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  • A Message from the Executive Director, Clinical Operations

    When Vulnerability Creates Opportunity

    he new Alberta Continuing Care Facility Directory will be launched on June 11th. The intent of the directory is to assist Albertans in making informed decisions about publicly funded continuing care living options for themselves or others.

    The directory will provide important information about the care and services available at long-term care (LTC) and designated supportive living (DSL) facilities in our province. This information includes site photographs, type(s) of programming and status of our Resident and Family Councils as well as a list of unique services and amenities such as music therapy, a tropical atrium and/or bistro.

    It will also include information on the performance of the facility. The Accommodation and Continuing Care Health Services (CCHS) Standards audit results will be posted; as well as the Health Quality Council of Alberta (HQCA) survey ranking results for food services and overall satisfaction. In addition, there will be a link to each site’s Public 9 Quality Indicators as provided by the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI).

    Having all of this information publicly available and easily accessible has the potential to make us feel a bit vulnerable. We may wonder how the public will interpret the “numbers”. Will they understand the context or story behind them? How will they influence their decision to choose a Bethany facility as their new home? How will we compare to other organizations’ facilities?

    “Vulnerability is the birthplace of innovation, creativity and change.” – Brene Brown

    In spite of feeling somewhat vulnerable, I believe this directory presents us with great opportunity. It allows us to showcase our beautiful care centers and the excellent work being done by our staff, volunteers and community partners to provide high-quality care and services through ongoing continuous improvement. When prospective residents or families visit the website and ask us questions, we can engage them in a conversation about our many quality improvement initiatives and invite them to provide feedback and share their ideas for innovative service improvements.

    On June 11th, I invite you to visit the Alberta Health Services website and view the new directory under the Continuing Care page: www.albertahealthservices.ca. Becoming familiar with the information provided about your site will help prepare you to tell our Bethany story behind the numbers!

    If you have any feedback, questions or ideas you would like to share, I welcome you to send them to me at dana.penner@bethanyseniors.com

     

    Regards,
    —Dana

  • A Message from the Vice President & Chief People Officer

    Remember Rodney Dangerfield and his famous catchphrase “I don’t get no respect”? It can be very frustrating when you feel disrespected, and hard to change because respect is something you cannot demand or expect from others. Respect is a core value at Bethany, but what exactly is respect?

    Respect is series of actions that you show to someone else to build and maintain a relationship. So what does that really mean? It’s those positive feelings or actions you demonstrate to others. It is treating someone so that they feel important or that you hold them in high esteem or regard. Respect can convey a sense of admiration for another, and is demonstrated by exhibiting care, concern, and consideration for their feelings.

    There are several things you can do to show respect for others:

    Listen – this is always on the top of the list. People want to be heard and using your active listening skills to really listen to someone will show you respect their ideas and opinions.

    Behave in a way that is appropriate to them – show compassion for their feelings and make sure you do not speak or act in a way that makes them uncomfortable (this can be very different from person to person).

    Show integrity – do the right thing, always. And that means doing the right thing even when no one is looking.

    What does respect look like at Bethany? Respect could be as simple as:

    • Good manners – such as good meeting etiquette, team behaviour norms such as avoiding inappropriate language or behaviour, sharing and helping others.
    • Valuing others’ ideas– really listening to them instead of imposing your own ideas. Active listening is one of the best ways to show respect both in the workplace and in your personal life.
    • Give effective feedback– help people understand how they are doing. Feedback helps us improve and move forward. Make the effort to help people stay on track or get back on track with feedback.
    • Do what you say you’re going to do– this might seem easy but often we don’t follow through with our commitments, which sends a message that the commitment isn’t important or the person expecting you to follow through is not important.
    • Not wasting someone’s time – be on time for meetings, show up prepared, be ready to go, and don’t waste their time when you’re there – value it.
    • Incorporate respect into your norms– work with your team to create team norms so everyone is on the same page. Talk about it and give examples so everyone knows exactly what is expected of them.

    Building respect can take time, but losing it takes seconds. Once lost, respect can be difficult to regain. With this in mind, it only makes sense to make showing respect a priority.

    If you have any questions, or would simply like to share your ideas, please contact me directly at lisa.watson@bethanyseniors.com.

    Kind regards,

     

     

    – Lisa

     

  • Update Newsletter — May/June 2019 Issue

    Stay up-to-date on Bethany’s progress with our May/June newsletter! From our 2nd Annual Bethany Service Excellence Recognition Awards to our site-wide celebrations during NAOSH and Mental Health week, you’ll find it here in the latest issue of Update. Click Here to view the PDF version.

  • A Message from the Vice President & Chief Operating Officer

    Just Culture

    A couple of weeks ago I had the privilege of attending a presentation on Just Culture. The presentation was given by Dr. Ward Flemons, a member of the Health Quality Council of Alberta and a key thought leader in this area. It is important to note that Just Culture is something that Bethany will be working on over the coming year so this presentation was very helpful.

