Bringing Them Home

Our patient has the peace of mind

While I was away my team came across a situation which required quick thinking on their part. A Lonsurf patient decided to take an impromptu trip over what may be their last Christmas. Instead of relying on couriers to send the Lonsurf to Calgary and then have their in-laws ship the medication over international borders to the patient, Melissa decided to use Apple Express to ensure the patient received their cycle of medication prior to leaving on their flight. Thank you to Melissa for ensuring our patient has the peace of mind of medication on hand and can fully enjoy the holiday season.

Erin S.

BSRx Pharmacist

Care after hospital a relief for families

I have two clients that I have been caring for since they have returned from the hospital. One I see for the majority of her morning and evening visits. It has put the family at ease knowing their loved one is at home safe and relieves some of the daily stress when we enter to assist with care and light conversation. The client is to return to her retirement home soon and family is considering keeping her at their home until COVID-19 subsides as they feel she is receiving the love and care she needs safely at their home.

My second client was in hospital for an extended time and recently returned to her home after recommended discharge. She receives three visits a day, which she appreciates more than ever as she is slightly weaker on her feet and relies on our assistance.

Families can’t express their gratitude enough every time I enter for a visit to provide care. With everything going on, this is the time clients and their families need us the most.

A special thank you

We were two of the cruise ship passengers who had completed our 2 week quarantine after returning to Canada. During this time we received daily phone calls from CAREPath.

I am writing to commend the people who made these calls. I believe that they are nurses and thus I recognize that caring is an important part of their training as well as part of the name of your agency.

Each of the phone calls was made by a person who was kind and who sounded as if our responses truly mattered to them.  They actually managed to make us feel that we mattered.

Being able to make a positive connection during times of stress is a very valuable skill.  Hearing a cheerful voice ask those questions reinforced the importance of this total experience.

Just a chat

I have a client who lives in a retirement home, due to COVID-19 she hasn’t been able to see her family for weeks, participate in any activities, and is unable to get her hair or nails done. Also during this time, her son-in-law passed away from cancer. I have been trying to figure out a ways to brighten her days and give her hope. I downloaded What’s App, and through my phone her son sent her some videos – that sure did brighten her day, it was priceless to see her face light up! We watched them over and over again, and every time she watches them her spirits are lifted.

Request for CSC to meet client in person important to family

I had a very quick visit to meet client Margaret. Her daughter had asked I go meet her mom. Daughter feels its very important step for us to meet her mom. She wants the very best for her mom. I was able to pop out this afternoon and take her a Peony plant to join her flower garden. She showed me her flowers (some are in memory of people), her gnomes, solar lights and such.

She is a lovely lady with a great sense of humor. She kept threatening to squirt the staff with that bottle of water beside her!

Her daughter came outside also to say hello and spoke of how good the Bayshore staff are and had some little stories of fun outings with the client and staff.

Simple act of kindness more than appreciated by client

Today I was calling my clients regarding my visit the next day.  One of my clients asked me if there was anybody who could stop by for 5 minutes.  His bed control had fallen under his bed and he was not able to reach it as he only can get out of his bed when his back is totally up.

He really needed to go to the bathroom – for 2 hours! This client is absolutely physically unable to reach under his bed due to his physical condition and there was nobody close by to help out.

I still had one client left to visit that day and his home was in-between my last two clients that day so I told this client that I will stop by in 10 minutes.

Client was very happy to see me when I showed up 10 minutes later. I was able to reach for his remote and got him up. He “ran” to the washroom shouting “I was a life saver”!!

I left and went to my last client.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart

From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank the BSRx team for coordinating the shipment of my dad’s medication to Trinidad. My parents have been there since last March when the government closed the airport. The shipment left BSRx on Wednesday arriving in Trindad on Friday. Unfortunately, in true Caribbean fashion, FedEx Trinidad is closed on weekends and then someone didn’t show up to work on Monday, so the medication finally arrived this Tuesday. Thank you for making this happen so quickly.

Shalini M.

Seeking urgent care

The adult son of 90 year old parents, called Bayshore Home Health seeking urgent, next-day PSW support.  This request arose as the couple’s private caregiver had recently tested positive for COVID-19.  In light of the couple’s exposure to the infected caregiver, their son was unable to provide necessary care – living in different homes and committed to self-isolating as directed by their local Public Health officials.

Within a few hours of the initial inquiry our Care Manager developed a comprehensive Care Plan and our Client Service Coordinators  rose to the occasion – scheduling a caregiver for the couple for next days!

