聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 During the annual Community Leadership Network meeting hosted in the Carlyle area - this year at the Kenosee Inn - held on Wednesday, Jan. 6, were wall walks and highlights of the 2015 year within Sun Country Health Region (SCHR). Also included were three other specific presentations. The first focused on Changes in Long Term Care, the second looked at Suicide Prevention, and the third was on Violence Prevention/Intervention.
Changes in Long Term Care
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Presented by Leila McClarty, Director of Rural Nursing Service 鈥� West, an overview of Long Term Care was addressed.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 McClarty explained that within Sun Country Health Region a total of 16 percent of all individuals are 65 and older, while 84 percent are between the ages of 0 and 64-years-old. This is a considerable number of the population considered seniors.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Long term care focuses on the 鈥減ersonal care or nursing care provided to individuals who are unable to care fully for themselves and require prolonged care on a residential basis, whether temporary or permanent,鈥� according to The Regional Health Services Act.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The service is not publicly insured under Canada鈥檚 universal health care system; however, long term care is publicly subsidized within each respective province and territory. In Saskatchewan residents pay a fee which is calculated using their income rates, which were set out in The Special-care Homes Rates Regulations, 2011. Using these rates stats from 2014 showed that the minimum resident charge was $1,049 per month and the maximum was $1,995.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Across Sun Country Health Region there are a total of 18 long term care facilities, which translates to 642 long term care beds within SCHR.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Placement is based on a regional standard needs assessment process, which focuses on allowing people to stay at home as long as they can before having to move to a facility for care. Beds in the region are offered on a needs basis and a waitlist is utilized, which includes placement in a non-preferred location on occasion if a bed is unavailable in the preferred location.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Clients are assessed when entering services and every three months after according to create a comprehensive data set, which is being utilized nationally to create a national standard. By doing this McClarty says that the standardized assessment will help in flagging concerns and needs for complex care, while enhancing care quality by providing health care professionals with clear information.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This will provide consistent and comprehensive data according to McClarty who says this will help in creating policies at all levels, from the facility to the region to the province to the nation.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Five priorities SCHR is focused on currently are documentation, providing tools to assist staff in creating engaging quality interactions with residents, to utilize meetings within facilities of staff to discuss any concerns, to define and measure the quality of care from the perspective of the resident, and to determine a baseline of care while demonstrating improved quality of care in SCHR.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Studies conducted by SCHR included a three-hour observation, which McClarty drew attention to. In particular it drew attention to two residents. The first resident was not physically active but cognitive, while the second was very active but was not very cognitive. One resident had 10 interactions, while the other had 8. Staff interactions varied including nursing, dietary, activities, laundry, housekeeping, and management staff. These interactions were all purposeful and resident focused, and at no point was there more than 60 minutes between interactions.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Into the future McClarty says that they will continue to focus on documentation of residents鈥� response involving recreation in the facilities, utilize measurement tools for work to create the best care plans possible for both staff and residents, expand measurements to include the length of time from when a call bell is used and when the bell is answered, and measuring improvements.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Sun Country was particularly proud to say that the provincial Special Care Home Guidelines include many suggestions which Sun Country was already utilizing. The provincial policy will be introduced and staff will be educated on them so as to ensure the facilities are up to standard.
Suicide Prevention
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Speaking next was Theresa Girardin, Community Mental Health Nurse as well as Supervisor Rehabilitation and Residential Services.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Girardin spoke about mental health and suicide prevention facts and fictions.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 According to the World Health Organization (WHO), mental health is 鈥渁 state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community鈥� [it] is not just the absence of a mental disorder.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 When addressing mental health, Girardin, stated that it is imperative to rule out any underlying physical ailments which could be affecting one鈥檚 mental health.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Biology, psychology, and environment are the three main risk factors that may affect one鈥檚 mental health, which may result in elevated risks surrounding suicide. Suicidal risk factors include hopelessness, previous suicide attempts, substance abuse, family history of suicide, local clusters of suicide, exposure to others (via social media or personal experience), and cultural/religious beliefs which promote suicide as a noble resolution of personal dilemmas according to Girardin鈥檚 presentation.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Within youth, suicide is often associated with co-occuring disorders, previous suicidal behaviour, and impulsivity. Elderly are also at risk of suicide if they have experienced multiple losses, physical illness, functional impairment, social isolation, or poor resiliency.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 General signs and symptoms include too much or too little sleep, feeling hopeless/helpless for long periods of time, feeling anxious for long periods of time, feeling suspicious or guarded, difficulty concentrating, difficulty making decisions, if work and home life begin to be affected, use of alcohol, drugs or nicotine as ways to cope, frequent negative thoughts of self-destruction, thoughts of death or suicide.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Although people often feel hopeless there is support including access to clinical interventions and support, social connections, medical/mental health support, introduction of coping skills, and cultural/religious beliefs.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 So, how do you help? If the threat to life is imminent then call 911 and stay with that individual, do not leave them alone. Take them to the nearest hospital, provide reassurance and encourage them to seek help, talk about their different support systems 鈥� family, friends, neighbours, etc鈥�, encourage them to contact SCHR Mental Health and Addiction Intake Service 306-842-8665.
Alternatives to Violence (ATV) Program
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Marlene Salmers, Supervisor, Adult Community Services, Estevan Mental Health Clinic, then spoke about the Alternatives to Violence (ATV) Program which focuses on counselling for men who abuse their partners, however, it is not limited to men and the program is for women as well.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The program began in the 1990s as a provincial initiative and has been run in SCHR by Rod Watson since 1996.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The program provides individual therapy sessions and group sessions if numbers warrant in Weyburn, Estevan and Carlyle. It involves educational sessions exploring abuse, the origins of abuse, beliefs and attitudes about abuse, and learning ways to end abuse. The program looks at learning about the effects of abuse on children, women, and men, as well as learning about appropriate communication and problem solving techniques.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The services are primarily available to men 18-years-old and older who have been abusive to an intimate partner, which includes both voluntary and court-mandated clients.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Looking at statistics, Salmers brought for her presentation it showed that 2013 Stats Canada found intimate partner violence 鈥� violence against current or former spouses or dating partners 鈥� at over 90,300 victims of police-reported violence. Of those reported 53 percent had been victimized by a dating partner and 47 percent by a spouse. Victimization was higher than males, regardless of age, as women accounted for nearly 80 percent of these incidents reported to police.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Stats Canada estimated that family violence costs in 2012 for the people of Canada was $7.4 billion per year.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Salmers also explained that the victimization of Aboriginal women is nearly triple that of non-Aboriginal women. Nearly 60 percent of Aboriginal women who reported spousal abuse also reported being physically injured as a result of the violence, while 41 percent of non-Aboriginal women reported this.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Additionally almost half of Aboriginal women reported the most severe forms of violence including being sexually assaulted, beaten, choked, or threatened with a gun or knife.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 In 2013, Saskatchewan had the highest rate of intimate partner violence when compared to other provinces. The national rate of intimate partner violence is 310.3 per 100,000 as of 2013 stats according to Salmers, who then stated that Saskatchewan had the highest rate at 635 victims per 100,000, more than twice the national rate.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 For more information on the ATV Program contact an intake worker at 306-842-8665.
