How Do You Assess a New Resident’s Care Needs Before They Move In?
For Paulo and his team, personalized care starts from the very beginning, before a senior even moves in. Information gathering is the first step. This involves sending a physician statement to the resident or the resident’s family members and having their doctor fill out the forms.
When that is completed, a meeting is scheduled with the resident in person, either in the community or in their home. Questions such as medical history, diagnosis, current medications, and recent falls or hospitalizations are asked.
A functional assessment is then conducted, where the resident is asked about their activities of daily living, such as who is helping them with bathing, toileting, transferring, or dressing. Following that, a medication administration assessment is done to determine if the resident can properly manage their medication.
If the resident has more advanced needs, such as cognitive impairment, additional assessments are done, including the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) or MoCA.
What Levels of Care Are Offered at Delmanor Northtown?
Delmanor Northtown offers independent living and supportive living.
How Do You Manage Medications to Ensure Accuracy and Safety?
As part of the Delmanor policy, each resident’s care plan is reviewed and updated twice a year. This involves meeting with each resident, asking them questions, and filling out forms. During this time, it is evaluated whether or not the resident can safely administer their medication.
If the senior is unable to manage medication on their own, the manager or nurse will speak to the resident or the family member and identify the gap. Paulo and his team will then offer to provide medication administration services for the resident going forward, as a safety precaution.
What if the resident is able to take their medication, but they need extra support?
Delmanor will definitely step in to help. For example, sometimes a pharmacy will give a resident an individual medication bottle which is hard to manage. We will encourage the residents to call the pharmacy, or have their family members call, to get the medication in a blister pack or a weekly pack so it is easier for the residents to take it and remember it.
Are There Nursing and Healthcare Support On-Site at Delmanor Northtown?
At Delmanor Northtown, there are nurses during the day and in the evening.
Is there a physician affiliated with Delmanor Northtown? How often do they visit?
Delmanor Northtown has a physician who visits at least once a week.
Do the same doctors rotate through all the communities, or does each community have their own?
It differs by community. The doctor who visits Delmanor Northtown also rotates through three other Delmanor communities. Delmanor Prince Edward has its own doctor, and Delmanor Glen Abbey and Delmanor West Village share one doctor.
What Specialized Health Services Are Available?
According to Paulo, there are a number of specialized health services available to residents. Each is billed separately and is available in each community to the degree that it is needed.
The services include:
- Mobile eye clinic
- Dental clinic
- Mobility clinic for mobility devices
- Oxygen
- LifeLabs on-site visits
How Is Healthcare Coordinated with Outside Providers?
While generally a family member will assist the resident with outside appointments, when a family member is not available, Paulo says that Delmanor Northtown will absolutely help the resident.
Additionally, all Delmanor locations have a service that can drive residents to nearby external appointments.
In terms of coordinating publicly funded care services, Paulo says the community integrates the Delmanor care package with publicly funded care services through Ontario Health atHome, and when a resident’s care needs are at the higher end of the spectrum, private care supports from external providers are also offered.
How Does Delmanor Northtown Support Residents as Their Needs Change?
If a resident’s needs change after they move in, a reassessment is conducted. According to Paulo, this involves meeting with the family and the resident to discuss their new needs and to see what can be done to help the senior. The goal is for the senior to be able to age in place within their community.
To facilitate this, Delmanor Northtown will layer in other services, such as combining the Delmanor care package with publicly funded care services.
Learn More About Retirement Living at Delmanor Northtown
Delmanor Northtown also offers a lunch and tour for seniors and their families to experience the Delmanor difference for themselves. Book a personal tour to meet Paulo’s team and see how personalized care works day to day.
Expert Contributor
Paulo Dela Cruz, Regional Manager of Health and Wellness
Certifications:
- RN
- Bachelor’s degree
- Master’s in Aging and Health
- Certified geriatric nurse through the Canadian Nurses’ Association
- Certification in leadership in long-term care and retirement homes