In light of the possibility of the client’s home environment  being ‘infectious’ with COVID-19, our Manager of Clinical Practice, met with the assigned Bayshore caregiver (outside of her home) prior to her first shift. He facilitated a personalized one-to-one education and training re: Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) practices and proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) donning and doffing.  Additional PPE supplies were delivered to the client’s home, optimizing safety for our staff and new clients.

As a result of these combined logistical efforts and clinical teamwork, the clients were able to receive next-day care with: 1) all precautions as it relates to COVID-19 prevention of transmission, in addition to Bayshore’s promise of qualitative, customized and meaningful care.

The Mississauga Private Branch delivered care for two consecutive weeks until the client’s private care provider met the health requirements to resume.

Rising to the challenge

The Brantford BHCS team would like to share what a great job our field staff are doing. In early April our Area Director put out a challenge to all field staff in light of the shortage of hand sanitizer. This challenge was for all staff to bring in as many bottle/containers of liquid hand soap. With this soap, we could provide field staff with bags of soap and hand towels for to wash their hands at client visits.

All of our field staff – PSWs and Nurses –  rose to this challenge and brought in over 200 containers of liquid hand soap, enough to provide 2 bottles of soap for each field employee in their kits. The Area Director purchased enough hand towels to provide each employee with four hand towels each.

A special mention to 3 field staff who  really rose to the challenge, PSW Deb G. brought in a whopping 104 bottles of hand soap, PSW Julianne S. brought in 64 bottles, and Visiting Nurse Alysha F., RPN brought in 62 bottles!

Simple acts of kindness

I have an MS patient who also cognitively and physically challenged. Every month, her elderly parents (in their 80s) would drive her to her infusion clinic to get her monthly  infusion. This patient is in wheelchair and often her legs are weak. Because of this, her father would help transfer her from her wheelchair to the car, car to wheelchair, and wheelchair to infusion chair. This was very dangerous, considering the consequences of him falling or losing his balance/strength. Every month (health check prior to each infusion), I would speak to either one of the parents and they would voice that they are tired, but would do anything for their daughter. I decided to try to help them, and was able to arrange with Bayshore to have a PSW present at the infusion clinic to help with transferring from wheelchair to infusion chair. As well, I was able to help the parents set up a WheelTrans account, we were able to arrange together each month a WheelTrans to bring their daughter to the clinic and back home. The parents were very appreciative and I was glad to have helped and ensure the safety of my patient and her parents. I felt good knowing that now, they are ALL safe!

Client wanted to transition to home, even with complex wound

While Kelowna branch Manager of Clinical Practice was on vacation, a client wanted to go home from hospital. The client has a complex wound with new VAC dressing and it was against medical advice for her to leave the hospital. However, she was adamant and requested Bayshore to assist with going home.  The hospital agreed if there was home care in place.

Over the weekend, the client was in constant contact with the MCP due to equipment error messages. This nurse spent hours on the phone coaching both the client and the nursing team to problem solve and providing support  even during a much needed holiday.

Thornbook helps bring Mom home where she is thriving again

In mid May, I had a call from a former client’s son with sad news. His mother had been our client 2 years ago when we helped her recover from surgery.

His mother was in St. Joseph’s hospital being treated for cancer.  She was not responding to the treatment and decided to discontinue any further treatment. She wanted to go home where she could be with her family and friends but she was very weak. The family did not feel they could manage her needs so they called Thornbrook. On discharge, the medical opinions were that she had only days to live.

24-hour care was organized with a team of Thornbrook’s finest. IPAC protocols were observed, so she could spend quality time with family and friends in the comfort of her home. She regained strength with the support of her caregivers, becoming more independent with each passing day. The good days became weeks and the cancer treatment plan was reconsidered.

With the improvements in her condition, the doctors resumed her treatment on Monday.  She is now able to manage most of her ADL’s independently. The family is comfortable supporting her needs along with Thornbrook continuing at reduced hours. The family is very grateful to Thornbrook – that they could bring their mother home.

Personal thanks for Montreal team’s amazing care

I wanted to say thank you. The way you jumped in to help myself and my family in our desperate time of need- for my aunt- was so genuine and helpful. Your around-the-clock service, compassion, resourcefulness, promptness, and kindness is nothing short of amazing. And I wanted to say thank you for what you do. I’m sure your other patients and customers would agree. I can’t imagine the job you’ve chosen being an easy one, as every day probably has its own unique challenges; and caring for people (in this crisis or not) requires so much heart and compassion, and so little ego. To do what you do, takes a special kind of person. And all the rest of us are so lucky that there are people like you. So thank you for what you do. And specifically for what you did for myself, my family, and my aunt.

