Teresa Gaudet receives flowers  from resident council president Noella Rose. Gaudet has worked at the home for more than 30 years.
Staff celebrate more than 30 years of service
Say long-term care has improved over the years
Friday April 25, 2008 -- Camille Jensen
When Georgette Minor started as a care aide at the Algonquin Nursing Home in 1977, she wrote her reports by hand and lifted residents manually.

Thirty years later, Minor and two other staff members are still with the home and often reminisce about earlier times.

A major change for Minor has been the notable shift in demographics in long-term care. When Minor started in the 1970s, residents living in the homes were much younger, often in their late 60s.

Now, people are healthier and live independently longer resulting in the average age of residents rising to 85.

Teresa Gaudet, who works in the kitchen, can also attest to changes in long-term care. As a cook, Gaudet says giving residents choice on meal selection has been an important change.

By allowing residents more than one plate to choose from at each mealtime, Gaudet says the kitchen is contributing to helping residents keep their independence longer, a philosophy that has evolved over the years.

She says the kitchen has also benefited from extra staff and more attention to creating meals that are healthy, delicious and esthetically pleasing.

For Judy Turcotte, a registered practical nurse (RPN), technology and efficiency have dramatically transformed her job.

Turcotte says she remembers starting out at the home as a young grad manually doling out prescriptions for more than 70 residents.

She laughs when she recalls medication slips on plastic trays and says most new nurses can’t even imagine such a system.

Technology has also replaced handwritten care plans with the Resident Assessment Instrument Minimum Data Set (RAI MDS 2.0), a computerized system which looks at 450 different factors of a resident.

RPN's roles and responsibilities have also changed, says Turcotte who adds that many services once done in hospitals are now completed by RPNs in homes.

On the advancements, Turcotte says she’s always enjoyed being challenged and learning new things. Throughout her career, Turcotte says it has been the ability to make a difference which makes her job rewarding.

“The best part about our job is being able to help people and have them say thank you,” says Turcotte.

Administrator Vala Monestime Belter says she’s proud to have such committed staff and says it been their dedication that has given the home such a good reputation.

Over the years, Belter says the women have also taught long-term care a thing or two.

“I think the province is catching on to what our staff has always known. Long-term care is a mixture of hard work and good ethics but needs investment in time and money – and they’ve certainly shown that with their commitment.”

What do you think has been the most important change in long-term care? Stories are often generated from the feedback we receive. Please share your thoughts by calling the newsroom at (800) 294-0051 ext. 24 or e-mail camille(at)axiomnews.ca.