Inside
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Right Care in
the Right Place
Veteran Profile:
Frank McCully
Walk for
Memories
Valentines
for Vets
Pages of
Our Past
Pain
Intervention
Holiday
Concert
FAC Open
House/
Festival of
the Arts
Palliative Care Team K1E
Recognized as Champions of Care
By Sally Fur
The K1E palliative care team was recently recognized as
Champions of Care through Sunnybrook Foundation’s newly
established program.
The Champions of Care program gives staff, patients and visitors
the opportunity to recognize physicians, nurses, volunteers or staff
who have demonstrated exceptional care or treatment when it
mattered most. It is the first hospital-based recognition program of
this kind in Toronto.
Continued on page 3
of
11 Calendar
Events
Left to right: Maxine Brown RPN, Sandra De Costa PCM, Dr. Williams, Nancy
Paris Social Worker, Anne Kontni RPN, Innes Canales PSP, Tricia Mills
Recreation Therapy, Glennette London RN, Kathy Edmison Chaplain, Larry
Jackson Pharmacist, Juliana Ohene-Adu RPN, Danielle Wojtasik RN and
Dr. Bennett.
Photo credit: Dale Roddick
March 2008
1
Relocation:
Achieving the Right Care
in the Right Place
At Home is the official newsletter
of Aging & Veterans Care. The
newsletter is published four times a
year and is made available to all
members of the Aging & Veterans
Care community.
At Home is also available online at
www.sunnybrook.ca under Programs
& Services, Aging & Veterans Care.
Editor: Sally Fur
Layout: Tereza Radman
Photography: Media Source
(unless noted otherwise)
Circulation: 1,800
For more information, or to make a
submission, please contact Sally Fur
at 416.480.6100 ext. 5057 or by
e-mail to [email protected]
Contributors:
Dr. Jocelyn Charles
Dorothy Ferguson
Carolyn Hutcheson
Linar Merritt
Kimberley Omoruyi
Material printed in At Home is protected by
copyright and may not be reprinted without
the permission of the editor.
In Aging & Veterans Care at Sunnybrook, we strive to provide
the very best care possible to all of our Veteran residents. As
our Veteran population ages and advances in health care allow
people with chronic medical conditions to live longer, we are
caring for older Veterans with increasingly complex health care
needs.
At Sunnybrook, we have professional staff who are trained in
caring for the frail elderly. However, it is very difficult for health
care providers to have expertise in all aspects of complex care
of the elderly. We also have different care environments
throughout George Hees wing and Kilgour wing that were
designed for specific resident needs.
Our goal is to ensure that our residents are cared for by the
most skilled and knowledgeable staff for their medical
conditions and that they reside in the most appropriate
environment. This goal can only be achieved by grouping our
Veterans with similar care needs together in the right
environment for their needs. Since the health and care needs
of our residents change at different rates over time, most
residents move at least once during their stay at Sunnybrook.
Many residents and their families become very attached to
their room, unit and staff. A move can be stressful for some
residents, families and the staff with whom they have
developed relationships with over time. However, residents and
families have also reported less stress and concern about care
after moves to units that provide higher levels of care when it is
needed. One recent letter from a family member highlighted
these benefits of moving:
“My father’s 98th birthday, having just taken place, got me
thinking about the changes that I’ve seen in him since his
move last April from L-wing to K1W. I know I was extremely
apprehensive about how the move would affect my father, as
was he, but as it turns out this was the best thing that could
have happened to him. He seems to have flourished and is
very happy and content.”
We recognize that change is difficult, so a move is planned
only when the care needs of the Veteran and the Veteran
community are best served with a move.
Continued on page 3
2 March 2008
Continued from page 2
Many of our Veterans or their families request a single room. Since Kilgour wing was built in 1975, it
was built according to typical chronic care facility standards of the time with predominantly 4-bed
rooms. While we renovated Kilgour wing in 2000, we were only able to reduce the 4-bed rooms to 3bed rooms, and change some of the 2-bed rooms to single rooms. In addition, many of our single
rooms are required for medical reasons (e.g. infection control) leaving a limited number for fulfilling
requests. Even if a single room is available, it may be required for medical reasons for another
veteran at a later date, necessitating another move. Ideally, we would all like to have all single rooms
but that is not currently possible.
