Category Archives: Family Presence

Can hospitals stays lead to delirium?

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It is not uncommon for people admitted to a hospital to experience confusion and anxiety. However, in some situations, this develops into delirium. This is especially true for the elderly population. What is delirium? What causes it? What can be done to decrease the likelihood of its occurrence?

In a recent article published in the Globe and Mail, these questions were addressed. If you have not had the opportunity to read, “How a disorienting hospital visit can lead to delirium,” you may wish to do so. Among other things, it will provide some insight into what can happen when someone you know is admitted to the hospital and how your presence can make a difference.

What Does, “Like Family” Mean?

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familyWhen talking about Family Presence, it is not uncommon for people to mention that the individuals whom they would want to be present with them in a hospital are not legally family members but are instead individuals who are “like family.” However, what does this terminology really mean?

While interviewing individuals for her latest book on friendship, Deborah Tannen frequently encountered the phrase, “like family.” As Tannen explains, “My friends are the sisters I was meant to have,” a woman told me. Another said that her friends are more precious than her sisters because they remember things from her past that her sisters don’t and can’t, since they weren’t there. And a man commented that he didn’t enjoy a particular friend’s company all that much, but it was beside the point: “He’s family.”

Through comments such as these and the descriptions and explanations people provided, Tannen garners an understanding of friendships, relationships and the concepts of family and “like family.”

Click here to read Tannen’s article.

Family Presence Heads to “The Hat”

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On Friday, March 18th, @aircalgary, a member of the Patients 4 Change (Pts4Chg) community, set out for Medicine Hat, Alberta. It was there that the next Family Presence chat session was taking place. Below is @aircalgary’s overview of the day.

Friday March 18, 2016

The Canadian Mental Health Association’s cozy meeting room in Medicine Hat was the location of my second Family Presence coffee chat from 1 pm to 3 pm. Organized with the help of Lorna Scott, a local author, caregiver coach and trainer, Lorna brought together members of the Caregiver Coalition of Southeast Alberta for our chat on the Family Presence campaign in advance of April 4th Change Day here in Alberta. I brought the swag, cookies and balloons and Family Presence conversation cards. To learn more about this group that has been connecting caregivers in SE Alberta since 2009 see: https://www.facebook.com/CaregiverCoalitionOfSoutheastAlberta/.
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Webinar – Family Presence

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Family Presence _Dec2015revJan8

 

As noted earlier, there is a Family Presence Campaign underway in Alberta. Part of this campaign sees the promotion of 24/7 visiting hours in Alberta’s care facilities.

The Canadian Foundation for Healthcare Improvement (CFHI) also has a campaign focusing on family presence. Related to this, there is a webinar on Tuesday, February 16th, 2016 at 10:00 a.m., MST, entitled, “Better Together: Canadian Case Studies.” This presentation will highlight the Ottawa Hospital, which adopted family presence policies in September 2015. The webinar is free and is apt to have some valuable information.

Alberta Man Seeks Answers

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What was supposed to be a joyous and memorable day for Belal Hossain and his family turned out to be much different.  Shortly after giving birth to their third child, Belal’s wife died.  There are many questions surrounding this event, with the primary one being, “How could this happen?”  Click here to read the full story.

Parents of boy with autism oppose plan to move him

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The parents of Toby McKeon, a 12-year-old youth, are frightened that they will be losing him for the second time.  At present, Toby is in the custody of the Children’s Aid Society of Peel Region and currently lives at a facility in Mississauga.  However, due to contracting changes, Toby is scheduled to move to a care home in Stratford.  Toby’s parents are seeking ways to keep their son in the Peel region.  According to David McKeon, Toby’s father, “”To move to Stratford is crushing us, and will crush him.”  Read the full story here.

Saturday Jan 23rd, 2016 First coffee chat about #FamilyPresence campaign!

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conversations(The following was submitted by patient/family advisor – @aircalgary)

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Great conversation about:

  • There are no right words (e.g., patient, resident, client).  Person-centred care is the point. Family is whoever the person decides he/she wants to participate (or NOT) in his/her care.
  • Patient and Family Advisor wisdom shared- always have more than one patient and family Advisor on a quality improvement committee. Sometimes groups just going for numbers of advisors, or stories for tokenism. Look for genuine commitment on part of the committee to really listen and include to patient experience as an equal voice of truth in decision making.
  • Some committees are doing great, other staff members need orientation first before they include patient and family Advisors in their work.
  • Imagine Citizens is doing amazing work to ensure a clear citizen voice is available to shape healthcare improvements in patient and family centred care.

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Reminder – Family Presence Coffee Chat

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reminderJust a reminder of the Family Presence Campaign coffee chat that will be held tomorrow, Saturday, January 23rd, at 10:30 a.m. at the Starbucks in Brentwood Village Mall in Calgary. (This Starbucks is located across the parking lot from the Bank of Montreal.  301 – 3630 Brentwood Rd. N.W.)  Come and join us for a coffee and hear more about the campaign and how you can get involved.  Hope to see you there!

Family Presence Campaign Begins In Calgary

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Group Of People Talking Clipart
As mentioned in an earlier blog post, the Family Presence Campaign Presence Campaign has begun.  This week, the campaign comes to Calgary, where two Family Presence coffee chats have been planned.  The first one will be held on Wednesday, January 20th at 9:00 a.m., and the second one will occur on Saturday, January 23rd at 10:30 a.m.  Brentwood Starbucks in Brentwood Village Mall will be the location for both gatherings.  (This Starbucks is located at 301 – 3630 Brentwood Rd. N.W, across the parking lot from the Bank of Montreal.)

If you are interested in learning about the Family Presence Campaign and how you can get involved, why not join us for a chat over coffee?

Behind Our Silence

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“I usually visited mom on Wednesday evenings by myself, after work.  Different staff every time, still getting to know people since mom moved from ‘first available bed -100 km away’ to a facility closer to home. Mom had been there only a month.”  Read more about one family’s suggestions about how staff, physicians and leaders  in continuing care work can improve family presence practices …”  Click here to read more