CapitalCare's Post Secondary Education Funding Program - Bursary Recipients

June 25, 2024 - Each year, the CapitalCare Foundation funds the continuing education of CapitalCare staff through the Post Secondary Education Funding program. Through the generous support of donors and the Foundation, up to $20,000 is disbursed amongst eligible staff enrolled in registered programs at accredited post secondary institutions. Staff receive funding for participating in and completing a variety of work-related programs like nursing, leadership, wound management, LPN studies, and recreation therapy, etc.

The Post Secondary Education Funding program has been in place for over 20 years, and hundreds of staff have benefited from the support. Many bursary recipients have demonstrated an exemplary commitment to providing person-centred care, and here are some of their inspiring stories.

Kapinga ‘Bijou’ Kankolongo – 2023 Bursary Recipient

“I have always been passionate about elderly care, addressing the unique challenges of aging populations, pain management, and quality of life improvement,” says Kapinga ‘Bijou’ Kankolongo, an LPN at the Kipnes Centre for Veterans and 2023 bursary recipient.

Bijou’s passion for providing emotional support to patients and families inspired her to take a Nursing Refresher Program at Bay College, all because she’s dedicated to administering superior care and support for CapitalCare’s residents.

“Receiving a $1,000 bursary from CapitalCare has been a significant milestone in my educational journey. The bursary reduced some of the financial pressures associated with pursuing higher education, allowing me to focus more on my studies and less on the burden of tuition fees and related expenses.”

Beyond her current program, Bijou plans on furthering her education in critical care. She’s interested in caring for the most seriously ill patients, working with advanced medical technology, and being part of a highly skilled medical team. She hopes to one day specialize in geriatrics to address the unique challenges of aging populations and improve seniors’ quality of life.

Bernadine Plares – 2023 Bursary Recipient

Bernadine Plares, an HCA at Lynnwood and a recipient of a post-secondary education bursary in 2023, has been at CCL since 2011. Bernadine was inspired by her children, especially her youngest son David—who is on the autism spectrum—to pursue further education. Bernadine applied for the bursary during the 2nd year of her Practical Nursing diploma and plans to graduate in Spring 2025.

“The generous sponsorship of the bursary helps lower the cost of my tuition fees. Working at Lynnwood gave me the opportunity to work with great colleagues and the flexibility to work and study at the same time,” says Bernadine. “Lynnwood has been part of my journey of personal growth, and this is just the beginning.”

Carla Halfyard – 2022 Bursary Recipient

Carla Halfyard worked as a Centre Practice Leader & Infection Control Designate at CapitalCare Lynnwood when she decided to enroll in a Master of Nursing program at Athabasca University. Carla always knew she wanted to be a geriatric nurse and eventually work in a leadership role.

“The residents are why I come to work each day and why I work with the teams to improve quality within our centres,” says Carla. After completing her Master’s degree, Carla took on the Manager, Quality, Care, and Policy role, which gave her the opportunity to support quality care throughout the organization.

Though Carla knew she wanted to continue her education ever since completing her Nursing Degree in 2010, it sometimes felt like life got in the way. With three kids and a full-time job, the timing never seemed right. But after realizing the timing would never be right, Carla decided to apply to the Master of Nursing program. Excited to be accepted, she was quickly thrown into the challenge of pursuing her studies during the COVID-19 pandemic, which started shortly after beginning her program. Despite the immense challenges, Carla continued to work through her courses, occasionally waking up at 4am to complete an assignment before coming to Lynnwood.

“I took it day by day and made sure my kids weren’t falling behind in their own schoolwork while we maneuvered our way through virtual learning. It was nice to know that CapitalCare supported me on my journey and invested in my education. As a mom of three kids, having that extra bit of financial support was welcomed! And the ease of applying for the bursary definitely made it enticing.”

CapitalCare is grateful for the invaluable contributions made by dedicated staff. Assisting the educational pursuits of the bright and kind staff in CapitalCare’s community is yet another way to Put People First and Empower Others. CapitalCare is committed to supporting the ongoing growth and development of staff to continue delivering quality person-centred care. The generous support and donations to the CapitalCare Foundation allow our staff to pursue their educational goals and provide the best care possible.

CHOICE Dickinsfield Celebrates Client's 99+1 Birthday!

June 13, 2024 - Mrs. Sau Yeung, a client at CHOICE Dickinsfield, recently celebrated her 99+1 birthday alongside Dickinsfield staff and clients. The community came together with cakes and ballons to celebrate Mrs. Yeung’s milestone.

“I was thrilled to celebrate Mrs. Yeung’s birthday. Even though she doesn’t speak English, she smiled and made hearts with her fingers to express her joy,” says Galina Nelson, Care Manager at CHOICE Dickinsfield.

Mrs. Yeung’s health records indicated she was turning 99, so CHOICE Dickinsfield decorated the program with the number 99. But on the day of the party, Mrs. Yeung clarified that she was actually turning 100, not 99! According to the Chinese nominal age system, a person is 1 years old on the day of their birth, so CHOICE staff printed a large +1 sign to make it a 99+1 party!

