Newsroom TORONTO, August 8, 2005 — A Chinese Lion Dance blessed the reconstruction underway at North York General Hospital’s Seniors’ Health Centre’s long-term care residence on Monday, August 8, 2005. Over $2 million dollars, raised by the Chinese Advisory Committee, is funding the Seniors’ Health Centre’s construction project and creating the Seniors' Wellness and Rehabilitation Endowment Fund at North York General Hospital. An additional three quarters of a million dollars is needed to complete the project that will include new gardens for the long-term care residents. “The new first floor dining room will create the ‘home-like’ environment that is important for the health and well-being of our residents, save them time in travelling to meals and improve the Centre’s ability to prevent widespread respiratory infections,” says Bonnie Adamson, President and CEO of North York General Hospital. “In addition to the dining room and lounge improvements, the new gardens with raised flower beds will offer a beautiful place to enjoy the outdoors in a therapeutic atmosphere for those who make this their home. I offer our profound thanks to each member of the Chinese Advisory Committee, to their donors and to the Chinese community.” Two self-contained home areas are being created to improve the experience and quality of life for the residents. The home areas include a new dining room on the first floor, modernized lounge facilities and renovations to the dining room and kitchen on the second floor. The new first floor dining room will save residents four hours a day travelling to and from meals: Currently, 60 residents, most travelling by wheelchair through the elevators to the second floor dining room, make this trip three times a day. Eliminating movement between floors also helps prevent the spread of respiratory infections, a common occurrence in the winter months at long-term care facilities. Respiratory outbreaks can have serious consequences for residents whose health may already be compromised by weakened immune systems, chronic conditions or neurological disease. The second project funded by the Seniors’ Wellness and Rehabilitation Endowment is the establishment of a chronic disease self-management educational program – Journey into Well-being. North York General Hospital is the first organization in Ontario to be licensed to run this program, initially developed by the renowned Patient Education Research Center at Stanford University. This program supports an older adult-friendly approach to care so participants have better outcomes to help prevent the risk of hospitalization. “The Journey into Well-being program teaches participants a healthy
way to live with one or more chronic conditions. The goal is to achieve
the greatest possible physical capability and pleasure from life by
working at overcoming the physical and emotional problems caused by
chronic disease,” says “In the Chinese culture, our elders are honoured and respected in many ways. With these worthy changes to the dining room, lounge area and gardens, we not only bring good health and beauty, but we are giving the residents back time to spend with families and friends,” says Mable Cheng, Chair of the Chinese Advisory Committee and Governor, Foundation Board of Governors. The funds for this project were initially raised from the community for the McNicoll long-term care facility and have been redirected, with donors consent and the Chinese Advisory Committee’s support, to these two exciting projects at the Seniors’ Health Centre. The Seniors’ Health Centre is establishing a special Chinese cultural focus so that Chinese seniors can enjoy programs and foods familiar to them. The Seniors’ Health Centre has successfully established an environment that is welcoming to seniors of many cultural, linguistic and religious backgrounds. Through programs offered in conjunction with community organizations and volunteers who are from diverse backgrounds, the Centre is able to encourage the continuance of familiar practices and celebrations. The dining room and kitchen renovations will enable the Centre to expand these services to meet preferences – particularly for the Chinese community. Effective “Care of the Elderly”, a priority of North York General Hospital, is critical to the future well being of our community. The hospital has earned a citywide reputation for successfully managing a long-term care facility. The Seniors’ Health Centre is home to 192 residents. Because over 40% of the residents in the Centre are first generation Canadians, the Centre celebrates a wide diversity of cultural traditions, including 40 beds for the Armenian, Caribbean/Black, Ismaili Muslim, and Spanish communities. In addition, a number of beds are also designated for the Jewish and Chinese communities. With the caring expertise of recreation and activation specialists, volunteers and community groups, residents are offered a wide range of cultural experiences. Residents receive care from seven physicians on staff at the hospital and consultation with an interdisciplinary team where needed that include geriatricians, geriatric psychiatrists, respiratory, occupational therapy, social work and the clinical ethics consultation team to ensure that a continuum of care for the elder community is achieved. Through specialized geriatric services and positive working relationships with community partners, the elderly will continue to receive support and care through outreach, ambulatory, rehabilitation, Emergency and Day Hospital initiatives, as well as through geriatric inpatient programs. . For more information contact:
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