Gourlie cites staff cohesion
as 2004 success story
Thursday, December 9, 2004 - Natalie Miller
They dance at the end of staff meetings and the administrator wears his heart on his sleeve, but Rick Gourlie thinks staff members are getting used to him.

Long-time employees at Almonte Country Haven have had two fresh faces join their team at the Ottawa-area long-term care home this year, Rick, and office manager Kimberly Hebner.

With three managers at the home for a collective 56 years, “there really was a big change for them,” says Rick.

There was “a lot of work on their part” to see the strengths of new managerial approaches, he says. Rick is pleased to report there’s now cohesion between old staff and new, something he cites as a success story of 2004.

“It has been a good year,” the administrator says. “I feel more like this is my home and I belong here. I’ve found OMNI to be exactly what it said it was,” he says, referring to the company living its mission, vision and values.

Rick says Almonte has had great triumphs with a particular care approach this year. “I think one of our largest success areas we’ve had is with our integration of supportive measures,” says Rick.

“It’s the single most factor that creates a warm, caring environment.” Specialists have held a number of in-services on supportive measures to familiarize staff with the interventions that can benefit residents who have dementia. That education has helped staff members from all of the home’s departments recognize and implement supportive measures, says Rick.

Supportive measures reduce the use of psychotropic medication through the application of creative techniques to soothe resident agitation. Staff members also benefit from employing supportive measures because they share in the success when a particular intervention works for a resident, says Rick.

Rick is also pleased with Almonte’s focus on smaller-group activities for both residents who are cognitively well and those who have cognitive impairments. Life enrichment department employees have tried to cater activities to suit residents’ hobbies and interests, says Rick. “I think it’s responding to the requests and interests of the individuals.”