Fighting the Flu this Season

There are many ways you can boost your immune system for flu season.

On Spotlight: Going with the flow Ransford

Randsford Campbell lives his life by going with the flow.

On Spotlight: Strong-willed Sylvia

Strong-willed Sylvia, a 76 years old resident in Extendicare Rouge Valley, has always taken the road less travelled.

Celebrating Our Seniors Across Canada

By Extendicare Senior Leadership Team

As we start to enjoy the beautiful weather all over Canada at this time of the year, we are excited to take this moment to celebrate the seniors we serve all across the country.

June is Seniors month/week in various provinces across Canada and we at Extendicare are using this time to remember our valuable residents and clients who we serve every day.

My Wishes Project: Using Innovation to Improve the Quality of Life

By Rosemarie Lindau and April Coulter, Extendicare Corporate Consultants, My Wishes project creators

Extendicare introduced the "My Wishes" project to improve the quality of life. this innovation uses cards, which are familiar to most residents to encourage non-threatening discussions about end-of-life.

Celebrating National Volunteer week at Extendicare Southwood Lakes and Tecumseh

By: Lara Hristoff, Resident Program Manager - Extendicare Southwood Lakes

On March 23rd Extendicare Southwood Lakes and Extendicare Tecumseh teamed up for a Volunteer Fair at St. Clair College. Over the past several years both homes have had the benefit of student placements from the Social Service Worker- Gerontology program from the college.

Alternatives to the use of restraints: A long-term care home’s experience

By Connie Wood RN, BScN, MN, Long-Term Care Best Practice Co-ordinator, Central East

Jane Roseburg is an Administrator and Director of Care at Extendicare Haliburton, a rural LTC home. In 2010, 15.9 percent of the home’s residents were in daily physical restraints. Now, the home is restraint-free. Her leadership in ensuring a restraint-free environment is recognized locally and her expertise is sought out frequently.

Don’t Let Constipation Cramp Your Style: Supporting Long-Term Care Residents Using Best Practices

By Teresa Tibbo RPN, Quality Co-ordinator/Staff Educator, Parkview Manor Health Care Centre

Parkview Manor Health Care Centre identified that 19 of its 34 residents were using pharmacological interventions at least once a month to manage constipation. Staff at our small long-term care (LTC) home in Chesley, Ontario felt that was too many. We hoped that using RNAO's Prevention of Constipation in the Older Adult Population best practice guideline (BPG), as part of our pre-designation work in RNAO’s Long-Term Care-Best Practice Spotlight Organization® (LTC-BPSO®) program, could have a positive impact on quality of life for these residents. The challenge was how to decrease the reliance on medications and adopt other non-pharmacological strategies to prevent and manage constipation.