Category: Profile

The Christmas story is all about people. The cast of characters is well known: Mary, Joseph, various angels, baby Jesus, some shepherds and the wise men. These are the characters we put faces to, however the miracle of the story really comes alive when you bookend this cast between God and humankind (us). It is through these characters that God comes to us, making real in our world all that God is: love, light, healing, forgiveness, justice, peace, and fresh starts. Scene after scene God declares: you are worth it; I believe in you; together we are going to transform the world for good.

In our Bethany community, we, the staff, are the cast of characters between this life-giving goodness and our residents and their families. Like those characters of long ago we too are quite ordinary people, and yet our words and actions have a profound impact on the lives of those we care for. In every interaction we too have the opportunity to declare how individuals in our care are deeply valued, and partners in creating the best quality of life while with us. In essence, we live out the Christmas story in every display of compassion and care flowing from this ancient story. Thank you for playing your part in this drama of life. May you be filled with the wonder of Mary, the obedience of Joseph, the joy of the angels, the eagerness of the shepherds, the determination of the wise men, and the peace of the Christ child.

Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones!

Blessings,

– Daranne

What did you present on at the conference?

Peter Czepuryk and I presented a poster on the family onboarding working group and I also provided a verbal presentation on freedoms offered in a dementia secured environment.

What was the best part about representing Bethany at the ACCA conference?

It was a great opportunity to share some of the initiatives and work that is happening with Bethany. I am especially proud of the care team at Bethany Harvest Hills and the stories of success that I shared were a testimonial to their dedication towards quality dementia care.

What is your favourite part about working at Bethany?

Diversity – both in my role and the people that I work with. No two days are alike.

What is your personal philosophy?

Live in the moment!

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Spend time with my kids and dogs – and my grandkids and granddogs! We love to be outdoors, take summer camping trips and I enjoy a good book or a long walk!

What did you present on at the conference?

My presentation was based on the expansion of the Managing Dementia with Expertise program (MDE). It was based on the strong resident and family-focused philosophy that this program displays. It is a one of a kind program that supports the care of residents that have complex dementia needs that other traditional long-term care environments are not structured to provide and are unable to do in a safe manner.

What was the best part about representing Bethany at the ACCA conference?

Sharing with industry partners, colleagues, leaders and champions. This allowed me to share the good work with many people that have a passion for the work that we do here at Bethany.

What is your favourite part about working at Bethany?

That we embrace challenges and try to create the best environment for the residents we care for.

What is your personal philosophy?

Treat everyone with dignity and respect. While the work that we do isn’t always easy we still need to remember that we are people first, and we are part of a larger team. By respecting this and everyone in the team I feel that we can get the best out of everyone.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I am a very active person and a family-based individual. I love to spend time with my two boys Ethan and Cole in whatever activity I can, whether that is tennis, volleyball, baseball or just watching a movie. Of course I could not do that without my wife Stacey, and together we really make an effort to put family first in all our decisions.

A Successful Safety Audit

Safety is a key priority for Bethany, and our commitment to safety was recently recognized and commended during a PIR safety audit conducted October 16 – 23 at Bethany Calgary, Aidrie, Harvest Hills and Sylvan Lake. PIR refers to Partners in Injury Reduction, and is an important safety program that Bethany has been a participating member of for many years.

Bethany is audited very often (many would say too often!). However, the PIR Audit is the only audit that focusses exclusively on the safety of those who work at Bethany (staff, contractors, volunteers). On behalf of the entire Executive Leadership Team, I wanted to take this opportunity to express our personal gratitude and appreciation to each and every one of our staff and Aramark partners at Bethany Airdrie, Bethany Calgary, Bethany Harvest Hills and Bethany Sylvan Lake for your participation in, and support of, our successful PIR audit.  Passing the audit allows us to re-certify for the provincial Certificate of Recognition for Bethany’s occupational health and safety program for the next three years. Whether you were interviewed by the auditor, completed a questionnaire, or just showed our typical Bethany hospitality and friendliness, it is greatly appreciated.

Employee and contractor safety is one of Bethany’s Standards for Service Excellence, and one of our core values. Participating in Partners in Injury Reduction helps us to evaluate and improve our safety program as part of our ongoing commitment and dedication to providing the safest possible workplace for everyone who comes to work at Bethany. Our safety program can only ever be as good as the people who work with it every day, so thank you to each and every one of you for “living” safety every day in support of “Creating Caring Communities”.

