With long-term care becoming more and more complex, the Lutheran Senior Citizens
Housing Society knew it was time to upgrade their Nursecall system at Zion Park Manor. They just didn't know where the money for this upgrade was going to come from. Now, thanks to the funds from SurreyCares Community Foundation, the Lutheran Senior Citizens
Housing Society was able to replace the wireless Nursecall system with a hardwired system, along with purchasing new phones for communicating with residents.
“Nursecall is so critical to our residents. It keeps the staff and residents safe,” Erroll
Hastings, executive director of the Lutheran Senior Citizens Housing Society, says. The society runs the Cloverdale-based long-term care home, which provides a home-like atmosphere for elderly residents who receive care from dedicated, passionate, educated staff. With 99 beds and 150 staff, including nurses, dieticians, activity aides and nutritionists, keeping everyone connected is crucial to providing effective care for their beloved residents. Tucked away in a quiet area, Zion Park Manor provides a home-like environment with large gardens spread out over four neighbourhoods. They utilize the Eden philosophy as their model of care and have been around since 1971.
For anyone who's visited a long-term care home, you might have seen the Nursecall system in action without even realizing it. Whenever residents need help, a call bell attached to the bed alarm, in the bathroom or to the wander guards would be routed through phones that some of the staff carry. The system also allows for internal communication, so nurses can more easily communicate with one another. The advantage is that it’s ringing through the phone and interfacing through a computer system, helping staff track calls and measure how long it’s taking to respond. The replacement is a modern solution – one residents, staff and families couldn't be more grateful for. This project is funded by the Government of Canada’s Community Services Recovery Fund.
“It’s just amazing. Our board is very happy, and the staff is very happy, and families too,” Erroll says. “It’s wonderful to have a hundred thousand dollars to offset the cost.”
Ultimately, this upgrade was about keeping the residents safe and Erroll says it wouldn't have been possible without the generous support of the SurreyCares Community Foundation.
“We want to thank them so much on behalf of residents, families and the manor. We're so happy to see they understood the value of the project and were able to approve it.”