Winter Weather and Home Care

Winter wallop no match for Bayshore RPN

It has been a tough winter in Ontario, and Rebecca Thompson knows it firsthand.

“There’s been so much snow,” Thompson says. “I know that in one of the storms, I arrived at my last patient of the day and I was walking through snow up to my knees!”

Thompson is a Registered Practical Nurse (RPN) with Bayshore HealthCare in Collingwood and Wasaga Beach, Ontario. On any given day, she visits between 10 and 14 patients and this winter has had its challenges. January saw record breaking snowfall in southern Ontario, making for days of slow and cautious commutes between patients. On days like these, Thompson remains focussed on her patients.

“I just want to make sure each person is getting the care that they need and they are feeling supported,” Thompson says.

She admits that patients are sometimes surprised when she shows up at their door in inclement weather. It’s her dedication and commitment that makes a difference in the lives of people who rely on home care.

“I make my way around. We do our best to stick to a plan, even with the weather.”

Thompson joined Bayshore HealthCare after 10 years of working in hospitals and long term care homes in northern Ontario and credits her experience for her positive approach to her work.

“I learned to adapt and I just try to carry that through into the home care setting,” Thompson says.

“Bayshore Healthcare is grateful for nurses like Rebecca who exemplify the nursing profession,” says Maureen Charlebois, Chief Nursing Officer at Bayshore HealthCare. “They go the extra mile each and every day to make a positive difference in the lives of the patients and families they serve.”