Between Us Entre Nous W i n t e r / H i v e r 2 0 1 5 I S S N 1 1 8 1-6 1 2 0 V o l u m e 2 4, I s s u e 3 Outreach expansion helping vulnerable seniors; Nurses, community health workers provide free house calls Submitted by: Erin McCracken, Metroland Media. Erin.mccracken@metroland.com Every time registered nurse Patricia Barrett-Robillard knocks at Hope Wilson's door, the 90- year old Alta Vista resident knows she will be in good hands during the house call. Barrett-Robillard has been helping Wilson stay healthy and continue living independently for about three years as part of the Primary Care Outreach for Seniors Program offered by the South-East Ottawa Community Health Centre. "I wasn't feeling well and by the time she left I felt better," Wilson said of Barrett-Robillard's first home visit. "She looks into my medication and I have a feeling that things are straightened out and things are working right. "And if there's a problem she'll look into it. She'll contact the doctor, which I'm not very good at," she said during the South-East Ottawa Community Health Centre's celebration of the expansion of its Primary Care Outreach for Seniors Program on October 8. The health centre was one of 11 sites to receive more than $1.2 million last November from the Champlain Local Health Integration Network to expand the program regionally. Since then primary care outreach Ninety-year-old Hope Wilson, left, her home care worker, registered nurse Patricia Barrett-Robillard and Cathie Racicot, co-ordinator of Primary Care Outreach at the South-East Ottawa Community Health Centre, celebrate the expansion of a vulnerable seniors outreach program Oct. 8. teams of registered nurses and community health workers have been helping more than 1,000 vulnerable seniors 65 and older receive help with their complex care needs, such as cognitive impairment, diabetes and high blood pressure, among other conditions. The goal is to help them stay well so they can continue to live in their own homes, reducing visits to emergency rooms and admissions to hospitals and long-term care facilities. "We will often see clients who may have just tons of medications all over the place they're not taking or are really just mixed up in that," said Wilson's nurse, Barrett- Robillard. "We might see that their weight has gone down significantly because they're not eating properly. We might see that they haven't bathed or showered in a while because they have mobility issues and are afraid of falls." The outreach program is available through the South-East Ottawa, Centretown, Somerset West, Pinecrest- Queensway and the Carlington community health centres. Six new sites have been added thanks to the funding, including the South Nepean satellite of the Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre, the Eastern Ottawa and Western Ottawa community resource centres, and the North Lanark, Seaway Valley and Sandy Hill community health centres. "When the expansion is fully implemented, we will support another 1,000 seniors bringing the total seniors supported to 2,000 across our region," said Leslie McDiarmid, Executive Director of the South-East (Continued on page 4)
P a g e 2 Une action sociale élargie pour aider les aînés les plus vulnérables;des infirmières et des agents de santé communautaire offrent des consultations gratuites à domicile Traduction d un article de la journaliste Erin McCracken publié le 16 octobre 2014 dans le Kanata Kourier-Standard. Patricia Barrett-Robillard frappe a la porte de cette nonage naire d Alta Vista, Hope Wilson sait qu elle sera entre bonnes mains pendant cette visite chez elle. L infirmie re Barrett-Robillard aide M me Wilson a rester en bonne sante et a continuer a vivre de manie re autonome depuis environ trois ans dans le cadre du programme d action sociale de soins primaires pour aîne s offert par le Centre de sante communautaire du sudest d Ottawa. programme d action sociale de soins primaires pour aîne s du Centre de sante communautaire du sud-est d Ottawa. Le centre de sante e tait au nombre des 11 emplacements qui ont reçu plus de 1,2 million de dollars en novembre de l an dernier du Re seau local d inte gration des services de sante de Champlain afin d e largie le programme sur une base re gionale. Depuis, les e quipes d infirmie res autorise es et d agents de sante communautaire lie es au programme d action sociale de soins primaires ont aide plus de 1000 àîne s vulne ràbles de 65 àns et plus a recevoir l aide exige e par leurs besoins de soins complexes, comme les troubles cognitifs, le diabe te et l hypertension, parmi tant d autres. L objectif est de les aider a se sentir bien afin qu ils puissent continuer a vivre chez eux, ce qui re duit le nombre de visites a l urgence et les admissions dans les ho pitaux et les centres de soins de longue dure e. «Nous verrons souvent des clients dont les me dicaments se retrouvent partout dans la maison, qu ils ne prennent pas ou qui ne savent (Continued on page 3) «Je ne me sentais pas bien et lorsqu elle est partie je me sentais mieux», a mentionne M me Wilson a propos de la premie re visite a domicile de l infirmie re Barrett-Robillard. «Elle a regarde mes me dicaments et j ai l impression que les choses se sont arrange es et que tout va bien». «S il y a un proble me, elle s en occupera. Elle communiquera avec le me decin, ce qui n est pas mon fort» a-t-elle ajoute, le 8 octobre, à l occàsion de l annonce de l e largissement du Hope Wilson, 90 ans, à gauche, son agente de soins à domicile, l infirmière autorisée Patricia Barrett- Robillard, et Cathie Racicot, coordonnatrice de l action sociale de soins primaires au Centre de santé communautaire du sud-est d Ottawa, avaient les meilleures raisons de célébrer le 8 octobre. Le centre élargit son programme d action sociale de soins primaires pour aînés qui permet aux aînés de vivre de manière autonome et plus longtemps chez eux.