My aunt passed away a few weeks ago, in the hospital. She died in peace. In palliative care – safe, and surrounded by a staff of compassionate nurses and doctors. We were able to sing to her a few nights once she was admitted. The nurses would hold the phone to her ear, and prop it up, and let us talk and sing and share stories. I’m not sure if she was able to hear all of it, but we could hear her breathing shift and change, and she’d whimper little moments that felt like small joys. It was a special and heartbreaking experience that last week, especially not being able to be there. But I’m grateful for at least being able to connect with her. And it was your nurse who found my aunt and helped her get to that hospital. To help her go with dignity. Thank you again.

MD especially thankful for Cornwall branch nursing team

I am hoping for the following message to be passed to the many nurses that are on the front lines with me providing home palliative care in the Prescott Russell area.

To the many nurses, including but not limited to, Stephane, Sylvie, Lindsay, Mark, Leah, Joel, and Samantha, thank you for the work that you are doing. These last few months have been incredibly difficult for us all in light of the current pandemic. Your work efforts have allowed many to remain comfortably at home for that much longer and for some, to even be able to pass peacefully in their home by their loved ones. Without your efforts, this work would not be possible!

I make every effort to be as available as possible. I could only hope that each of you continues to feel as comfortable as possible to reach me when needed, to share your concerns and thoughts with me when in doubt, and to challenge me when uncertain. This is a team effort and I see each of you as part of the UCPR Palliative Outreach Group as I am.

I look forward to this work growing bigger and more sustainable to best be able to provide quality palliative care support for the many in need. Once this pandemic settles, a formal conference event will be held to advocate for palliative care in the community and to grow this work further.

Again, I thank each of you for your efforts, your compassion, and your incredible support.

Supporting BSRx specialized nurses with clinical oversight

Wendy Blais, National Clinical Practice Manager, has been providing clinical oversight and recommendations for every positive response to our complex COVID screening questions each and every day since early March.  Wendy works tirelessly from her home office in Halifax to ensure our nurses and patients are safe from the Victoria BC to Newfoundland!   Wendy is an amazing team player, a well versed clinician and works closely with the CQ team to ensure that our team of specialized nurses is supported in every way.  Kudos Wendy Blais, you are a great nurse and a fantastic employee!

Specialty Drug Care Program nurse case managers tend to vulnerable high risk patients

The Nurses on the Manulife Specialty Drug Care Program are making a huge difference to the patients they serve every day.  Although some may not have recently been discharged from hospital, the majority of our patients are in the vulnerable high risk category. Whether they are immunosuppressed from being on medications that lowers their immunity, or having a medical condition such as Cancer or Cystic Fibrosis, these patients remain high risk and would have extreme challenges fighting off infections. It is critical that they stay at home during this time as much as possible, and take extra precautions to remain safe, including not allowing family members who would normally visit and assist with care, come to their home.

The Nurse Case Managers are working diligently to provide virtual care for these patients to ensure that all of their care needs and concerns are addressed during this uncertain time. Patients are so thankful to have someone they can reach out to, phone or email.  For those patients normally requiring treatments and/or drug administration in a doctor’s office, the Nurse Case Managers are connecting with the physicians directly and assisting with ensuring alternate options are available and coordinating such change in plans with patients and their healthcare partners.  The Nurse Case Managers are also able to assess patient’s symptoms and concerns and communicate as needed to physicians which often end up with receiving further medical recommendations that otherwise would not have been received for patients that typically required a face to face interaction with their healthcare provider. Required change in medication is easily coordinated between the Nurses and Manulife, most often not requiring any additional paperwork, with confirmation of approvals typically occurring the same day or within 24 hours, ensuring no delay in patients’ treatment plans.  Nurse Case Managers are providing system navigation and linking patients to community supports services on a daily basis. The patients are also very grateful to have their medications delivered directly to them, or to the treatment location, minimizing the need for them to have to leave their home unnecessarily.

New practice for prescreening BSRx patients

Nicole Brown stepped up in early March when the nursing team recommended a prescreen call for every single patient to ensure the safety of our patients and our staff at our national network of infusion clinics.  Within hours Nicole had her team mobilized and updated her process to ensure each and every patient received a prescreening call.  Working closely with the nursing team, Nicole’s team of central schedulers ensure that this new practice happens every single day, month after month.   Safe clinical practice is supported by our team of schedulers!