Another factor that both Sunnybrook and Veterans Affairs Canada must consider is that we have a
long waiting list for some of our units, so some Veterans in the community are waiting more than a
year for admission. If one of our admitted Veterans requires a higher level of care but is occupying a
room designed and staffed for someone with fewer care needs, the Veteran on the waiting list cannot
be admitted and a bed on a higher level of care unit lies empty. This is an inefficient use of our
resources.
We will continue to work together with our residents, their families, our staff, and Veterans Affairs
Canada to provide the best care possible in the most appropriate environment to all of our Veteran
residents and to use all of our resources carefully in the best interests of Veterans.
Dr. Jocelyn Charles
Medical Director
Aging & Veterans Care
Dorothy Ferguson
Operations Director
Aging & Veterans Care
Continued from page 1
Palliative Care Team K1E Recognized as Champions of Care
Each and every day the palliative care team
embraces a multidisciplinary approach, in the
care of Veterans and community patients who
are at the end stage of a terminal illness. The
team provides exceptional care, while offering a
broad range of services providing the optimum
quality of life for patients and their significant
others.
Foundation in their honour. Each Champion of
Care will receive the program’s signature green
leaf-shaped pin to wear in recognition of the
thoughtful appreciation.
To recognize your Champion of Care or learn
more visit www.championsofcare.ca or contact
Leanne Lavereau at (416) 480-6791.
Anyone can recognize their Champion of Care
by making a donation to the Sunnybrook
March 2008
3
Veteran Profile: Frank McCully
By Sally Fur
Sea Fever
I MUST go down to the seas
again, to the lonely sea and the
sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a
star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the
wind's song and the white sail's
shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face
and a grey dawn breaking.
Frank McCully has always had a passion for the sea. During
the Second World War, while with the Merchant Navy, he spent
four years (1941-1945) on the North Atlantic convoys.
It was in his youth at the age of sixteen, when Frank first
acquired his sea legs, when he went to work on his uncle’s oil
tanker off the east coast of Canada.
Later, in the early 1950’s Frank was the chief officer on the
Sunwhit, a freighter that carried lumber to Port Alberni,
Vancouver Island, through the Panama Canal and then up to
New York. In fact, Frank spent a total of thirteen years at sea
working on various ships
I must go down to the seas again,
for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call
that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day with
the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the
blown spume, and the sea-gulls
crying.
Today, Frank extends his love for the sea by building model
ships in the creative arts woodworking program in Aging &
Veterans Care. “It’s something to do and it keeps me busy. It’s
challenging but also relaxing at the same time,” says Frank.
I must go down to the seas again
to the vagrant gypsy life.
To the gull's way and the whale's
way where the wind's like a
whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn
from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet
dream when the long trick's
over.
The legacy of three of the most well known sailing ships lives
on through his love and dedication to the sea. Frank’s favourite
poem is the famous poem by John Masefield, called “Sea
Fever” or “The Call of the Running Tide".
- J. Masefield
Frank McCully holds his newest
model ship The Flying Cloud. In
the early days of the California Gold
Rush, The Flying Cloud acquired
a reputation for sailing faster than
any other ship of her time.
Photo credit: Dale Roddick
4 March 2008
Even though he has suffered a couple of strokes, one which
left him paralyzed on his left side, Frank hasn’t stopped and he
is just as ambitious as ever. After first completing a model of
the Bluenose, the famous Canadian schooner, he has
completed two other intricate models of the famous clipper
ships, the Flying Fish and the Flying Cloud.
Walk for Memories
by Linar Merritt
The Alzheimer Society of Toronto’s, “Walk for Memories”, was held on January 26th at Roy Thomson
Hall. Thank you to everyone who helped the physiotherapists and music therapists raise a total of
$1,074.00 this year, double the amount of last year!
The “Veterans Physio-Music Therapy Team” is especially supportive of The Alzheimer’s Society, as it
is very helpful to many residents and families, providing excellent educational materials and practical
support for those dealing with the difficult aspects of dementia. Visit www.alzheimer.ca for more
information.