V o l u m e 2 2, I s s u e 3 P a g e 3 (Continued from page 2) pas comment s y retrouver», a explique l infirmie re Barrett- Robillard. «Nous remarquerons parfois qu ils ont perdu assez de poids parce qu ils ne mangent pas convenablement. Nous remarquerons parfois qu ils n ont pas pris de bain ou de douche depuis un certain temps parce qu ils ont des proble mes de mobilite et qu ils ont peur de tomber.» Le programme d action sociale est offert dans les centres de sante communautaire du sudest d Ottawa, du centre-ville, de Somerset Ouest, de Pinecrest- Queensway et de Carlington. Six nouveaux emplacements se sont ajoute s gra ce au financement, dont le centre satellite de Nepean- Sud du Centre de sante communautaire Pinecrest- Queensway, les centres de ressources communautaires de l est d Ottawa et de l ouest d Ottawa, ainsi que les centres de sante communautaire de Lanark- Nord, de la Valle e du Saint-Laurent et du quartier Co te-de-sable. «Lorsque le projet d e largissement sera pleinement re alise, nous appuierons 1000 àîne s de plus, ce qui porterà le nombre total d aîne s que nous soutenons dans la re gion a plus de 2000», à mentionne Leslie McDiarmid, directrice ge ne rale du Centre de sante communautaire du sud-est d Ottawa. L argent reçu finance les e quipes d action sociale de soins de sante ainsi que le processus d admission et d orientation centralise. «Je peux vous assurer que nous atteindrons les 2000 en peu de temps», a ajoute M me McDiarmid. «En septembre seulement, nous avons traite 175 nouveaux cas.» Les besoins des aîne s n e taient pas conside re s convenablement lorsque les re seaux locaux d inte gration des services de sante sont devenus responsables du financement et de la planification des services de soins de sante re gionaux il y a quelques anne es, selon Chantale LeClerc, chef de la direction du Re seau local d inte gration des services de sante de Champlain. Cet organisme ge re plus de 2,5 milliards de dollars de financement qui sont re partis aupre s de diverses organisations, tels les centres de sante communautaire, et veille a mieux inte grer les services de soins de sante. «Nous remarquions que trop d aîne s se rendaient aux urgences pour des malaises qui relevaient davantage de leurs me decins de famille, de leurs infirmie res ou encore de leurs e quipes de soins de sante dans leur communaute», a ajoute M me LeClerc. Des sommes verse es dans le cadre du programme Vieillir chez soi du gouvernement provincial ont permis aux re seaux de services de sante d œuvrer avec des partenaires afin d ame liorer la sante des aîne s, et de les aider a profiter de services, particulie rement apre s une hospitalisation. Me me apre s avoir constate une diffe rence, on se pre occupait du fait que les aîne s les plus vulne rables, tels ceux vivant seuls chez eux, ne recevaient pas assez de soins, ce qui avait mene au lancement du programme d action sociale de soins primaires pour aîne s, en 2009. Ce programme a e te e largi de deux a cinq emplacements en 2011, ce qui à mene à une re duction de 60 p. cent des visites a l urgence et de 47 p. cent des hospitàlisàtions, a explique M me LeClerc. «C est tout a fait phe nome nal, et si vous traduisez cela en dollars, ce n est non seulement bon pour les aîne s, mais c est bon pour tout le monde parce que cela signifie que moins de personnes ont acce s a des ressources que d autres pourraient utiliser», selon M me LeClerc. «Et ce sont des e conomies pour tout le syste me de sante.» Les services de consultation a domicile sont gratuits. N importe quelle source peut orienter des aîne s de 65 ans et plus qui seraient isole s et a risque d e tre hospitalise s a Ottawa, dans les comte s unis de Stormont, Dundas et Glengarry, et dans le comte de Lanark. Pour tous renseignements, appeler le 1 844 726-5115.
