Duane Hicks
The Riverside Foundation for Health Care wants district residents to give a gift this Christmas that will make a difference in the lives of those living at Rainycrest.
The Foundation’s annual Christmas donation campaign is now underway, with the focus this year on raising $25,000 to update and renovate the existing shower room in the Special Care Unit (SCU) there.
Foundation director Samantha Manty said that each year, the Foundation asks Riverside Health Care Facilities, Inc. what it is most in need of—and this year it was a makeover for the SCU bathroom facilities.
Manty said she went on a tour of Rainycrest and noticed the shower in the SCU needs fixing.
For instance, the tiles are starting to shift off the walls and there’s a half-wall between the showers and the toilet area, which the staff find difficult to maneuver around with SCU residents.
There are baseboard heaters on the floor which also pose an obstacle when maneuvering wheelchairs and the like.
“It needs a lot of love, especially when the residents who use it are suffering from dementia,” Manty explained.
“We want to make bathing and toileting as comfortable as it can possibly be.”
Manty noted one of the shower rooms for the other part of Rainycrest was redone in recent years, with slip-free tiles, more space for staff to move around in, a stainless steel sink, and other improvements.
As such, the Foundation would love to be able to provide that same level of comfort for SCU residents.
Staff have reported that people with dementia often refuse, withdraw, or fight during a shower.
Their loss of independence and privacy can be very difficult for them, and bathing may be seen as threatening to them.
Therefore, it’s vital that the bathing room be as inviting, comfortable, and safe as possible to give them a enjoyable, stress-free experience.
Infection control is another reason why the bathing area needs upgrades.
The current shower room is out-dated. There are cracked and stained surfaces which could pose an infection and safety risk.
The new rooms will be brighter, and also feature tiled and stainless surfaces which easily can be disinfected and cleaned.
Manty said the Foundation really is hoping the community will help out.
“[It] $25,000 is quite a large amount, I know, but it would be so nice for the community to get together and to raise these funds, and renovate and update that shower room,” she enthused.
“It would make such a big difference in the residents’ lives who are in the Special Care Unit.”
Last Christmas, district residents lent their support to the Foundation, which enabled it to purchase seven IV pumps for the hospital sites in Fort Frances, Emo, and Rainy River.
Manty noted last year, some businesses held their own fundraisers amongst staff and then gave a donation to the Foundation on behalf of them.
“Things like that are always encouraged,” she remarked.
“It’s really nice to see the community pulling together and giving a gift that will make a difference.”
A mail-out has been sent to all district residents; just fill it out and send it back to the Foundation.
Tax receipts will be issued for donations of more than $20, noted Manty.
But in order to apply that receipt to your 2015 taxes, you’ll need to make the donation prior to Dec. 30.
If you did not get an envelope and pledge card from the Foundation in the mail, you always can write a cheque to the Riverside Foundation for Health Care and put “Shower room” on the memo line.
That way, the Foundation will know the donation is specifically for that, Manty said.
Or if they’d like a pledge card, they always can give her a call and she’ll send them out another letter or pledge card.
Manty can be reached at 274-4803 or via e-mail at s.manty@rhcf.on.ca