“Veterans PhysioMusic Therapy Team”
Left to right: Karen
Fong, PT (second
from left), Dong Kang,
PT; Selena Sun, PT;
Mariella Watson, PT
(second from end on
the far right).
No Ordinary Reading
Last fall, just prior to Remembrance Day, the Toronto Star invited Sunnybrook Veterans to take part
in the creation of a short video for the newspapers’ website.
The video was entered into a monthly multimedia contest, hosted by The National Press
Photographer's Association (NPPA) and placed third in the "team video" competition.
This contest attracts entries from all across North America. Congratulations to Second World War
Veterans Anne Wood, Lloyd Queen and James Eddy, who recited the poem, In Flanders Fields by
John McCrae and stared in the video.
March 2008
5
Valentines
for Vets
by Sally Fur
Grade six children from Blythwood Public
School opened their hearts and
remembered Sunnybrook Veterans with a
special Valentines for Vets event organized
just for them. Prior to singing for the
Veterans, the children all read aloud their
own moving tributes and poems to a large
group in Warrior’s Hall. Veterans Al Pick
and Howard Mills shared the microphone
and recited poems of their own.
Valentines for Vets is a national campaign
that was initiated over ten years ago by
newspaper columnist Ann Landers.
Communities and school children across
Canada are encouraged to send St.
Valentine Day cards, hand-made greetings
and cheery letters to Veterans in long term
care facilities.
Last year, Veterans Affairs Canada received
and distributed more than 3,500 valentines
to Veterans in Canadian care facilities.
Top to bottom: Veterans Howard Mills, Dr. Bill
MacKenzie, and Al Pick interact with the students
at the event.
Photo credit: Dale Roddick
Upcoming 2008 FAMILY ADVISORY COMMITTEE meeting dates:
At this time, meetings are from 10:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
and are held in the K-wing Annex.
Tuesday, March 18 , Tuesday, April 15, Tuesday, May 20
For further information please contact Chair, Cheryl Harris-Taylor, FAC/Patient &
Family Relations Program (416) 480-6107, or Judy MacNaughton, at (416) 480-4280.
6 March 2008
Honouring a rich past and transforming the
future of healthcare…1948-2008
Sunnybrook Celebrates 60 Years
by Sally Fur
Pages of Our Past
Sunnybrook began to take shape in May 1928, when Mrs. Alice M. Kilgour widow of Toronto
businessman, Joseph Kilgour, a noted horseman, and major in the Queen’s Own Rifles, announced
the gift of her estate. The 150-acre Sunnybrook Farm was to be the largest gift of land to the city in
its history. In September of that year, Mayor Sam McBride officially opened the former rural setting
as Sunnybrook Park. The parkland was a favourite campground for Boy Scouts and during the
Second World War, it was a transit camp for troops preparing to leave for Europe.
Several years later in 1942, the Greater Toronto Veterans’ Hospital Committee recommended
Sunnybrook Park as the best location for a new 1,590 bed veterans’ hospital. The existing Christie
Street Hospital, originally an old cash register factory was less than adequate to meet the growing
needs.
Years earlier, Mrs. Kilgour had stipulated that the farm be used as parkland, and thus permission by
the Kilgour heirs was obtained. In 1946, the Department of Veterans Affairs purchased the land and
construction to build one of the finest veterans’ hospitals in the world began.
The architectural firm of Allward & Gouinlock was enlisted to build a hospital of great magnitude and
the cost to build was a mere $25 million. The sod was turned on Remembrance Day in 1943 and
because of the huge
demand, patients were
admitted in 1946, two
years prior to the
official opening.
To honour the Kilgour
family, a new facility for
our veterans was
opened in 1974 - what
we know today as
Kilgour or K-wing.