P a g e 4 (Continued from page 1) Ottawa Community Health Centre. The money is paying for health-care outreach teams as well as a centralized referral intake process. "I can tell you it will not take us long to reach 2,000," McDiarmid said. "In September alone we had 175 referrals." Seniors' needs were not being adequately met when the Local Health Integrated Networks became responsible for funding and planning regional health-care services a few years ago, said Chantale LeClerc, chief executive officer of the Champlain Local Health Integrated Network. The organization manages more than $2.5 billion in funding which flows through organizations such as the community health centres, and works to better integrate health-care services. "We saw far too many seniors visiting emergency departments for the kinds of things that should have been looked after by their family physicians and their nurse practitioners and their health teams in their community," LeClerc said. Money from the provincial government's aging and home strategy initiative allowed the health networks to work with partners to improve seniors' health, and help them connect them to services, particularly after hospital stays. Despite seeing a difference, there was concern that the most vulnerable seniors, such as those living on their own, weren't receiving enough care, prompting the 2009 launch of the Primary Care Outreach for Seniors Program. It expanded from two to five sites in 2011, which led to a 60 per cent reduction in emergency department visits and a 47 per cent reduction in hospital admissions, said LeClerc. "That's phenomenal, and if you translate that into dollars, that's not only good for the seniors, that was good for everybody because it meant fewer people accessing resources that maybe others could be using," LeClerc said. "And that's a savings to the health-care system." Referrals are accepted from any source for eligible seniors ages 65 and older by calling : 1-844-726-5115
V o l u m e 2 2, I s s u e 3 P a g e 5 Volunteer Spot Light. How Do You Spell ESL? How do you spell ESL? It should be spelled SB, because South- East Ottawa Community Health Centre s English Conversation class is built on the hard work of several amazing ladies who almost all share the same initials: SB! Sabita B., Susan B., Saida B., and Samiha B., plus Lamia A. and Erika D. are the sensational superstars of this group offered at the Bank Street location every Wednesday and Thursday. The group has been running for almost 2 years now. It was started by a social service worker student named Joy as part of a project during her placement. The interest was slow at first as word always takes time to spread through a community. But when Joy left in the Spring of 2013, two new volunteers agreed to take over the class in her wake. Susan had extensive experience in language teaching and Lamia was fluent in Arabic. Both were eager to invest into this program. They recognized a very clear need in our community. They saw woman who wanted to improve their English, but were unable to attend traditional ESL programs and had little exposure to English in their communities. The young women were busy with their children and the older women found they could not give the regular commitment required in traditional class settings and were too intimidated to now start attending school after so many years. Though many group participants had actually been in Canada for well over 10 years they still lacked basic From left to right is Saida, Sabita, Samiha and Erika English skills. Many were feeling alone, isolated and lacking confidence. They decided to offer the classes on Wednesday afternoons and advertise it as a drop-in class with a social aspect. The group was primarily targeted to the Arabic Woman s Group run by Zaineb Al-Kutoby as these ladies were requesting help with navigating the health care system and communicating during medical appointments. The new English Conversation Group started to grow and consistently responds to the needs expressed by the participants. We said good-bye to Lamia and welcomed new volunteers Saida, Sabita and Samiha. Eventually Susan took another position and was replaced by Erika. All these ladies have been absolutely fantastic and contributed