COVID-19 Prevention (Update): New Changes to Meals & Activities

Dear Community,

Thank you for your kind thoughts and support over the last few weeks. This is a brief update.

Our Home continues to operate in a Prevention Phase to promote infection control for COVID-19. All the restrictions from past updates are still in effect. Please consider this a continuation of last week’s update.  If there has been a change it will be indicated as NEW. 

Last week we started the delivery of meals to suites. We have found this to be busy and challenging but all have risen to finding ways to get meals out quicker and to personalize this experience as best we can. From setting up residents – delivering meals and cleaning up after has taken up quite a bit of time as we go through 4 floors. We are making changes as we learned from the past week.

NEW – Meals:

• Breakfast is plated.  Lunch take out style. Dinner is plated.
• One size meals but for the larger appetites there will be a ‘larger’ size.
• Moving from a choice of two to one dessert (from April 23)
• Snacks will be delivered at the same time as the dinner meal.
• Next day’s menu order – will be taken after breakfast therefore allowing the Activity Team to spend a bit more time with residents.

NEW – Activities:

The result of keeping seniors safe from COVID-19 has been difficult for our residents. It has meant for them a big change from what they had become so accustomed to at Nimi Nikkei Home. Our goal is to try to find ways for residents to feel connected; being recognized and treated as individuals, and maintain their identity, sense of meaning, connection to community and ability to cope.  We are asking you and the community for help.

• FAMILY LETTERS: Tell Them You Care – Receiving a letter that you can hold and you can re-read over and over is special. Send them a letter. If they have difficulties reading – send it to us by email. We’ll print it out in large font and deliver. 
  
  By mail: [Suite #], 6680 Southoaks Crescent, Burnaby, BC, V5E 4N3  Email us: [email protected]

• COMMUNITY POSTCARDS: Share Joy – We are asking community members (starting with our volunteers) to send seniors a post card with encouraging words, a hello, we care…. any positive message is appreciated. Postcards will be delivered to residents after screening. 
  
  Send post cards by mail to:
  OFFICE, 6680 Southoaks Crescent, Burnaby, BC, V5E 4N3 
  
  Let’s see how many we can get and let’s keep them coming over the next months. Please join or spread the word!

• GREETING CARD: We are providing seniors with blank cards when the letters and post cards are delivered. They can write a message – and we will post these.

• VIRTUAL FAMILY MEETINGS & VIRTUAL BUDDY: Residents don’t require a tablet or computer – NNH Activity Staff will escort seniors to our ‘virtual meeting lab’ and connect you to your loved one. Virtual Buddy is the same as the family meeting but having a chat with a volunteer that they used to work with. For now: Wed & Sat 1:30-3:30 pm. Email [email protected]

• 1 to 1 EXERCISE: this activity started Sat. April 17; and is targeting 32 openings per week.  How frequent the visit for 1-to-1 depends on the number of interested seniors.  There are seniors who have falls and have cognitive decline as one group; and spots for everyone else. 

• ARRANGING A BALCONY VISIT: Contact the Activities Team by email and we will work with you on a workable time for all.

FUTURE CHANGE: We may have to move to a ‘scheduled time for deliveries’. We will keep you posted.

We thank you for your cooperation, understanding and for all of your support including all the goodies and kind words. All of us here, Care Team Staff, Activity Team Staff, Housekeeping and Maintenance, and Administration hope that you are well. We ask you to join our initiatives in activities.

Cathy Makihara
Executive Director