    Just Culture is a concept that has longstanding origins in the Aviation industry but is relatively new to healthcare. In the healthcare context, a Just Culture is a learning culture that is constantly improving and oriented toward patient/resident safety. It is a culture where healthcare workers and residents or family members feel comfortable to report errors and threats to patient/resident safety. This information is then used to learn and make changes to the system to improve resident safety. A Just Culture fosters an atmosphere of trust where people feel safe discussing quality and safety concerns without fear of blame. When something does go wrong with patient/resident care, healthcare workers will be supported and treated fairly. Other features of a Just Culture include creating a learning culture, designing safe systems and managing behavioral choices. It is important to note that a Just Culture is not a blame-free culture, as everyone is still held accountable for following policies and procedures, but it is through reporting and event analysis that the organization learns what is wrong, how it went wrong and how it can be prevented from happening again.

    Don Norman, a leading researcher and author of “The Design of Everyday Things” says that when accidents happen we often blame the people involved and punish them with the idea that punishment will solve the problem. As he notes, “the problem is seldom the fault of an individual; it is the fault of the system. If we change people without changing the system, the problems will continue”. Creating a Just Culture requires a change in focus from blaming for errors and bad outcomes to the enhancement of system design and supporting the management of the choices of employees.

    A Just Culture improves patient/resident safety by empowering employees to proactively monitor the workplace and participate in safety efforts in the work environment. Improving patient/resident safety reduces risk by its focus on managing human behaviors and redesigning systems. In a Just Culture, both the organization and its employees are held accountable while focusing on risk, systems design, human behavior and patient/resident safety. I look forward to working with all of you as we embark on this important work over the next year.

    As always, I welcome any ideas or suggestions you may have. Please send them to me at nancy.hughes@bethanyseniors.com.

    Regards,

     

     

    — Nancy

  • A Message from the Acting Executive Director, Bethany Care Foundation

    First Day Questions

    Do you remember your first day of work at Bethany? Most of us, on our first day at a new job, feel a lot of excitement mixed with a little bit of anxiety. (Did I set my alarm early enough? What will the people on my team be like? How am I going to remember all these acronyms!?)

    We have a new employee, Greg Hovdebo, joining the Foundation this week as our Senior Development Officer.  Having a new person join our team is fantastic for all kinds of reasons.

    First and foremost, we have lots of work to do to engage donors in Bethany’s mission, so having more one more pair of hands on deck will make a big difference in our ability to attract donations to the important work that each of you do. I also know that bringing someone onto our team with skills that are different than the ones we already have will make our team even stronger.

    One of the best things I think a new employee does is ask a lot of questions. Each new Bethany employee brings a fresh way of looking at what we do and the ways we do it. Sometimes (hopefully!) they’ll even ask ‘why’ we do something the way we do. That gives us a chance to take a fresh look as well. It’s easy to get stuck in ‘well, that’s just the way we’ve always done it’ mode. A new employee’s questions can help us break out of that way of thinking.

    Questions can lead to new solutions for old problems. Sometimes we forget to take the time to be curious in the same way our new employees are when they show up for their first days and weeks on the job.

    Whether you’re a relatively new employee at Bethany, or someone who’s been here for years, I hope you stay curious and always feel comfortable asking questions. Often, they lead to better answers!

    Have a great week. Thanks for everything you do,
     
     
    — Gail

  • A Message from the President and Chief Executive Officer

    The Wonderful Thing about Tiggers!

    For as long as I can remember I have loved Winnie the Pooh.  When you read the stories you can’t help but be moved by the life lessons you learn as Piglet and Pooh engage in their adventures in the Hundred Acre Woods.  How can you not smile as Tigger bounces from place to place, filled with laughter and joy?  Whether it was Owl, Rabbit, Eeyore, Piglet or Pooh there were always adventures or misadventures but at the end of the day, enduring relationships.

    When my children were young we used to play “Pooh Sticks” in Fish Creek Park, no matter how many times we dropped sticks over the bridge, the excitement was always there.  Did you know that there is a book called Winnie–the–Pooh on Management — a book that teaches the principles of management using Pooh and his friends to share important lessons about leadership!

    Today, I will simply share my favorite quotes from Pooh & friends that I think can guide us in our day to day lives whether at work or at home!

    “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

    “If the person you are talking to doesn’t appear to be listening be patient.  It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.”

    “Life is not about how fast you run or how high you climb but how well you bounce.“

    If you have some spare time, reacquaint yourself with Winnie the Pooh and his friends, you may be surprised by what you discover!

    As Tigger would say, T.T.F.N.,

    Jennifer

     

    As always, I welcome your feedback at: jennifer.mccue@bethanyseniors.com

  • A Message from the Vice President, Chief Financial Officer (Interim)

    Mother’s day is just around the corner and it is one of the most celebrated days of the year. Anna Jarvis campaigned for this special day and in 1914, Mother’s Day was established. In my family, we celebrate by going out for brunch or dinner and when my kids were younger, I would always look forward to receiving their homemade gifts.