Filling an infusion referral a priority for new area director

On June 4, 2020 we received a referral from a discharge planner at Milton Hospital for in-home antibiotic therapy via infusion. Our Area Director (who was on day 4 on the job) resolved to say that we were going to figure it out and service the client. Our pharmacy turned around the drug and supplies in record time and the AD worked on staffing.

We had nurses interested but needed to have the IV skill validated by a Bayshore staff member. Kate Lawrence picked up training supplies at another location, drove them to the branch and trained the nurse who could then provide the care. The family was so grateful that their loved one could return home from the hospital.

Getting it done for the patient

We have a client who is on a clinical trial for a rare form of emphysema. She receives a weekly infusion in her home. Last week she had a fall and sustained multiple fractures to her pelvis and is now hospitalized.

Not wanting to miss her infusions, the patient asked our DCM, Monique L if it would be possible to receive her infusions while in hospital. Due to drug trial regulations, only trained and approved staff are able to administer the medication.

Monique contacted the clinical trial site and together they coordinated with the patient’s local hospital to make the necessary arrangements. The client will receive her infusion today, in hospital, only having missed one dose.

Bayshore’s frontline staff includes NDC Intake and Reception

During these times of COVID-19, front line workers everywhere are being recognized for their hard work and dedication. I want to, in particular, recognize a group of people that may not first come to mind when thinking of a ‘front line worker’ but are no doubt part of that category. The Intake and Reception staff at our National Development Centre is essential workers and are bringing people home each day. They are providing support to our clients, and despite 90% of NDC employees working remotely, they are going in every day (even weekends) to assist in navigating our clients and patients through this pandemic. Every day, these in-takers are coming to work with a positive attitude and spirits held high. Thank you Intake and Reception staff for all that you do, your hard work does not go unnoticed and we appreciate you!

Outstanding service provided by Bayshore Home Health Saskatoon Branch team

The team at Bayshore Home Health Saskatoon recently showed exemplary service for a family that was faced with an extremely stressful and difficult situation. On Tuesday April 28, 2020, Bayshore Home Health Saskatoon branch received a phone call at approximately 2:00pm from the son of an elderly couple who was in a dire situation and in urgent need of care for his mother.

The couple resides in an independent living facility an hour outside of Saskatoon. The husband is the primary caregiver for his wife, who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and Dementia, and as a result can not be safely left alone. The husband had a sudden medical emergency and had to be rushed to hospital and admitted for treatment. Due to Covid-19 and the resulting visitor restrictions in the independent living facility in which the couple reside, the family was unable to go in and care for their mother. The son reached out to Bayshore Home Health, explaining the urgency of the situation, and inquired about 24 hour care for his mother, which needed to start that evening.

Bayshore Home Health Saskatoon’s Manager of Clinical Practice was just completing a nursing visit with another Bayshore client, when she received the message regarding the urgent request for service. The MCP returned to the Bayshore office at approximately 2:30pm and consulted with the team at Bayshore to get service set up and staffing in place in order to assist the family in their urgent need for 24 hour care. The MCP also consulted with the client’s Independent Living Facility Director to allow Bayshore staff access to the facility in order to provide the necessary care for the client. Within an hour and a half of receiving the call, the care plan was completed and delivered to the Personal Support Worker that was going to be starting the care that evening. The Bayshore PSW was at the client’s residence, which is an hour away, and started service at 7:00pm that evening.

The family was extremely grateful and relieved. The son stated, “You are the only ones who helped us out with this situation. We can’t thank you enough!”

Team effort to ease patient pain

A call was received on a Tuesday night at around 10 pm for an urgent infusion – required the very next day. The home visit confirmed with caller’s daughter for 9 am the next morning. During initial call, the daughter stated they will be ordering necessary supplies from local pharmacy. Our Client, diagnosed with end stage pancreatic cancer, was unable to keep food or fluids down, deteriorating and dehydrated. Client was advised by the local hospital to avoid coming in and try to arrange this service privately in own home.

We contacted a nurse trained on IV Therapy and placed her on standby and ready for next day service. The next morning our MCP completed the assessment with the family. The daughter called their family’s pharmacy, but due to COVID-19 – were out of supplies. We assisted in calling other pharmacies, but none had any supplies that day. The Vancouver Infusion Clinic was closed that day, however we contacted the Infusion Clinic Manager who ultimately authorized supplies to be picked up from the Surrey Infusion Clinic Location – and to confirm availability prior to pick up. We drove one hour round trip to obtain adequate supplies and delivered to client’s home, in time for service start that same morning at 11 am. Our nurse, was able to start this urgent service, on very short notice, in the comfort of the client’s own home. The whole team came together in time of need!