Mrs. Yeung has been a CHOICE client for 17 years. She spent much of her life in Hong Kong before moving to Canada in the 90s to join her daughter, Anita. While she has limited experience with English, Mrs. Yeung speaks Cantonese and charms staff and clients alike with her optimism and joyous demeanor.

Mrs. Yeung’s daughter and her family have devoted themselves to preserving Mrs. Yeung’s health and happiness. They’ve partnered with CHOICE to ensure Mrs. Yeung continues enjoying her life at home by receiving personalized solutions while easily accessing self-managed care.

CHOICE, which stands for Comprehensive Home Option of Integrated Care for the Elderly, provides an array of programs like nutritional services, physiotherapy, and home support that empowers older adults with multiple health conditions to continue thriving in their communities and live with dignity. CHOICE partners with clients and their families to coordinate personalized support delivered by a multidisciplinary team of physicians, nurses, pharmacists, occupational and physical therapists, social workers, recreation staff and health care workers.

CHOICE clients build meaningful relationships as they enjoy regular social contact with other clients. A variety of recreational activities, like axe throwing, floor hockey, badminton, board games, and opportunities to socialize keep clients engaged and active.

Mrs. Yeung’s favourite benefits of the CHOICE program are socializing, physiotherapy, and working with nurses, doctors, and occupational therapists to ensure her house accommodates her mobility requirements.

CapitalCare and staff from the CHOICE program hope to celebrate many more birthdays with Mrs. Yeung and her family!

To learn more about CapitalCare’s CHOICE programs, you can read the CHOICE Client and Family Handbook or view the CHOICE Fact Sheet.

Trailblazers for Culture Change 2024

April 23, 2024 - The Trailblazers for Culture Change awards are a national award and recognition program designed to recognize initiatives, programs, or day-to-day practices that change the culture of aging. CapitalCare is thrilled to announce that programs from CapitalCare Strathcona, the Kipnes Centre for Veterans, and CHOICE South have been nominated as Trailblazers for Culture Change.

CapitalCare Strathcona – Intergenerational Activity Patio

CapitalCare Strathcona's Intergenerational Activity Patio initiative was nominated for the Trailblazers for Culture Change award after being inspired by dialogue at the 2022 Walk With Me conference.

CapitalCare’s senior care facilities were designed with residents at the forefront of every decision. While this results in designs that reflect resident needs, it creates a need to thoughtfully integrate spaces for multiple generations, including children. The CapitalCare Strathcona team wanted to ensure residents, parents and children benefit from intergenerational activities during visits, so they worked with residents and local play-structure specialists to reimagine spaces that will engage children more effectively and encourage longer, higher-quality visits. Thus, the Intergenerational Activity Patio was born.

Whether it’s the play area for middle-school aged children, the large X-and-O game that persons in wheelchairs can wheel up to, or the outdoor setups for international games like corn hole and horseshoes, these activity spaces keep children engaged while also stimulating residents.

When multiple generations collaborate, learn, and play together, they foster a sense of community and well-being. Spontaneous participation and play in communal spaces creates a home-like environment which doesn’t require additional resources to coordinate. Creating accessible and enabling environments supports engagement and community connection, and the Intergenerational Activity Patio is a leading example of how designing spaces with intergenerational participation in mind could be shared with senior care facilities nationwide. By Working Together with Purpose, the CCS team devised a thoughtful solution that improves residents’ quality of life and reinforces the values of person-centred care.

Kipnes Centre for Veterans – Youth Connections Program

The Youth Connections Program at Kipnes brings youth volunteers into the centre and pairs them up with Kipnes residents who share similar skills or interests. Facilitated by the community services coordinator and members of the recreation therapy team, the program creates symbiotic relationships between residents and volunteers, where both members in a pair learn new skills, explore their interests, and gain valuable life experiences.

Take the story of Everette and Diane, for example. Everette—a youth volunteer—is an avid writer, and Diane—a Kipnes resident—is a published author. The two were paired because of their shared interest in writing and storytelling. Whenever Everette and Diane spend time together, they take turns reading and editing each other’s work, continually inspiring one another with new ideas and learning opportunities.

Or the story of Tuleen, who first became a volunteer at Kipnes while in grade 11. She was surprised by how much fun she had with Kipnes residents and encouraged her fellow students to volunteer too. When she first started volunteering, she was considering a career in nursing. Now, a couple years later, she is in her first year in a nursing program and well on her way to establishing the career of her dreams.

Bonnie, a resident at Kipnes, smiling at a young girl visiting the centre.

By Being Present, Being Yourself, and Coming from the Heart, residents and volunteers establish meaningful relationships. But that starts with staff at the Kipnes Centre Putting People First, which is one of the core values of person-centred care. Along with Growing and Learning, the Youth Connections program helps bridge the gap between the elderly and youth, changing the culture of aging one connection at a time.

CHOICE South – John Patrick Maglalang (Parkinson’s Program and Occupational Therapy Innovations)

John Patrick Maglalang—a Therapy Assistant working at CHOICE South's Occupational Therapy (OT) program—has been instrumental to the innovation and development of the centre's OT program. He assisted with developing a Parkinson's specific group and worked collaboratively to create specialized programming, such as functional activity stations that mimic a client's home environment. Numerous clients have been able to restore their autonomy and improve their quality of life thanks to John's efforts.