Duane Hicks
Riverside Health Care Facilities, Inc. and Rainycrest Long-Term Care have branched out to provide convalescent care here.
As of Monday (Jan. 13), the facility opened up four beds—two single-bed rooms and one two-bed room—for patients who no longer need to be in hospital but who still are unable to return home.
The idea is to provide them with supportive and rehabilitative care, focused on physical recovery and overall well-being, in order to regain health and strength after an illness or surgery.
“What will happen is people will come in, they stay, and they recuperate,” said Darryl Galusha, Rainycrest director of seniors services and administration.
“It’s a little more advanced than long-term care but it also gives an opportunity to come into a long-term care home that’s never been here,” he added.
On top of that, there is less expense to taxpayers given acute care in hospital costs more than convalescent care at Rainycrest.
Riverside CEO Allan Katz said he’s excited about the new level of care being provided.
“The fact that we’re providing an enhanced level of service, that hasn’t been offered here in Rainy River District, for the first time, that’s of incredible importance,” he remarked.
“What this allows is to provide people who are not necessarily prepared to go home immediately after an illness to recuperate at their appropriate pace, to gain strength, in a safe environment, supported by physiotherapists, occupational therapists, skilled nursing staff that exist all at Rainycrest,” added Katz.
“It allows them to develop that strength to get back home where we all want to be.”
Katz noted Rainycrest is only the second installation in the region that boasts convalescent care beds; one home in Thunder Bay has nine such beds.
“Offering four of these beds in Rainy River District, in Fort Frances, is very, very exciting,” he enthused.
“It provides a challenge for the staff, which is important, and it provides an opportunity for residents to regain their strength and convalesce as close to home as possible.
“It’s an absolutely spectacular opportunity for us,” he reiterated.
Katz said convalescent care fills a gap in health-care services.
“We have an acute-care hospital, we have a long-term care home, and we know that there’s been a lot of discussion within our community already on assisted living, and that’s exciting, as well,” he noted.
“But here’s something that’s right at our doorstep; something we’ve been working on for the better part of a year in order to bring to the community, and it fills yet another need.
“If we have this convalescent care opportunity, we’re actually taking care of people that are not occupying acute-care beds, that shouldn’t be in a long-term care home, and giving them the opportunity to recuperate, convalesce, gain strength, and, ultimately, get back home where they want to be.”
Just as there are no age restrictions for long-term care, Galusha clarified convalescent care also will be provided to a patient of any age, noting a 25-year-old could get into a car accident and break both arms and legs, but not necessarily need acute care in hospital.
“They come here, we provide the care,” he said, noting Rainycrest provides everything from pharmacy services to food services for the convalescent-care patients.
“We do 500 meals a day already from our kitchen so what’s four more meals?” he reasoned.
Kayla Caul-Chartier, director of resident services at Rainycrest, said convalescent patients can stay there for up to 90 days, after which time they must go home.
Galusha, meanwhile, said Rainycrest is providing rehab and physiotherapy services to get the patients back on their feet.
“If you agree to come here, you have to sign a contract that says you will participate in your rehab to try to get better,” he explained.
“It’s a good way to promote good, healthy quality living.
“And it’s a great way for people to really get their eyes opened to long-term care,” he added.
Galusha said the process to be able to deliver convalescent care has been streamlined somewhat by the fact Rainycrest operates under the auspices of Riverside Health Care Facilities, Inc.
But it has required hard work on everyone’s part. For example, hospitals and long-term care facilities operate differently.
“We have to follow the Long-Term Care Act, which supersedes the Hospital Act. It is a lot more strict,” Galusha explained.
Another example is the hospital uses a different charting system than Rainycrest, so staff has had to learn how to amalgamate systems, he added.
Top-notch care
While at first glance, some might think nursing delivered at Rainycrest and a hospital might be different, Galusha stressed they receive the same training.
“Kayla and I both are RNs. We’re trained no different than any other RN,” he noted.
“She’s worked in ER, I’ve worked in ER, ICU.
“All the nurses are trained the same, it’s just where you want to specialize that’s different,” Galusha added.
“But it’s all just caring for people.”
Galusha said he’s very proud of the nursing staff at Rainycrest, particularly with regards to wound care.
“We have 164 people in the home. We have six wounds,” he remarked. “And five of those wounds came from the outside and we’re dealing with them.
“Our infection control rate in wound care is probably one of the best I’ve seen,” Galusha added.
“I know it leads the province.”
One way to help residents vent wounds is special air mattresses, two of which Rainycrest recently purchased after being able to find some high-intensity needs funding available through the system.
“They fluctuate. It’s basically a huge pillow,” Galusha explained. “It goes and strengthens and recedes in the areas, so it’s continuously moving.
“That’s part of the trick—finding the money to pay for these things,” he added.
“To think for a home in Northwestern Ontario to have all of these things and such a low wound care rate? It’s unheard of.
“This is all work from the PSW [personal support worker] staff—the turning, the lifting, the proper care,” Galusha lauded.
“It’s all that hard work that they do that has made this possible.”