New Brunswick starts new home infusion patient with unique assessment process

An infusion nurse in New Brunswick figured out a way to start a new patient on her infusion treatment! The patient was nervous to have a stranger in the home during this pandemic, and the nurse was also nervous to see a new patient, not knowing the patient’s lifestyle and living habits. The nurse parked in the driveway, did the pre assessment questions over the phone from the driveway of the patient home, injected the patient at the entrance way and then parked in the driveway and monitored the patient over the phone. The patient’s spouse was present during the entire process, so even though the nurse was “monitoring” over the phone from her car, the patient was not physically alone. This innovative visit with limited contact put the patient at ease and she was really appreciative!

Stepping in to make breakfast for all

One morning recently, the Integrated Care Solutions (ICS) branch received a call from our staff at one of our local transitional care programs. This program operates within a local retirement home where meals are provided by the home outside of our (ICS) usual services. Due to an outbreak in this retirement home, the retirement home staff had almost all refused to come to work that day. As of nine am that morning, the patients and retirement home residents did not have any breakfast. ICS Senior Manager Stacy and Clinical Coordinator Marion stepped in to help. Stacey went to a nearby grocery story to purchase a large quantity of food for breakfast. Stacey, Marion and the ICS staff then proceeded to provide breakfast for the residents by 10 am. They all made a difference to not only our ICS patients but also the residents during this very difficult time!

Northern Nurse adds COVID teaching to her daily work

One of our nurses, Lysanne, has been in a northernmost Inuit community in Quebec. She decided to roll up her sleeves and do prevention during the COVID crisis, even if her role was exclusively to screen for tuberculosis. Since the onset of the crisis, she has been teaching – in addition to her daily work -about the disease, hand washing and how to safely put on and take off protective equipment. She created tools that she shared with all of her colleagues from Bayshore and other agencies. Thus, she was able to educate dozens of patients at the clinic where she works, in addition to reducing the risk of contagion in the clinic by teaching a ‘’lunch and learn’’ to her colleagues at work. Her exemplary work, her patience and calm demeanor since the beginning of the crisis were noticed by the doctors and nurses of the clinic. They asked her to extend her contract with them – for a full 3-month contract up north, without seeing her family and friends.

Urgent referral and delivery shows dedication to pediatric patient care

One of our Pediatric Oncology patients came to us as an urgent referral from Manulife on a Friday afternoon. This patient had to have their medication for an appointment early Monday morning. After the patient spoke with their Nurse Case Manager and the file was reviewed by their Reimbursement Specialist it was sent as an urgent request. Penelope M., our Clinical Manager at the Manulife Specialty Drug Care Program, stepped up and offered to drive from her home in Burlington to Markham to pick up the medication and then delivered it to the patient in Niagara Falls. All so this child would not miss their dose.

Bayshore Therapy & Rehab clinic implements at-home rehab plan

Bayshore Therapy and Rehab services in BC (BTRBC) had to close the Langley clinic branch on March 18, 2020 in response to COVID-19. This impacted over 40 clients who used to attend the clinic daily for their rehabilitation. Within 12 hours of closure, the staff (including OT, PT, Kiniseologist, Counselor, Physician, and Admin) implemented a structured at-home rehabilitation plan for every client using telehealth services. Thanks to their hard work and dedication, they ensured minimal disruption to our clients’ rehab plans and we were able to coordinate a smooth transition to remote services. Well done Bayshore Langley rehab team!

Quebec BSRX Pharmacy team submits same day oncology proposal for infusions

The BSRX Quebec pharmacy team and Zoe Vernham (Director of Nursing, Quebec) met with an oncologist on March 22nd to provide an overview of the services that we could provide for people who need an oncology infusion during this pandemic.  Later that week, with a Sunday meeting request, Bayshore was able to provide a proposal for the province of Quebec the same day (Sunday) thanks to the great work of our proposal development team.

Bayshore and major infusion providers partner to ensure continuity of care

Bayshore’s Director of Nursing in Quebec, organized a task force with three other major infusion providers in Canada, in order to take on each other’s clients so that no one patient will miss a visit. “We are normally competitors, however I am so impressed that our patients are at the heart of our decisions and we have agreed to support each other to ensure continuity of care. We continue to meet each week and help each other with important issues, such as lobbying local provincial government which has allowed all infusion clinics to be named an essential service.”