    This is also a time when I think about my mom and the sacrifices she made to raise her six children. To provide a better life for us, my mom and dad moved to Canada despite not speaking a word of English. One of my fondest memories of growing up was of the late nights I sat by my mom as she sewed my tutus for upcoming ballet recitals. As a child, I had an interest in dance, and my mom was the one who helped cultivate that into a passion. She was my biggest supporter and taught me that I could be whatever I wanted to be, if I believed in myself. Ultimately, my mom was significant in shaping who I am, and I am incredibly blessed to have her as my mom.

    For the Bethany moms and all those people who made a mother’s difference in someone’s life, this Sunday is to celebrate you. We can never repay the debt to our mothers but we can relay our gratitude. Thank you for making our lives better. Happy Mother’s Day!

    Thank you for taking the time to read this message and feel free to reach me with your comments or questions at Doreen.Lee@Bethanyseniors.com.

     

    — Doreen

  • NAOSH (North American Occupational Safety and Health) Week and Mental Health Week

    The North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week is a continent-wide event spanning Canada, the United States and Mexico. The goal during NAOSH Week is to focus the attention of employers, employees, partners, and the public on the importance of preventing injury and illness in the workplace, at home and in the community.

    This year at Bethany, in combination with NAOSH, we are recognizing Mental Health Week. Mental illness affects people of all ages, education, income levels, and cultures. Mental health is a state of well-being – we all have it – and we can all have good mental health. It is about having a sense of purpose, strong relationships, feeling connected to our communities, knowing who we are, coping with stress and enjoying life.

    During this week we want to extend our gratitude and appreciation to all employees and thank each and every one of you for your dedication to caring in a safe and healthy way so that we can continue to provide caring communities to all we serve.

    Digital Screen NAOSH Week

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Click on the above image for a larger view.

  • 2nd Annual Bethany Service Excellence Recognition Awards

    Our Service Excellence Recognition Awards program celebrates our employees’ commitment to everyday excellence in their roles and actions. At the Board Recognition dinner on May 1st, employees in seven categories were recognized for their valuable contributions that go above and beyond for our residents and tenants, and their support of our corporate priority of organizational excellence.

    These employees take our people-centered work to new heights. Thank you to our 100+ nominees, as well as our winners, for championing our Standards for Service Excellence.

    And the recipients of the 2nd Annual Bethany Service Excellence Awards are:

    Rising Start Award

    Runner Up:  Jillian Palbom, Manager, Human Resources Bethany Corporate

    Winner: Brianne Cruickshank, LPN, Bethany Didsbury

    New Employee Mentor Award

    Runner Up:  Patti Lorenz, Care Services Manager, Bethany Calgary

    Winner: Dawn Larche, Manager, Learning and Development, Human Resources

    Leadership Award

    Runner Up:  Paula Buckley, Occupational Therapist, Bethany Calgary

    Winner: Joan Schwarze, Clinical Educator, Bethany Collegeside/Sylvan Lake

    Engagement Excellence Award
    Runner Up:  Shauna Ciezki, Volunteer Services Coordinator,  Bethany Harvest Hills

    Winner: Jason Johnson, Recreation Supervisor, Bethany Cochrane

    Innovation Excellence Award
    Runner Up:  Project Team Kronos (team members):  Julian Austin, Bryce Liesemer, Lisa Schnurer, Theinmozhi (aka Tanya) Subramanian, Dawn Larche, Allison Woods, Shereena Nazarali

    Winner: Melissa Fenton, Health Care Aide, Bethany Cochrane

    Service Excellence Award
    Runner Up:  Kelly Berg, Health Care Aide – Bethany Didsbury

    Winner: Payton Andrews, Health Care Aide, Bethany Collegeside

    Board of Trustee Mission Award
    Runner Up:  Kim Herder, LPN, Bethany Sylvan Lake

    Winner: Brian Way, Chaplain, Bethany Airdrie

  • Q4 Survey Results – Employee Pulse Survey FY2019

    Bethany conducts a quarterly employee Pulse Survey to capture a snapshot of employee and leader engagement throughout our organization. Four hundred and thirty-nine employees and fifty leaders were randomly selected to participate anonymously. The Q4 Survey for FY2019 took place January 1 – March 31, 2019.

    Highlights from the Q4 Survey:

    Q4 2019 Infographic Employee and Leader Pulse Survey results Final

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    If you have any thoughts or comments on the Q4 Survey results, I welcome you to share them with me.

    Please contact me directly at lisa.watson@bethanyseniors.com

    Thanks for helping us to ensure that Bethany is a great place to work!

    Lisa Watson
    Vice President, Chief People Officer    If you have any thoughts or comments on the Q4 Survey results, I welcome you to share them with me.

    Please contact me directly at lisa.watson@bethanyseniors.com

    Thanks for helping us to ensure that Bethany is a great place to work!

    Lisa Watson
    Vice President, Chief People Officer