such delicious and appetizing food that reminded her so much of food she used to enjoy cooking herself. We always enjoyed seeing how she seemed to perk up when she listened to lively music on the 5th floor that helped put a smile on her face and made her days much brighter. Thank you also for being supportive in her last hours. We are all eternally grateful and could not have asked for a more caring and nurturing home for our beloved Mary. Thank you, Walter and Lucy Dzygala & daughters and Jennie & Edward Baluch & family Maimonides Geriatric Centre News & Views Winter 2005 Page 5
Weight Watchers at Maimonides Ihope you had a great holiday season. If you are anything like me, you had a wonderful and fun time but you ate too much!! Would you like to join me at a Weight Watchers' At Work Program, right here at Maimonides. If there is enough interest, Weight Watchers' will come to Maimonides Geriatric Centre at a lunch time once a week. We would need to make a 12- week commitment. Are you interested? Wanna shed those extra few Congratulations to the following summer draw winners. Each won a $300 prize. Ronna Miller Social Services Susan Cliff Social Services Marie-Eve Cadet Rehabilitation Services Anna Liberato Housekeeping Erica Kennedy RNA pounds? Call me..roz Friend at (514) 483-2121 ext 2204. Log on to www.maimonides.net for the latest news about what's happening at Maimonides. The website is constantly being updated so be sure to visit often. Page 6 Maimonides Geriatric Centre News & Views Winter 2005
Maimonides Doubles Profits at 2nd Annual Battle of the Bands $80,000 raised The Maimonides Foundation is thrilled to report that a sold-out crowd of over 500 people packed Club Soda on Wednesday December 8 to hear five local baby-boomer bands belt it out to raise funds for Maimonides. The 2nd annual Maimonides Battle of the Bands was a rock'n success generating $80,000 -more than double what we made last year! Proceeds will go towards the Facelift Project, a $5 million campaign to refurbish all of the residents rooms. Eclipse Productions recently put together a 4 ½ minute video about Maimonides. The video has no voice-overs, just images, sound and powerful words on screen. The theme is Circle of Care, taking into account all the Community Resources supervised by Maimonides. The feedback on the video has been phenomenal and a plan has been put in motion to make a French video to be used for recruitment. A DVD copy for viewing is available in the library. Winter Parking Winter has finally caught up to us and cleaning of the parking areas is again a major concern this season. Please try as best as you can to respect the parking spots. Space is at a premium and parking poorly deprives a fellow worker of a place. Please respect the no parking zones, as some have sadly noted the city takes them very seriously and tickets trespassers religiously. John Paterson Technical Services To everyone that parks at the rear of the building, please note that two areas are contractor only. Maimonides Geriatric Centre News & Views Winter 2005 Page 7
Maimonides Top 10 Hits 1. Higher Standards: Maimonides sets the pace for geriatric care in Quebec and Canada. 2. Leadership: Maimonides is a recognized leader in teaching, research and long-term care. 3. Connections: Maimonides is a McGill University affiliated centre. 4. Recognition: Maimonides is one of Montreal's only long-term care facilities to be certified by the rigorous Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation. 5. Honours: Maimonides consistently wins both respect and awards- most recently honoured for our restraint-reduction policy. 6. Innovation: Maimonides innovative Circle of Care is the most complete program of its type in Quebec. 7. Scope: Maimonides Circle of Care extends beyond our Caldwell facility to cover accredited homes, intermediate facilities and Day Hospital outpatients. 8. R-E-S-P-E-C-T: Maimonides emphasizes the dignity, independence and emotional wellbeing of every individual who turns our way. 9. Exemplary: Maimonides serves as a model for geriatric care facilities and services across Canada. 10. Progress: Maimonides never stands still, continually striving to better the lives of all who depend on us - today and tomorrow. Page 8 Maimonides Geriatric Centre News & Views Winter 2005