above and beyond to the English Conversation Group. Each week, they arrange all the lesson plans and work hard with all the participants to meet them at their varied English levels. They have expanded the content to include language used in daily errands to the grocery store and bank, etc. Even now they are following a language book that one of the participants brought in. The class is a drop-in so no regular commitment is required and the class also involves a social component which is attractive to many of the ladies. The participants have seen marked improvements in their English skills and have gained confidence interacting with personnel during their weekly errand. They have started to spread the word in their (Continued on page 11)
P a g e 6 Welcome our New Board of Directors-2014-15! 2014-15 Board of Directors elected at Annual General Meeting on September 11, 2014 We are pleased to welcome back 8 Board members and introduce 4 new Board members for 2014-15. Marcie Doran: Our newly-elected Board President is in her third year on the Board. Marcie has an MA in Economics with a specialization in public finance. She works for the Federal Department of Finance on federalprovincial fiscal arrangements. Marcie also serves on the Finance and Human Resources Committee and the Accessibility Working Group. Dr. Arlington Dungy: is our past-president and is in his sixth and final year on the board. He is a retired paediatric dentist and academic. The Board is grateful to Arlie for his last two years of leadership as Board Chair. Clinton Cowan: Clinton is entering his fourth year on the Board and is a Vice-President and Co- Chair of the Community Relations Committee. He is a long-time resident, community activist, husband and father of three young children. Clinton was a candidate for City Council in Alta Vista Ward in the recent municipal elections. Todd Bridger: Todd joined the Board and the Program Coordination Committee part way through the year, and was recently elected as Vice -President. He is a Senior Program Manager and Accreditation Coordinator at the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ottawa Branch. Abdirizak Abdi: In his third year on the Board, Abdirizak continues in the role of Secretary- Treasurer and Chair of the Finance and Human Resources Committee. He is currently a Senior Accountant, Audit, at KPMG LLP. Cathy Bonnah: In her third year as a Board Member, Cathy is also Chair of our Program Coordination Committee. She has a Masters of Social Work and is a consultant in the area of Community Support Services for Seniors. Kimberly Allen-McGill: With experience in communication, public relations, marketing and music ministry, Kimberly is entering her second year on the board and with the Community Relations Committee. Patrick Baker: We welcome Pat for his first year on the Board and as a member of the Community Relations Committee and the Quality Improvement Committee. Pat is a retired Dean of Social Sciences and Professor Emeritus of Anthropology at Mount Allison University. Christoph Laeer: Christoph is a pharmacist in a community pharmacy and also a clinical pharmacist in a French-language Family Health Team in Ottawa. He is entering his second year on the Board and is a member of Quality Improvement Committee and our Audit Committee. Jean Lash: Jean is a Legal Aid lawyer specializing in immigration and refugee law. She is also in her second year on the Board and as a member of our Program Coordination Committee. Cathy Munroe: We are pleased to welcome Cathy to the Board. She is a recently retired Federal Public Servant and has a Masters in Public Administration. Cathy has also joined our Community Relations Committee. Husne Ara Sultana: Our fourth new board member has expertise in gender equality and social inclusion and has worked in Ottawa and internationally in these areas. She has also joined our Program Coordination Committee. Honorary Lifetime Members: At the 2014 Annual General Meeting, we recognized 3 outgoing Board members with Honorary Lifetime Memberships: Denise Chadala, Jalil Marhnouj and Sandra Wright. All three completed 6 years on the Board, various committees and working groups, and we thank them for their dedication, commitment and years of service.
