The Medical Director oversees the delivery of medical services to residents/patients, monitors the standards and performance of the Medical Staff and of the various attending physicians, participates in the weekly resident care conferences and advises the Director of Nursing regarding medical issues. He is also part of the Management Team and reports monthly to the Board.
Residents can choose to have their own physician continue to look after their medical needs or a physician can be appointed from our core Medical Staff. All physicians must apply and be approved for privileges by the Medical Director and the Board every three years.
Podiatry, Dentistry and Optometry are additional contracted services which come into St. Michael's Centre for easier access for our residents, although residents may also use such services in the community. As well, a Mobile Lab visits regularly to do blood work and ECG’s. Nursing staff can help arrange appointments and transportation for any other medical procedures or services not provided within St. Michael's Centre
Within the three Complex Care Units, there are 20 private rooms, 72 semi-private beds and 36 ward beds (four beds per ward) for a total of 128 beds. The Units are described below:
“B” Unit has 42 beds and also houses our general treatment room for the Podiatrist and Dentist, as well as being the Command Centre for Emergency Response activities.
“A1” Unit is our largest unit at 45 beds and is home to residents who primarily are able to provide self-direction in their care.
“A2” Unit has 41 beds, is on the second floor and is considered a more secure unit; it provides a “dementia friendly” environment for our most fragile residents.
The Hospice Unit has 16 private rooms and is a self contained Unit on the lower floor, including a separate entrance on the south side of the building.
Nursing Team
The Director of Resident Care is responsible for the daily operations of Nursing Services and also acts as the Patient Care Manager of the Hospice Unit.
The Resident Service Coordinators (RSC) monitor and supervise the care given by other members of the Nursing Team and co-ordinate with other departments, family and residents/patients regarding care issues.
In Complex Care, Registered Nurses (RN) provide medically oriented care to residents such as dispensing medications, attending to special procedures or treatments, liaising with physicians and carrying out physician’s orders. They also monitor the care given by Care Aides and work with other members of the Clinical Team to provide for the total care of the resident. Care aides comprise the bulk of the complex care Nursing Team and provide daily personal care to residents under the direction of the RN’s and the RSC’s. There are three 8 hour shifts of staff in a 24 hour period, with higher staffing levels during resident waking hours (days/evenings).
On the Hospice Unit, RN’s and LPN’s work together, under the direction of the Patient Care Manager, to provide specialized palliative care nursing to patients, as well as all daily personal care. All LPN’s working in Hospice are classified as full scope. The majority of staff work 12 hour shifts so as to provide greater continuity in care for acute issues.
In Complex Care, many health care disciplines are involved in the care of the resident. A bedside care plan is planned in co-operation with the Nursing and Therapies Departments. This guides nursing staff in the daily care of the resident by taking into consideration the goals or achievement level determined for each individual resident. The plans are updated as required. Individual resident care conferences are held shortly after admission and annually with team members from those departments active with the resident. The resident, family members and the attending physician are also invited to attend and participate in the conference.
On the Hospice Unit, a care plan is created on admission by the Nursing staff and is reviewed daily. Joint patient care rounds are held weekly with the Burnaby Hospice Palliative Care Team to review patient concerns and revise the care plan as necessary.
Food Services provide meals for all residents/patients. A Dietitian assesses all Complex Care residents’ nutritional needs and, when necessary, provides a diet required because of a medical condition.
St. Michael's Centre’s policy is to have all residents come to the dining room for every meal in order to promote both their nutritional needs and socialization. Occasionally there are exceptions to this policy (for example, when a resident is acutely ill); this decision is made by staff and is considered to be a short-term measure. In the Hospice Unit, all patients receive their meals on trays.
The decision to select a table seating for a resident for meals is made by Food Services, Therapies and Nursing. Every effort is made to place a resident in the most suitable spot, and with compatible table mates, but it is not always possible.
