After more than four months of admissions being suspended, Rainycrest Home for the Aged here once again can begin admitting new residents, administrator Jill Colquhoun said Monday morning.
“The requirements for lifting the suspension on admissions have now been met,” Colquhoun said. “With a waiting list of over 50 residents in the community and hospital, this is good news.”
The provincial Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care suspended admissions to Rainycrest back in May due to non-compliance with ministry standards for the operation of long-term care facilities.
“We are working with a health care consulting company to bring the facility into compliance,” Colquhoun said. “There are a number of initiatives underway, and we are now starting to see the benefits.”
These initiatives include additional training and educational programs for staff, a resident food committee, and a Family and Friends Advisory Council that meets on the third Monday of every month at 7 p.m.
A number of new staff have been hired, including an environmental services supervisor, a nutrition and food service supervisor, a director of resident care, and an assistant director of resident care.
Colquhoun admitted there still is a long way to go for Rainycrest to become fully compliant with ministry standards, but there has been considerable progress to date.
“We are pleased with the progress being made,” she said. “Care is increasingly becoming resident-focused, and the facility is ensuring an understanding of resident rights.
“The ministry has noted the multiple initiatives underway, and the notification to resume admissions is confirmation of the positive steps that are being taken,” Colquhoun added.
Of the more than 50 names currently are on the waiting list for Rainycrest, 26 are in La Verendrye Hospital here because they require 24-hour care.
Rainycrest currently has five vacancies in its 135-bed capacity.
(Fort Frances Daily Bulletin)
Fort Frances Times
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