Community networking, programming 2005’s biggest successes: Frost DOC
Friday, December 9, 2005 -- Craig Anderson
Even though as a director of care her focus is on coordinating, training, and overseeing nursing staff and new clinical initiatives at Frost Manor, Lori Myerscough says 2005 was the year of successful community partnership programming.

“It’s been an important year,” says Lori, “we’ve managed to get residents more involved and out into the community.”

Community partnerships and programs connected with them have been the reason for the increased immersion of Frost Manor residents into the Lindsay community.

A twice annual dinner offered by the local Moose Lodge for all six Lindsay-area homes is a symbol of the outreach programs the 62-bed home enjoys, says Lori. At Christmas and Easter, the Lodge holds a banquet dinner for more than three-hundred long term care residents.

A programming partnership – “Grand-friends” – with St. Dominic’s grade school, is de-mistifying nursing homes for area kids, while providing the residents a venue to share stories. The “grand-friends” visit once a month, hold special parties, bingos and dinners.

“It is a wonderful program for both sides,” says Sheri Mortimer, Grade 5 teacher at St. Dominic’s who has been organizing the school’s participation for three years. “Some kids don’t see grandparents and they really enjoy talking to residents and asking questions about what it was like in earlier times.”

The program provides a chance for the children to reach out into the community, she says. “We all want to raise our kids to contribute to the community and this is an excellent way of contributing.”

The home’s volunteers contribute greatly to programming, says Lori. The home’s life enrichment coordinator, Vi O’Leary, nominated five of the home’s volunteers for the Ministry’s 2005 Outstanding Achievement Awards for Voluntarism.

“It’s unbelievable the contributions they make,” says Vi, of the more than forty regular volunteers that consistently assist her and other Frost Manor staff.

“And the residents look forward to their visits and participation in our programs. They’re like part of the staff,” she says. “They’re wonderful.”

A collective Remembrance Day ceremony marking the Year of the Veteran showed the collaborative spirit existing amongst the Lindsay area nursing homes, says Lori.

The residents also benefited due to initiatives happening within the home. Renovations to the nursing station (“it looked like a hospital before,” says Lori) and the addition of a therapy garden (many of the flowers were planted by residents), have improved living conditions. It has also made the home warmer, and more inviting, says Lori.

“Before the overhaul to the nurse’s station, dining room and lounge there were residents who didn’t like the space and would stay in their rooms. But since the change we see more residents spending time in common space, knitting, chatting and enjoying themselves.”