On Monday, Nov. 4, Carlyle Memorial Hall hosted few attendees to Sun Country Health Region's Community Leadership Network meeting.
Approximately 20 people attended the meeting, which was drastically lower than the previous Community Leadership Network meeting last year during a doctor shortage and hospital closures in the area. There are still doctor shortages but progress is being made by Sun Country, which is why Sun Country authorities felt as though there were fewer numbers at the meeting.
Sun Country aimed the meeting at their Senior Strategy and Strategic Planning successes over the year.
Senior living
Essentially the senior population is growing across the country. Specifically in Sun Country there are a total of 662 beds for senior residents, with 62.8 percent of residents needing level four care as of March 31, 2011.
An estimated $749 million is expected to be spent within the province between 2013 and 2014 on long term care. Approximately $76,000 is estimated to be the cost of one bed per year. Through subsidies this results in between $1,025 to $1,950 per month as a resident fee.
Throughout Saskatchewan there will be 13 new facilities to replace 13 outdated facilities. This includes three within Sun Country including Redvers, which recently opened in mid-October. The other two facilities to be established are Kipling and Radville.
Overall Sun Country's goal in senior care is to offer a home-like atmosphere where residents are able to be active, while receiving the care they need.
Another aspect of senior care which has been a positive addition to health care are the Resident/Family Councils, which provide a voice for residents and families within the context of health care.
"All sites do have councils in place," Marga Cugnet, CEO of Sun Country, explained. "They're a good venue for managers and staff to engage with residents' and their families."
Dementia care
Following Cugnet's presentation Mark Barnes, Dementia Project Advisor, spoke of the intended strides forward in Dementia care to be introduced in the region.
Currently there is an educational program under development for members of Sun Country and all employees to go through once established. Currently a pilot test is being done on the program and following field practices will be implemented in the future.
"Once the pilot is tested we will have the learning evaluated by researchers of the University of Saskatoon, they will help us tweak the program and we will roll it out to the rest of the employees," Barnes stated. "We're hoping to have it finalized towards the middle of this month."
In the end Barnes hopes that the program will help to educate and support everyone within sun Country regarding Dementia as it is currently growing into an epidemic according to projected statistics.
In 2008 there was a total of 103,700 people diagnosed with Dementia, while the projected number in 2038 is 257,800.
The economic increase is estimated to jump from $14.9 million, which was spent in 2008, to $152.6 million as projected for 2038.
Wall Walk
Cugnet then drew the attention of the amassed audience to the surrounding walls where Sun Country's Strategic Plan was displayed.
Dementia Care was on target for the region regarding increased preparedness for staff and the region for the expected rise in numbers.
Healthy weight in childhood was the second quotient Sun Country feels they have been working well on. They have reached their target this year mainly through weighing children at their pre-Kindergarten childhood clinic. This past year was focused on setting good examples for youth, mainly developing healthy habits from their parents in eating while being encouraged to exercise.
The stroke strategy in place has been on target this year. If someone has a mini-stroke they are being referred to further tests as usually patients who have mini-strokes will later experience a more major stroke later on.
Anti-microbial stewardship, ensuring antibiotics are prescribed in the right dosage and taken for the proper duration is essential to Sun Country. This quotient is currently on target for the region.
Global hand hygiene's target this year has been met. The proper hand washing technique for healthcare workers is essential when handling patients and the next step is to ensure the technique is used by all 2,200 Sun Country healthcare staff, with follow ups 30 days, 60 days, and 90 days following their instruction.
Medication and administration in long term care has been a concern and currently the target for the year has not been met. There are errors and the goal is to ultimately cut down these errors by 100 percent. Giving the right medication to the right patient at the right time is essential and a difficult task; but, one Sun Country will continue to strive towards.
Stop the line empowers people who suspect improper hand washing or handling of something to say, "Stop." If there are any concerns, Sun Country wants people to be able to speak up without feeling threatened.
Physician recruitment is still a major concern for the area as across Saskatchewan doctor's are in short supply. Sun Country has a goal of 40 doctors throughout their area and are currently staffed with 26 physicians. They continue to recruit including foreign trained, physicians already holding a licence in Canada, and appealing to U of S medical student graduates through such ideas as bus tours to different regions. The target hasn't been reached yet, but they have made progress in this area and will continue to work towards their goal into the future.
Injury reduction is another goal which has not yet been reached. There are too many injuries within Sun Country from cooks burning themselves in the kitchen to improper lifting techniques. With approximately 2,300 employees Sun Country's goal is to help keep injuries down to six claims a month, which is a lofty goal but one they are sure they can reach in time.
Thoughts
Those in attendance were then able to ask questions. These focused on physicians to rural areas and diabetes.
There is one doctor scheduled to come to Redvers and one to Arcola soon, while there was an unsuccessful placement of a physician in Kipling. There are two SIPPA seats however to be used in January for Kipling bound physicians, if they pass their exams.
"We will continue to recruit to rural areas," Cugnet stated.
The second question involved diabetes and how it is currently on the rise. The answer was that it isn't always a question of what we're eating, but what is in our food. Do preservatives and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) affect our bodies? More tests are needed to fully understand the effects of these changes in our food chemistry, but it is essential to exercise as a way to balance what goes into one's body. Paying attention to food, exercise, and refraining from smoking is not always easy but are effective in preventing diabetes.
Overall the meeting was considered a success.
"It's informative," Richard Chicoine of Storthoaks said. "There's still lots of improvements to be made, but they're getting ahead."
"It's nice to know more, what's going on."