– Lisa

What did you present on at the conference?

I co-presented at the conference with Peter Czepuryk on the expansion of the Managing Dementia with Expertise (MDE) complex care unit. My part was to present a case review.

What was the best part about representing Bethany at the ACCA conference?

It was a great opportunity to continue to raise awareness and educate health care professionals across Alberta on the wonderful work our MDE program does and the impact it has on complex dementia.

What is your favourite part about working at Bethany?

My favorite part of working at Bethany is the relationships I have built, with staff as well as residents and their families.

What is your personal philosophy?

My personal philosophy is about making a difference in the world. Everyone has individual gifts and it is our responsibility to utilize these gifts to the fullest and live our best life.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

In my spare time I enjoy going to my trailer on weekends to spend time with family and friends and to golf. Now that the weather is getting colder, I am looking forward to heading to the mountains to snowboard.

What did you present on at the conference?

My presentation for the ACCA conference was about community engagement in a person and family-centred approach. In essence, the presentation was the story of how Bethany Cochrane increased community partners by 70 per cent in four years.

What was the best part about representing Bethany at the ACCA conference?

Unfortunately due to a family emergency I was unable to present at the conference so Steve Friesen represented and channeled his inner me!

What is your favourite part about working at Bethany?

I never wanted to be a “catch and release” nurse – one that treats the patient and then discharges. For me, life is all about relationships. Working at Bethany, I am able to nurture relationships on a continuous basis – with residents, staff, families, volunteers and community partners. The relationships I have formed are my favorite part of Bethany. The best part of those relationships is that we are all working with a common goal which is to care for those we serve.

What is your personal philosophy?

I live by many personal philosophies. One that guides many of my decisions is, “Be kind. Be consistent. Be grateful.” You never know that moment when you are impacting the life of another. Be kind with actions, consistent with decisions and express genuineness of gratitude.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

In my spare time I love to garden. I have a full vegetable garden that I love to plant, grow and harvest. It is very soothing getting my hands dirty – it grounds me and reminds me of my roots and forces me into that moment of pause. My back yard is also full of the birds and squirrels that I love to feed. It goes without saying that my greatest joys are my three girls – as they are nearly all adults now it is amazing to see them grow and develop into amazing human beings!

It was an unforgettable night for Barb George, a longtime Bethany volunteer, when her name was called as the the Volunteer of the Year at the ACCA conference. Barb has volunteered at Bethany Calgary for 45 years, so we sat down with her to chat more about her passion for helping our residents. Thank you Barb for being a dedicated and caring volunteer with Bethany; we hope to have you volunteering with us for many years to come!

When did you first start volunteering at Bethany?

I started volunteering at Bethany Calgary in the early 1970’s when I brought my mother here as a resident.

Why did you decide to volunteer at Bethany?

I started volunteering in the craft room so that my mom would get involved in crafts. In 1975, I started working at Bethany and was an employee for 16 years. During this time, I was president of the staff association and helped plan a Christmas dinner for 65-70 seniors in the community without any family.

What types of volunteering do you do now?

I volunteer throughout the building and am here four days a week. I do the surveys for Aramark and Bethany and go wherever they need somebody to help out. I oversee the tuck shop and do purchasing for it and my husband volunteers in the tuck shop too.

What’s your favourite part of volunteering?

I really enjoy the residents and they make me want to come back every day. They have wonderful stories and interesting lives. Every resident is different and if I make one resident smile per day then I feel like I’ve done my job.

How did it feel to receive the ACCA Volunteer of the Year award?

It was awesome! I’ve been nominated a lot over the years and it was very special to me to receive this award. I want to keep this up as long as I can. Coming to Bethany every day keeps me going and keeps me on my toes.

What else do you like to do in your spare time?

I crochet, enjoy crafts and sewing. I make blankets and donate them to Hillside Manor. It keeps me going and keeps me busy. I like to exercise and I get a lot of exercise volunteering here. Something is always going on here and I really miss it if I don’t come here for a few days. They tell you to volunteer as a senior and get involved, and it’s very rewarding to volunteer with seniors.

What did you present on at the conference?

I presented on the Airdrie sleep initiative and the influence of sleep on residents’ quality of life.