City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1244, f1244_it1304
March 2008
7
Passings
December 2007
John MacDonald
James Armstrong
Frank Stiver
Francis Errico
Geoffrey Ward
Michael Bilon
Stephen Watson
Norman Long
John Sproat
Charles Lancefield
January 2008
John Fenwick
Donald Hepburn
Fred Sheldon
Peter McLeod
George Lunt
Catherine Holland
Lenard Kaiser
John Humphrey
Wilbur Pierce
Stanley Murray
Jack Sleep
Frank Vickery
Harry Williams
Johnson Ashley
Ronald Middleton
Arthur Redfern
William Arnold
Social Workers and Pain
Intervention Awareness
By Carolyn Hutcheson
On Friday, January 18, social workers from Aging & Veterans Care
hosted a display and spoke to residents and family members
regarding how they assist residents who are experiencing pain.
From assessing coping and support options to facilitating
communication among parties and providing counseling, social
workers contribute greatly to residents' quality of life through
advocacy and empowerment.
Various members of the A&VC community stopped by the poster
presentation, took their chance at a challenging quiz, and were
entered into a draw. Participants included residents, families,
volunteers, allied health disciplines, nurses, and physicians.
Congratulations to our prize winners: Rosanna Di Nunzio, APN;
Sarah Pryse-Phillips, PT and Myrene Lychek, OT. Special thanks to
Larry Jackson, Pharmacy Clinical Coordinator.
February 2008
Joseph Cameron
Frederick Rous
Douglas Storms
William Butt
Thomas Agar
James Martin
Leo Sedley
Wolfe Magder
Philip Wynn
Robert Petch
William Buckley
Lawrence Moore
William Falls
Frederick Bucknell
8 March 2008
Left to right: Nancy Paris, Christine Nelson, Intern Meghan Eller, Carolyn
Hutcheson, Intern Simone Carryl. Missing from photo: Karen Burns, Colleen
Cushing, Cheryl Harris-Taylor, Frances Phillips, Christine Westerhoek
Holiday Concert
For the second year in a row, Sunnybrook was delighted
to welcome Canadian tenor, John McDermott who
performed a special holiday concert especially for
residents of K and L wings. Following the concert,
McDermott, a champion of Veteran causes, generously
donated five Kutaways polar fleece coats, which were
raffled off following the concert. The coats, available in the
Artisan gift shop in K-wing, are a unique Canadian product
especially designed for people in wheelchairs.
McDermott also spoke about a recent initiative that he is
involved in called, “Cell Phones for Soldiers”. In
conjunction with AMJ Campbell Van Lines, the campaign
raises funds for Canadian Soldiers serving abroad through
the donation of used cell phones.
Veteran Anne Wood is pictured with
Canadian singer John McDermott.
Photo credit: Dale Roddick
If you have an old cell phone you would like to donate,
please visit www.cellphonesforsoldiers.ca for more
information.
Championing the Cause of all Veterans
Last fall, the Minister of Veterans Affairs, Gregory
Thompson announced the appointment of Colonel
(retired) Patrick B. Stogran to the position of
Canada’s first Veterans Ombudsman.
As an independent officer reporting directly to the
Minister, the Veterans Ombudsman will play an
important role in raising the awareness of the
needs and concerns of all Veterans. The
Ombudsman is impartial and mandated to uphold
the Veterans Bill of Rights; and receive and review
complaints stemming from programs and services
provided or administered by Veterans Affairs or
pertaining to the Bill of Rights.
In January, Colonel Patrick Stogran visited Sunnybrook to
For more information visit:
www.ombudsman-veterans.gc.ca/content/
meet with Sunnybrook Veterans in Warrior’s Hall. The new
Veterans Ombudsman also toured Kilgour and George
Hees wings.
Photo credit: Dale Roddick
March 2008
9
National
Volunteer Week:
April 27 to May 3
Please remember to say
thanks to all the volunteers
who give their time so
generously to the Veterans
and their families at
Sunnybrook.
SVA Beauty
Shop Update
The Sunnybrook Volunteer
Association (SVA) has a new
Esthetician in the Beauty
Salon EG 18. Alicia Ayala is
available Tuesdays and
Wednesdays between 9:30
a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Please call
(416) 480-4133 for an
appointment or just drop by
Tuesday or Wednesday.
K and L-wing
Bench Program
Spring is just around the
corner and the gardens of Kwing and L-wing will once
again blossom with
magnificent colour. If you are
interested in purchasing a
new bench to dedicate in
memory of a loved one,
please contact:
Sunnybrook Foundation at
(416) 480-GIVE (4483).