She was leaning towards hospice until she realized the restrictions were in place with visitors

I have been doing virtual visits for 3 weeks now with a patient that has a glioma, I have been speaking to his mom during each call as he is a 14 year old young man. He has been declining and has been given a poor prognosis as treatments were exhausted, so I was trying to support mom and help find some options for her in terms of EOL plans.

We spoke at length several times about Bethell house and Mathews place Hospice’s and the restrictions that both places are under due to the COVID situation, as well we spoke about EOL care at home and what that looks like. She was leaning towards hospice until she realized the restrictions were in place with visitors.

I connected her to Social work in the community for herself, her husband and her 2 daughters – as they are providing online and group-chat supports for both parents and siblings of patients like this, as well as connecting them to a Palliative MD in Bolton. Over the weekend, he was taken to Sick Kids via ambulance as there was an issue (I think he was seizing) and today he came home for EOL care – she has decided to keep him home moving forward and I have also convinced her to resume in home nursing care, as well as initiate PSW for support.

Even though we don’t have overnight on call in the BCM area his primary visiting nurse has also agreed to be available for the part time and family overnights if anything were to happen, as she is close by to where they are.
I hope we have made somewhat of a difference for them and will continue to do so.

Samantha, RPN

There was never a concern of infection because of Bayshore’s superb COVID protocol

Our family used the services of Bayshore for about 2 years to assist with the care needed for our mother. The aid you sent was a godsend not only to our mother but to us as a family. We know that Rosemary, Crystal, and the other PSWs brought sunshine to our mother each and every day of the week with their cheery, upbeat, yet professional visit. In these uncertain times, there was never a concern of infection because of Bayshore’s superb COVID protocol and meticulous technique in caring for our mother’s needs. In mid-February, our mother’s condition started to decline. The lady’s never wavered from cheerful support and willingness to provide additional care required for wound care and assistance our mother needed with activities of daily living.

As our mother’s condition became extremely challenging in her last few weeks, Rosemary and Crystal remained vigilant to what was needed to sustain her home care. Mom was able to stay in her home through her journey with Bayshore’s dedication to her growing physical needs as well as support for her emotional and medical needs. We commend Bayshore for having employees as skilled as my mother’s caregivers were. They really went above and beyond our expectations to care for Mom and Patchy moms beloved family cat until their very last moments. Maura, I cannot thank you and Marie enough for always being soooo very accessible when I needed to add more support for mom. You both truly have a heart that cares for those you serve.

Pauline and Family

Meeting a Victoria family’s needs for their Mom

A year ago our care manager, Terra M. met with a family to discuss providing care for their mother, who had moderate dementia and lived with one of the daughters.  In the end the family decided on putting mom into a dementia care facility. Terra helped the family decide on what might be the best facility given where they lived and what they were looking for.

Near the end of April, Terra received a call from the daughter. She wanted to bring Mom home! Family was still divided on what was best for Mom as she was now deemed palliative, but not far enough along that family was being allowed to visit.  They appreciated how respectful Terra had been of their choice a year earlier and how she worked with the family to find a solution that all the children could agree on. Now they were calling Terra again to help them figure it out!

Terra worked with the Hospice Team, the facility and arranged for 24-hour care, with only two days notice for starting 24 hour care.  It took a team to start care on a long weekend, from Caregivers who accepted the call from our client service team to our palliative nurse, who met with family in the evening to do a care plan on Mom’s first day home.  Mom has settled back into her home and family is overjoyed to be able to hug their mom again.

Bayshore Medical Personnel support their remote field staff

Bayshore Medical Personnel is part of the staffing division and we do things quite differently compared with our colleagues in the other divisions.  Of note, we rarely ever meet our field staff.  Supporting these professionals is always a challenge when there are difficult situations and we are never face to face, and now more than ever, during this global pandemic, we want them to know we are here for them.  Recently we dealt with a conflict situation which required long conversations by phone with an employee.  This is the note we received afterwards:

“I am again grateful for your support in this situation. Your words were the reassurance needed in an environment where one is treated like a standalone and every man is for themselves. I just wish to express my thanks again for the phone call this morning. Even though the Bayshore team is all the way across the country, everyone is extremely helpful, prompt and supportive in all conversations. For that I am grateful because it is exactly what one would want in an employer.”

Every member of the BMP team is tasked with ensuring every interaction with an employee, independent contractor or potential candidate leaves them feeling supported; being compassionate and caring and living the Bayshore values is key.