V o l u m e 2 2, I s s u e 3 P a g e 7 South-East Ottawa Community Health Centre is Accredited! Every four years, we go through a rigorous process of preparing for Accreditation by the Canadian Centre for Accreditation. This involves providing evidence for 331 standards, meeting all the mandatory standards and 80% of the Leading Practice standards. Standards address all aspects of the organization, including governance, management, programs and services. Accreditation also promotes learning, improvement, excellence and innovation. The process began months ago when we started uploading documents to a database, including policies and procedures, By-laws and Board Minutes, Strategic Plans, Operational Plans, reports, evaluations and audits. We also prepared the centre, board and staff for the on-site review by a team of 3 peer reviewers, who came to Ottawa for 3 days in May. The review team interviewed our board, staff, managers, clients and Executive Director. We are very proud to report that at the end of the process we met 100% of both the mandatory and the Leading Practice standards, and we are accredited until August 30, 2018. In addition, the review team identified several areas of strength for our organization: Our Board members are very involved in the community and are actively engaged in training and learning activities that support effective governance in ensuring we reach our goals and objectives. Our programs and services respond to the needs of the community. They employ a health promotion approach across the age continuum as well as providing community development programs aimed at various populations including newcomers. We advocate effectively for our clients and community in collaboration with various stakeholders including clients, residents, community agencies, funders, academic institutions and government. Our staff members reflect the diversity of the community we serve and staff needs are respected through strategies that promote a positive worklife balance. Our volunteer program is robust and active and not only builds on community strengths and assets, but enhances program delivery. In their concluding remarks, the reviewers said: The team was impressed with SEOCHC as an organization that puts clients first and that continually works to improve services through the dedication and creativity of its board and staff. Specifically, the review team s overall impression of SEOCHC is that they are a strong organization with a dedicated staff that embodies the values of the organization. Embedded throughout the organization is a demonstrable commitment to equity and inclusion. SEOCHC is an organization that is very responsive to the needs of the community and this is reflective in the way that clients feel about the organization and the excellent care they receive. Congratulations and thank you to the Board, Staff, Volunteers and Clients who participated in the accreditation process! Our Vision statement says: We envision a community that works together to ensure a safe, just and healthy life for all, where Every One Matters. This accreditation report demonstrates that we are working towards that vision. Submitted by: Jeannie Page, Executive Assistant
P a g e 8 We have seniors programs running at two sites! 1355 Bank Street Wise Adults Seminars. Meets every Wednesday from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. starting January 7 to March 25, 2015 Viactive Exercises. Get moving with fun, easy, enjoyable exercises that include chair exercises, strength exercises and dance movements. At various spots throughout the community. From Soup to Tomatoes - Exercise program. This program will be delivered using Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) services. The exercise leaders, a Kinesiologist and an RN from Northern Ontario, will be leading the group through video conferencing. Come check out this new technology and renowned exercise program for adults and seniors. Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings. Exercises (intermediate level) 8:45-9:45 a.m. Exercises (gentle) 10:00-10:45 a.m. Chair Yoga 11:00-11:30 a.m ONGOING Hunt Club Riverside Site at 3320 Paul Anka Dr. Foot care clinics: January 5 to March 30, 2015. $15 per session. By appointment only. For more information call: Diane Rose (613) 247-1600 Ext. 321 Retirees in Motion: This program, supported by South-East Ottawa Community Health Centre, is for baby boomers, young retirees and older adults wishing to remain active and heathy in their retirement. A comprehensive list of activities can be found at: https://ottawa.retraiteaction.ca/ For more information, contact: Jean-Luc Racine: jlracine@videotron.ca For more information and to register call: (613) 737-7195 Ext. 2307 Everyone is welcome at both sites. Registration is open and ongoing. *Please note that if you are a new client to the Centre, you will need to register before participating in a program. Exercise programs require a short assessment before participating. Please call to speak with the Seniors Health Promotion staff.