Visitors may purchase meal tickets to enable them to have a meal/tray with a resident/patient. Tickets can only be purchased from the Receptionist, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. and Weekends from 9:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Two hours prior notice must be given to Food Services if a visitor is going to have a meal.
The Director, Nutrition & Food Services oversees the functioning of the department and is also the Dietitian who assesses the nutritional needs of the residents. The Staff who work in Food Services are:
A Food Service Supervisor who orders the food and oversees the staff.
A Head Cook, who plans for and supervises the preparation of meals.
Cooks and Food Service Aides, who assist the Cooks in meal preparation, serve meals, and clear tables.
Three meals and three snacks are provided daily to residents/patients. Diets prescribed by a medical doctor are assessed by the Dietitian and provided. Some food preferences can be accommodated, however, families should discuss any needs that are out of the ordinary with the Director, Nutrition and Food Services before putting anyone on our wait list.
For residents/patients who cannot eat a particular food, sandwiches or another alternate is available. Ordering out is also an option. All food kept in resident/patient rooms must be stored in re-sealable containers without exception. All foodstuffs brought in by Family Members are to be approved by either the Dietitian or a Nurse before being given to the resident/patient.
We also have a small area available that may be used by families for informal gatherings. This area can be booked through the Director, Food & Nutrition Services. Note: A damage deposit is required.
Once a resident is admitted to Complex Care, the attending physician will review all existing medications and make changes as necessary. St. Michael’s Centre has a contract with a local Shopper’s Drug Mart and all medications must be dispensed and packaged by them. This is necessary to comply with established Nursing standards of medication administration and to help avoid resident complications due to medications.
Pharmacare will cover the cost of most medications. If your prescription medication is not covered by Pharmacare, your physician can apply to have the medication covered by special authorization. The cost of any medications not covered by Pharmacare and all over the counter medications (e.g. laxatives, some pain relievers) are the responsibility of the resident. To find out if all your medications are covered, please speak to the Resident Services Coordinator on your unit.
Some personal care items (e.g. hand lotion, toothpaste, shaving cream) can be ordered for individual residents and added to monthly pharmacy statements; speak to the Registered Nurse on your unit about ordering any such items. Shopper’s Drug Mart will send separate invoices for any personal items ordered or medications not covered by Pharmacare to the Finance Department. The Finance Department will pay the store on your behalf and add the Shopper’s Drug Mart charges to your regular monthly room and board invoice. A copy of the invoice identifying all the charges will be attached to the invoice for your reference. Residents may also choose to shop for these items on their own.
The Pharmacist attends the weekly resident care conferences to review the resident’s medications and answer questions from the resident or family about medications. While Pharmacists cannot make changes to medication or medical procedures independently (only a physician can make changes) the Pharmacist may contact the resident’s physician to make suggestions about changes to a resident’s medication.
The Pharmacist also meets bi-weekly with St. Michael's Centre's Medical Director and Coordinators to do a Medication Review. Regular reviews are required under the Pharmacy Act, but they also allow Centre staff to maintain the philosophy of having residents on the minimal amount of medication required to help them function as fully as possible. As with the resident care conferences, suggestions which arise from this review will be forwarded to the resident’s physician for consideration.
The Director of Social Work co-ordinates all Complex Care admissions to St. Michael's Centre, and organizes and chairs the Resident Care Conferences. St. Michael's Centre does not control the waitlist and cannot influence the order of names on the waitlist.
The Social Worker is available to residents and/or families to assist with personal concerns and to access community resources which may also be of help. The Social Worker may also be able to assist with financial matters on an advisory basis, but cannot become directly responsible for a resident’s finances.
St. Michael's Centre is an ecumenical facility, founded by three Christian denominations: Anglican, Roman Catholic and United. Although the bulk of the residents still come from Christian backgrounds, this diverse fellowship has helped to make St. Michael’s a place where all denominations and religions are welcome.
The Director, Spiritual, Pastoral and Religious Care role is to assist residents to meet their spiritual needs, to deal with their pastoral concerns and to access their own religious traditions and resources. The families of residents, staff and volunteers also often call upon him.