Prompt medication delivery thank you

I just wanted to let you know my medication arrived today.  I also wanted to thank you for all that you do.  At this time, it can’t be easy getting a lot of phone calls concerning medication from your wack-a-doo clients (me included!).  I hope things settle down for soon and I want you to know your hard work is really appreciated by this wack-a-doo!

Showing appreciation for above and beyond service

Karthiga (BSRx CSR) was professional, and extremely helpful. I work in a municipal building that has no public access due to COVID-19, and Karthiga provided alternate options for delivery. I appreciate the understanding, thoughtfulness and kindness that was apparent in every email – it was like dealing with a trusted friend. Thank you so much for this amazing employee, Karthiga went above and beyond in my opinion and it is truly appreciated!  I truly feel like a valued customer”

LHIN expresses appreciation to Bayshore BSRx Team Pharmacy team

Our Contract Management, Performance and Accountability team works very closely with each Service Provider and Vendor in an effort to ensure that our patients receive the highest level of service and care possible. While following up on concerns that patients and families may have is vital, it is equally important to share positive feedback with our Service Providers and Vendors.

The deceased patient’s primary contact expressed the utmost appreciation and gratitude to everyone involved with the patient’s care. The family was grateful for everything and everyone who ensured the patient remained comfortable in his home.

Please share the positive feedback with the staff member(s) involved. The commitment to service excellence demonstrated by these individuals was very much appreciated by Central East LHIN. They have demonstrated attributes to serve as role models.

Maintaining treatment update through education

Zoe Vernham recently participated in a last minute webinar for Chron’s and Collitis Canada, acting as a panellist for infusion clinics.  She was able to provide an important update during a live webinar attended by over 590 people across Canada.  We reassured people with immunocompromising conditions on how to maintain treatment and safety during this pandemic.

Helping the final wishes with client’s family happen

We had a call from the client’s son wanting to bring his mom home from the hospital for her last days. Had she remained in the hospital, only one family member would be able to visit due to Covid-19. We were able to quickly accommodate the family with nightly one hour visits to assist with her bedtime routine. Like most of us, her wishes were to be surrounded by loved ones at the time of her passing, I am very proud of our team to have made this wish happen so quickly and efficiently.

When the client passed away her son sent along these kind words;

Good morning Heather,

By now you might be aware that my Mom has passed very early Saturday morning. Her last memories will be of home and Steve being at her side. I wish to thank you for your assistance and please pass along our thanks to Delores for the great support, caring and compassion she has brought to her job during these trying times. I know the late visit did not fit perfectly in her schedule but she was always prompt and available as needed.  Hope our paths will cross sometime in the near future.

Newfoundland infusion clinic nurse steps up during crisis

Jessica C., RN who has been running a one-woman show at our St. John’s Newfoundland infusion clinic.  In two and a half days, Jessica helped out 19 patients from a competitor clinic in St. John’s.  She administered infusions and injections to these patients on their due dates when the other clinic was unable to provide service due to the current crisis.  Jessica not only had to learn about each new drug, she coordinated a schedule for the patients, coordinated drug delivery, completed all of Bayshore’s documentation on each patient and completed the competitor’s drug specific documentation and forwarded to them for their own reporting.  She exemplified Bayshore’s mission, vision and values as she was the difference for these patients!

Timmins MCP helps client pass peacefully at home

Timmins has been the “hot-spot” for the North which caused the hospital to begin the decanting process. The Manager of Clinical Practice in Bayshore’s Timmins office, got a direct referral from the hospital for a palliative case Wednesday afternoon to begin care the following day. As a result of the COVID crisis, there were no caregivers other than the MCP available, and of course, as she always does, she agreed to take the patient on and do whatever it takes to assist the client and family. She was involved in the case and completed visits for the next four days, through the weekend until the patient passed away on Sunday. The client’s son, who, even in his difficult times, wanted to ensure that he passed along what an incredible job the MCP had done with his father. He expressed sincere gratitude for her being with his father, allowing him to return home, be with his family, and pass away peacefully at home.

Our good reputation precedes us

As the BHCS Area Director In Niagara, I have been tasked with reaching out to the hospitals to inform them we have capacity to take on their patients in the community. Believe it or not, the contact I had for Dieu/Shaver happens to be the daughter-in-law of a client who had called us earlier with a compliment about her mother-in-law’s care. She called me just as I was reading this compliment. She was gushing over how great everyone in the office is and how fantastic our PSWs are! She told me they had gone through a few agencies before landing with us. Now she tells everyone how great we are! She will be talking with her team in the morning about moving some patients out and recommending Bayshore! I am speechless!