10 March 2008
Festival of the Arts
Date: Thursday March 20th
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m
Place: Warrior's Hall and the K-wing Annex
Please join the Creative Arts Therapists at this fun, casual, and
interactive event.
There will be many opportunities for the residents of K and L
wings to experience a variety of creative arts interventions such
as art, horticulture, and music. You may learn something new
about yourself, or about a friend!
Call ext. 7280 for more information.
The Family Advisory Council’s
Spring Open House
Come and meet members of the Family Advisory Council!
Date: Sunday, April 13
Time: 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Place: K-wing Annex. Refreshments will be served
Do you have a loved one who resides at Sunnybrook in K or L
wing?
Why not consider joining the Family Advisory Council!
Have your say and be listened to. Provide constructive feedback.
Make a difference.
The Family Advisory Council’s objective is to give families and
support persons of residents a forum to discuss and bring
forward community issues and recommendations, in a
constructive manner, to the Aging & Veterans Care
Administration.
All family members and support people are encouraged and
welcome to attend.
This is a fantastic opportunity to get to know and work together
with other members of the family community in Aging & Veterans
Care.
Calendar of Events
Veterans Art Show - Tuesday, March 18
Festival of the Arts - Thursday, March 20
Good Friday Service - Friday, March 21
11:30 a.m. - Roman Catholic service in the Annex
03:00 p.m. - Interdenominational service in the Annex
Easter Sunday - Sunday, March 23
10:00 a.m. - Interdenominational Service in the Veterans
Chapel
11:30 a.m. - Roman Catholic Mass in the K-wing Annex
2008 VETERANS ART SHOW
Tuesday, March 18th
2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
L-Wing Lobby
Official Remarks at 3:15 p.m.
Join us for a special thank you to the
Nelson Arthur Hyland Foundation
for the George Hess lobby refurbishment
Jewish Passover - Monday, April 14
Artwork by Artist and Veteran Anne Wood
A Passover Seder for Veterans and their families will be
held on Monday, April 14 at 6:00 p.m in the McLaughlin
Auditorium. Please RSVP with Hilda Harris at ext. 3552.
Veterans Memorial Service - Wednesday, April 30
The Second Annual Veterans Memorial Service will be held
on Wednesday, April 30th at 6:30 p.m. for widows, family
members and friends who lost a loved one who lived in K or
L wing in 2007. This special service honouring the threads
of life, remembrance, grief, community and hope will take
place in the L-wing front living room.
To accommodate the large number of widows and family
members attending the evening service, current
Sunnybrook Veterans who wish to pay tribute to a former
resident, are invited to sign a book of remembrance located
in the L-wing lobby on the day of the service from noon 4:00 p.m. Please contact (416) 480-6100 ext. 4855 if you
have questions.
March 2008
11
Show Your Support of Aging & Veterans Care
Contributions to the Aging & Veterans Care program are gratefully accepted, helping us meet special
or urgent needs in a timely fashion. Donations to the A&VC program will help fund high priority needs
such as capital improvements to the veterans’ residences. Donations to the Veterans’ Comfort Fund
helps us provide our Veteran residents with ‘extras’: equipment, events and entertainment items that
enhance their quality of life. Support of the Palliative Care Unit Trust Fund helps to enhance the living
environment for patients and families receiving palliative care.
Donations can be made in memory or in honour a loved one, or to acknowledge a special event such as
a birthday or anniversary. If you so choose, Sunnybrook Foundation will send a card to your honouree
or their family letting them know that they have been honoured through a donation. A tax receipt will
be issued for all donations over $10.
How to donate:
By Mail:
Cheques should be made out to Sunnybrook Foundation
For a specific designation, please write ‘Veterans Comfort Fund’, ‘Palliative Care Unit Trust Fund’
or ‘Aging and Veterans Care’ on the bottom of your cheque.
Mail your donation to:
Sunnybrook Foundation,
2075 Bayview Avenue, Room H332
Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5
By Telephone:
call 416.480.4483 for the Sunnybrook Foundation
By Internet:
www.sunnybrook.ca/foundation and follow the simple instructions
Thank you!
12 March 2008