P a g e 9 Broccoli: Recipe and Nutrition Information Fun food facts Broccoli is related to the cabbage and cauliflower. Cool family tree! More than 70% of the broccoli grown in Ontario is a type called Paragon. Great reason to make broccoli your BFF: (Best Friend Forever) - Half a cup of cooked broccoli has about 2 grams of fibre and is a source of vitamin C. Brain teaser The word broccoli comes from the Latin word brachium, meaning arm. Broccoli was first grown in which European country? a. Austria b. Germany c. Italy d. France Answer: c (Broccoli was grown mainly in Italy from the Roman Empire until the 16th century, when a royal marriage brought it to France.) Eat it up! Quesadilla-fest Get creative with your quesadillas and add Ontario broccoli to mix up your fillings. Perfect to make when a buddy comes to visit. You'll need: Small whole-wheat tortillas Your favourite shredded Ontario cheese Sliced Ontario tomato Chopped Ontario broccoli florets What to do: 1. Sprinkle the tortilla with shredded Ontario cheese. 2. Top with Ontario tomato and Ontario broccoli. 3. Microwave until cheese begins to melt. Roll up and enjoy! https://www.ontario.ca/foodland/foodland-ontario
P a g e 10 The South-East Ottawa CHC Green Team It s become well known that vinegar is useful in many ways. From helping keep windows streak free, to cleaning an apple before you take a bite, vinegar can be a eco-friendly aid to help us complete many of the day to tasks we face. We have compiled a short list of a few ideas that we thought were pretty cool: 1. Non-toxic oven cleaner: Fill a spray bottle with vinegar and spray the inside of your oven generously. Sprinkle baking soda over the vinegar soaked surface and let it fizz. If the fizzing is unimpressive apply more vinegar and baking soda. After it has soaks for 10-15 minutes, scrub away with a scouring sponge and wipe clean with a wet cloth. Though this may not be the best solution for cleaning an oven that has just cooked a turkey dinner, it is an affordable, fumeless, eco-friendly way to handle typical oven messes and keep your oven clean throughout the year. 2. Clean Windows: Mix 2 tablespoons of white vinegar with 500 ml of water in a spray bottle. Spray windows and then scrub with newspaper (not paper towels, which cause streaking). Don t forget to dispose of your wet newspaper in your green bin! 4. Wash Produce: Vinegar may help remove bacteria from fruits and vegetables. Mix three parts water to one part white vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray your produce thoroughly and then rinse with water. 5. Freshen your microwave: Rid of microwave odour by boiling a bowl of vinegar and water in the microwave. The boiling vinegar will fill the microwave with steam. Allowing the steam to stay in the microwave for a couple of minutes will also loosen dried food. All you ll need to do is wipe it dry and you re done. For more ideas, visit these sites: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/what-you-cando/queen-of-green/faqs/cleaning/10-brilliant -uses-for-vinegar---room-by-room/ Submitted by: Your Green Team 3. Revitalize your Laundry: Get rid of odours, refresh your colours and brighten your whites by adding a capful of white vinegar to your laundry. You can also whiten dingy socks and dishcloths by boiling them in a pot of water with a cup of distilled vinegar. After you boil them, soak them for 6 hours and then wash them as per usual.
V o l u m e 2 2, I s s u e 3 P a g e 11 (Continued from page 5) apartments and neighbourhoods and we have seen several ladies from the Asian community now join the group. This is what some of the participants had to say about the English Conversation group. Great opportunity! Although it only has been 1 ½ months, I can feel my progress at the grocery store. I have been increasing my vocabularies and my ability to ask for what I need. Learning and improving my English is a big thing for me and I am very happy with how much I am improving. I love coming to the group and my husband is often surprised when the weather is bad but I am still want to attend the group. It is a needed program. Thank-you so much to volunteers Lamia, Susan, Saida, Samiha, Sabita, and Erika. You are making a wonderful difference and fulfilling a great need in our community. Submitted by: Jessica-Rae Linzel, Service Coordinator, Community & Home Support Comings and Goings: November 2014 Welcome to new staff: Erin O Shaughnessy: Nurse Practitioner Minh-Chau Tong: Relief Medical Secretary Shamsiya Muzafarbekova: Relief Medical Secretary Lucille Villasenor-Caron: Counsellor Zeid Abdu: Youth Worker Cheryline Arnold: Youth Worker Tiffany Willmott: Youth Worker Shamsa Ali: Youth Worker We welcome back: Elise Champagne: Intake Worker
P a g e 12 South-East Ottawa Community Health Centre Centre de santé communautaire du sud-est d Ottawa Between Us ~ Entre Nous is published by South-East Ottawa Community Health Centre. Editor: Kelli Tonner Proof Readers: Julie Gauvin Letters, articles or suggestions are always welcome. Please address correspondence to the Editor at the address below. South-East Ottawa Community Health Centre 1355 Bank St., Suite 600 Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8K7 The opinions expressed in this Newsletter are not necessarily those of the Board of Directors of South-East Ottawa CHC If you would like to receive the Newsletter by email, please send us your name and email address to: office@seochc.on.ca Layout and Design: Catherine Janna catherij@seochc.on.ca Follow us on Facebook and Twitter