Hospitals discharge patients to prepare for COVID-19

Nurses in Oakville, Ontario are like many nurses currently working in hospitals in that they have been asked to prepare for the real possibility that they may be redeployed to another area of the hospital, which may be taking on more COVID-19 patients. OTMH is currently working to reduce the number of patients by half – patients who will need to go home with follow up care.

Quebec clinic makes necessary move within 24 hours

One of our Quebec clinics was needed by the government to become a COVID-19 testing centre. We were notified on a Friday that our space was required, our Regional Manager along with her Nursing Supervisor went to the clinic on a Saturday and moved all of our equipment out so that construction could start immediately on the COVID-19 testing center. Our patients were moved to a nearby clinic and no time was lost, no appointments were cancelled.

Transitional care partnership in Kingston

Kingston Health Sciences Centre and Bayshore HealthCare have partnered to meet the needs of seniors in the Kingston community by providing the right care and services in the right setting. We are pleased to have introduced a transitional care program to provide much needed relief for the surge of patients at Kingston General Hospital, enabling them to serve patients in need of acute services, particularly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are currently 12 patients from KHSC staying at Trillium Retirement as part of this program. All infection control practices are in place and there is vigilant health monitoring of all residents. In addition, all new residents moving in are isolated for 14 days with their temperatures checked twice a day as per public health directives. No COVID-19 positive patients will be admitted to Trillium.

Vancouver sets up same-night care post hospital discharge

The Vancouver Care Manager received a call from a client’s daughter stating client and whole family are extremely happy and satisfied with Bayshore Home Health. They appreciate the very quick response to their request for service. The much needed urgent care post-discharge was set up same night with no delay or hesitation after hours. Consistent caregiver scheduled and client’s daughter stated that the caregiver has been following care plan plus instructions as discussed and per expectation. Moreover, she treats client “like a human being” and is “respectful”.

I wanted to thank you and all your team

My mother, in an unexpectedly early manner, received an offer of admission to Villa Colombo, her number one choice of long-term care facilities. She was transferred yesterday and will be in quarantine for two weeks. Hopefully, after that, she will be able to settle in. Being an Italian speaking facility, she will be exposed to many more opportunities for socialization than was the case at Bridgepoint. So it appears we will no longer be requiring Bayshore services. Nevertheless, I wanted to thank you and all your team (Jeffmar, Levy, Cesar, Michael), not to mention your scheduling staff for all the excellent service they provided my mother since admission to Bridgepoint.

Alfio

He is at home with his family

I care for a client who was discharged early from the hospital but still had an excoriated foot with eight wounds. In the last two weeks, I have been providing wound care. The client is happy, as his foot is getting better and he is at home at this time with the family. His wife told me he even has a better appetite!

Priyanka a., RPN, Markham

The best tribute would come in my 99-year-old mum’ words

Below….is an email from Paula (daughter of our client POA) who lives in Toronto; regarding her mom (client) who lives in St. Thomas and her brother who is suffering from Cancer (does not live with mom) and the wonderful impact Gisele (our caregiver) has had on that family just by knowing their mom is in good hands it helps relieve their stress daily.

I call Gisele….. G……. I can message her at any time. I think the best tribute would come in my 99-year-old mum’ words: “She is honest, kind and mindful of an individual’s concerns and needs and within the confines of limited home care, is respectful of the rights and concerns of each particular client, including me” it took almost a year to win our mother’s trust, and G. never gave up…..

She shares a sense of humor with my mum…….. and loves coffee (sometimes brings one to mum from the outside world) ……she is also sensitive to when mum is tired, unable to hear or see as well, handy with a bandage to rescue cuts and scrapes….. she always checks the fridge on her “end of week“ visit to see if mum needs anything for mum’s 4 day weekend alone, which mum needs and cherishes ……

G. willingly tries to support timelines for my brother’s cancer needs, and my situation in Toronto…….“it is what it is” and she gets it……. in the meantime, she has her own life and responsibilities, but she is both grateful for her job and devoted to it.

Michelle Bloodworth
Area Director

She has her dignity back

I just wanted to let you know how elated my grandmother is with the care that she has received from the two ladies that came so far. She feels like she has some dignity back and she says that has been so kind to her. This makes me feel so much better and takes such a weight off! Thank you so much

Diana