We have all heard the tragic stories in the news over the past year. Seniors in large government funded care facilities being fatally attacked by a fellow resident. While this may never be avoided due to the unpredictable nature of dementia and the budgets involved in large government funded long term care facilities, every possible preventative measure is diligently taken by each facility and the IHA Licensing office.
At Prairie Valley Lodge we are a Private Pay only facility. This means that we do not have to admit anyone and everyone to our facility. We carefully screen prospective clients to ensure we do not admit a resident with aggressive or violent behaviours and make every effort to ensure that new residents will be a suitable match with our existing clients.
Our home is not a “Locked Unit”, this means that the residents accepted into our care are not a risk to one another. Our biggest advantage is our size and management flexibility. We only take a maximum of 9 residents. This maximum is a good number, it allows for plenty of social activity and stimulation within the home and out in the community, but is also small enough to make the residents feel safe and secure and that they are residing in a private environment. We try to remove any institutional atmosphere that may occur with communal living and strive to form personal relationships with our residents. Eventually we know their routine so well that we can be pro-active and meet their needs before they even know a need exists.
Should a resident require extra attention for any reason we have the nursing staff and the flexibility to increase our staff ratio to suit the circumstances. Our staff are all professionally trained and qualified. We operate short shifts to ensure we do not become tired and complacent.
The physical size and layout of the facility was purpose-built for comfort and safety considerations for the resident. We do not have long hallways in which a confused senior may become lost and enter the wrong room. A resident only has to sneeze in their room and we are aware that they may need a Kleenex. Likewise, should a resident choose to exit their room for some home comfort and companionship, as soon as they open their door they will find a familiar face, or a familiar face will find them.
While no community situation will ever be perfect, it is our intention to provide the best care possible, provide a safe and nurturing home style environment, know our residents well and ensure their safety and well-being at all times in order to deliver the maximum quality of life possible.