To the Expositor:
I am writing in response to the comments made by Julie Leduc in the October 5, 2011 edition of your paper (‘Not for profits are a necessity in long term care facilities,’ Page 5).
I have been employed with the Centennial Manor now since March of 2010 and I can assure you that every PSW that works at the Manor has their PSW certificate as per the Ministry of Health Standards. No certificate, no employment.
So, in effect, all residents are being taken care of by a PSW that has been registered with the Ontario Personal Support Worker’s Association.
The job shadowing which is in place at the Manor is to cover full time registered PSWs with part-time registered PSWs.
Also, some shadowing takes place when a new registered PSW is hired to familiarize them with their sections, residents and care given to the people they will be looking after.
I assure you, they are closely monitored and every precaution is taken in the home to ensure proper care and handling with our precious seniors who enter the home.
As for enjoying a meal with your loved ones, all a family member has to do is call the Manor to inform us they will be joining a resident for either lunch or supper and the kitchen staff is advised and a separate table is set up in the dining room for the resident in question and their guests to enjoy a more private meal together.
As the Manor is a non-profit facility, a modest charge of $5 for lunch and $6 for supper is charged, only to offset the cost of the extra meal.
The Manor operates on a deficit and that is why they are being funded by the townships of Manitoulin Island.
We do agree that it would be nice to have a streetscape showcasing shops, cafés, computer stations and the like, but the funding is not available for these types of renovations. We do, however, have a hair salon where a professional hairdresser comes in twice a week to do the residents hair and a professional barber comes in once a month.
The programs offered to the seniors far exceed some of the ones I have witnessed at other facilities.
In the short time that I have been working here, I have had the pleasure of observing the kindness and thoughtfulness of the staff here at the Manor.
Josianne Belanger
Bidwell