He oversees the worship, services and pastoral care programs within the facility, as well as attending to the needs within Hospice. Within the Chapel on the main floor, there is an Interdenominational Worship Service every Sunday afternoon and a rotating Denominational Communion Service every week.
Besides a monthly Mass, Roman Catholic residents also receive communion visits weekly from the local parish. Orthodox and Eastern Catholic residents have their clergy celebrate Divine Liturgy for them at Christmas and Easter according to the Julian calendar, as well as receiving visits from Eastern Rite Clergy and Sisters.
Various seasonal services such as Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, Remembrance Day and St. Michael’s Day are also celebrated ecumenically as a facility, with guest homilists from the community and where appropriate, with readings with from a variety of Scriptures and Holy Texts. Residents of other religions are strongly supported, affirmed and encouraged in the practice of their faith and access to their clergy and faith groups is facilitated. The emergency on call clergy list has some 80 clergy registered, from 24 different Christian denominations and 14 diverse religions. People who profess no denominational or religious adherence are also supported and respected.
The Director, Spiritual, Pastoral and Religious Care furthermore co-ordinates the visits of both clergy and pastoral care volunteers from the various faith groups in the community. He is available to assist families with grief and bereavement issues and in the planning and conducting of funeral and memorial services both within Hospice and Complex Care. He has written a booklet and a variety of pamphlets in this area which are available for free on this site by accessing the section entitled “Resources”.
The Therapies Department of St. Michael's Centre provides the appropriate therapeutic, recreational and social activities for our Complex Care residents. With the assistance of volunteers and families, the Therapies staff encourages a caring and stimulating atmosphere, which helps residents towards attaining their individual highest functional level. Limited services are also provided to Hospice patients and are specified below.
The Therapies staff recognizes the uniqueness of each resident/patient. They respect the resident's/patient’s individuality, their human rights and their need to control their environment. The Therapies staff also work to maintain the comfort and dignity of the residents/patients whatever their state of physical, mental or emotional health.
The Therapies Department delivers programs in:
Occupational Therapy
Music Therapy
Recreation Therapy
Occupational Therapy
The Occupational Therapists emphasize the use of functional activities and exercise to maximize the independence, strengths, and well being of each Complex Care resident. Physiotherapy is available privately. An Occupational Therapist also provides services on a consultation basis for patients on the Hospice Unit.
Examples of Occupational Therapy Activities:
Range of Motion Exercises
Walking Maintenance Programs
Weight Training
Provision of suitable wheelchair seating
Organizational assistance to the Resident's Council
Music Therapy
The Music Therapist uses music as a therapeutic tool to restore, maintain, and improve levels of mental, physical, and emotional health and well being. The non-verbal and creative nature of music promotes self-expression, social interaction and enjoyment which develops inner strengths builds self-esteem. Music Therapy programming is provided to residents/patients in both Complex Care and Hospice.
Examples of Music Therapy Programs:
St. Michael's Choir - the "Silver Foxes" *Complex Care only
Therapeutic small groups and individual sessions which are resident/patient centered and goal oriented, addressing issues such as isolation, depression and low levels of physical and cognitive functioning.
Recreation Therapy
"Man does not cease to play because he grows old - Man grows old because he ceases to play". --
G. B. Shaw
The Recreation Therapy staff design programs to enhance the quality of life of our Complex Care residents. Through programming, we ensure opportunities for choice, personal growth and empowerment.
Examples of Therapeutic Recreation Programss:
Physical programs such as: Fitness, Dancercize
Cognitive stimulation programs such as: Trivia, Philosopher’s Corner
Creative programs such as: Krafty Korner, Swing Time
Home life programs such as: Baking, Gardening
Animal centered programs such as: Feathered Friends, Pet Visits
Intergenerational programs such as: visits from Nelson Avenue School children
Community access programs such as: Bus Outings, Park walks
Large special events with entertainment such as: monthly Birthday Teas, seasonal special programs