What was the best part about representing Bethany at the ACCA conference?

The best part was showcasing the quality initiatives that are making a difference for our residents at Bethany.

What is your favourite part about working at Bethany?

My favourite part is having the opportunity to influence the lives of others.

What is your personal philosophy?

Strive to be your best always.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Spend time with my husband and three adult daughters and celebrate their successes.

What did you present on at the conference?

The topic of the presentation was about enhancing the dining experience in continuing care through service excellence. I co-presented with Van Phan, Aramark general manager. In the presentation we shared how Bethany developed a strategy to improve the resident experience related to hospitality services in response to the feedback from a Health Quality Council of Alberta survey report. Together with Aramark Canada, and using the feedback gathered from resident and family focus groups, we developed and implemented three key initiatives, including: flexible breakfast, attractive serve ware for modified texture diets and created a new position, director of culinary services. We discussed how the initiatives resulted in improved resident and family satisfaction, as well as enhanced staff work life satisfaction.

What was the best part about representing Bethany at the ACCA conference?

The best part was the sense of pride. Bethany is truly a leader in so many areas when it comes to quality improvement. It was exciting to share our teams’ great work with other providers, answer questions and also learn about initiatives underway in other organizations.

What is your favourite part about working at Bethany?

I have said this many times over the years, it really is the relationships – with residents, families, volunteers, colleagues and community partners. It is exciting to be part of an organization that desires to keep moving forward, leading the way in regards to improvements in best practices and service excellence to benefit our residents. I am always learning something new!

What is your personal philosophy?

My personal philosophy is to serve others with gratitude. I believe we have opportunities to do so in all aspects of our lives – family, friends, work and community. Bethany provides me with opportunities every day to serve others; the rewards are immeasurable.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I enjoy spending time with my husband, family and friends. Some of my favourite activities include travelling, reading and spending time at our family farm.

National Nurses Week was held May 8-14. Thank you to all of our caring nurses at Bethany for helping to improve the lives of residents every day.Janine Ollenberger
Care Services Manager, Bethany Calgary

How did you start your career?
I went to the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon and got my Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Ever since high school I knew that I wanted to care for others and be of service. I believe we were put on this earth to serve others and that’s why I chose nursing.

How has your career progressed over the years? When did you start at Bethany?
Long-term care has always been my passion. I always worked in geriatrics and had another nursing job on the side. I worked in acute care, private nursing, palliative nursing, and I worked with Canadian Blood Services. I am the best nurse I can be when I’m with the seniors. Out of 70 graduates from my university only two of us chose Geriatrics. It’s not a common choice when you’re a new grad. I’ve been at Bethany for over three years.

What is your favourite part about being a nurse?
Sometimes, you’re the only smiling face a resident may see that day. Some residents don’t have visitors, and you can be the person that can make them feel loved and cared for and you can bring a smile to their face. We are here as much for the families as we are for the residents. The care I can offer is very fulfilling, providing them with some sense of support.

What is the best part about working at Bethany?
Being a part of the Bethany family. Bethany attracts passionate and compassionate people. I feel like I belong here because we have the same sense of values and really care about residents. I work with a great team. We work hard and have fun.

What does your role encompass? What’s a typical day for you?
I work as the Care Services Manager on the MDE unit at Bethany Calgary and started three years ago. Every day is different. This is the most fulfilling job I’ve had to date. I feel like I am truly making a difference. Every day I walk around the unit and ensure the wellbeing of residents, family and staff. I attend clinical rounds, facilitate ID team meetings, as well as resident care conferences. I provide ongoing support to residents, families and staff.

What’s the MDE/SCU unit?
It is a 49-bed specialized complex dementia program that serves all of Southern Alberta. It is a transition unit for complex dementia residents to come to be stabilized and live a more fulfilling life. Starting on this unit was the first time I worked on a specialized dementia unit. We are a multidisciplinary team, we work together and are supportive of each other. I feel very honoured to be on this team, all the staff are here because they want to be here. I see miracles happen every day because of the expertise used by staff with this population. We are a very cohesive team, everyone works well together and it is actually quite calm and happy – it’s a great place to work.

What are your favourite hobbies/interesting facts about yourself?
I love to waterski, snowboard, golf and be outside. I enjoy gardening and running and find it stress relieving to be outside and recharge.