Bulletin | SPRINT Senior Care

New wheelchair-accessible van donated by Rotary Club of Toronto Charitable Foundation

SPRINT Senior Care has received a brand new wheelchair accessible van to help transport clients to our Adult Day Program. This vehicle was funded by a generous donation from the Rotary Club of Toronto Charitable Foundation and is part the Foundation’s three-year commitment to donate $351,000 to the Toronto Ride partnership to replace the most urgently needed vehicles in the Toronto Ride fleet.

Toronto Ride, led by SPRINT Senior Care, is a partnership of 13 not-for-profit, community support service agencies that provides assisted, door-to-door transportation to seniors over 55 years of age and adults with disabilities who are not eligible for Wheel-Trans. The partnership provides approximately 189,000 rides per year to over 4,000 clients, the majority of whom are seniors.

Thank you to the Rotary Club of Toronto Charitable Foundation for this generous donation, and for your ongoing support of this vital service!

Generous donor funds music therapy at SPRINT Senior Care's Adult Day Program

On a recent Wednesday, music therapist Dave had feet tapping, hands clapping and voices singing at our Adult Day Program (ADP).

It’s a new weekly class where seniors gather to express themselves in a different way – through music. Dave, equipped with a guitar, passed out tambourines, shakers, sticks and drums to participants. He then led them in rousing versions of “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” and “Hit the Road Jack.”

“It’s one of the best classes you can go to,” according to ADP client Ada, who says that singing and playing instruments makes her feel warm inside.

This new and engaging music therapy program was made possible through a generous donation from the Lorraine Johnston Foundation.

Music therapy differs from a typical music class in that the instructor comes in with goals for participants based on their needs or strengths. These goals could be social, such as encouraging verbal expression, or movement-based. “I’ve gotten to know each client, so I form goals with each client. I know how the music reaches them,” says Dave, an accredited music therapist with Miya Music Therapy. “I’m not just singing with everybody – I’m watching how people are singing and going with what they do, and responding to changes.”

During a rendition of “Twist and Shout,” the instructor encouraged the seniors to move their egg shakers along with the song’s rhythm, from the floor all the way to a high stretch. Later, when one client began to sing on her own, he strummed his guitar along to encourage the improvisation. “I love to be able to ask the clients what they like and what they want to do,” he says.

Those with dementia or Alzheimer’s, which includes many of our ADP clients, particularly benefit from music therapy: beyond the activity’s social and physical benefits, music can help tap into one’s long-term memory. Singing a familiar song, for example, may prompt memories associated with that song. “It’s an entry point into asking memory-based questions and stimulating long term memories,” Dave says

SPRINT Senior Care would like to express our gratitude to the Lorraine Johnston Foundation for making this program possible.

Unique partnership between SPRINT Senior Care, Sunnybrook and LOFT addresses hospital overcrowding

Have you ever had a loved one in the hospital who had to wait for a bed?

Hospital overcrowding is a growing problem in Ontario and beyond. By helping seniors live safely in their homes, SPRINT Senior Care is dedicated to being part of the solution. We’re also helping to tackle this issue in a new way: through Pine Villa, a unique partnership with Sunnybrook Hospital and LOFT Community Services, with support from the Toronto Central LHIN.

In March 2018, the doors opened at Pine Villa, a 68-bed facility providing short-term stays for alternate level of care (ALC) patients who no longer need hospital care, but still require support. The Eglinton Ave W site is a former retirement home repurposed for this new use. SPRINT Senior Care staff, including personal support workers, nurse practitioners, client care supervisors, social workers and a recreation therapist, work on site to provide care. The goal is to have residents stay for a short-term period, in preparation for their final discharge, typically back home or into long-term care.

Transitional care sites such as Pine Villa are an important element in reducing the strain on overcrowded hospitals. They allow patients to get care at the level they need, and transition quickly to their ideal living situation. The Pine Villa team recently won a Sunnybrook Team Award for their partnership in this model.

“SPRINT Senior Care is thrilled to be a part of this innovative model of an integrated healthcare system approach,” CEO Stacy Landau says. “There needs to be a multiprong approach to this complex issue and the Pine Villa site is doing its part to help out.”

Client Pam lived at Pine Villa this spring after having shoulder replacement surgery. “Remembering my grandmother and mother in a nursing home haunted me,” Pam wrote in a letter to staff. “I didn’t know what to expect.”

Pam writes that she was “totally and pleasantly surprised” by her experience at Pine Villa, particularly by the attentive SPRINT Senior Care staff. “They could not do enough to make me feel welcome and did not once make me feel that I was imposing, too needy, or too dependent. I witnessed the compassion and care given to each and every patient in your facility,” she writes.

A caregiver's experience on the Client and Family Advisory Council

Helen, an Adult Day Program caregiver, is getting to know SPRINT Senior Care in a whole new way.

Helen is a member of our Client and Family Advisory Council, where she regularly meets with staff to share feedback on SPRINT Senior Care’s client care, policies and projects – from her perspective as a caregiver.

During monthly meetings, staff present their projects to Helen and her fellow Council members, who have the opportunity to ask questions and give their opinion. The Council has given feedback on a variety of initiatives, including a review of our agency values, staff recruitment strategies, transportation communications, a brochure for fundraising, and our falls prevention strategy. The committee’s feedback helps to drive improvements in quality and ensure that our care remains as client-centred as possible.

Helen says she first got involved with the Council because she wanted to learn more about the organization that was taking care of her partner Rosemary, who attends our Adult Day Program four days a week.

SPRINT Senior Care staff who meet with the Council are interested in getting honest feedback, she says. Hearing the truth will lead to better care, she added, and all organizations would benefit from it. “There are few organizations that are brave enough to do that,” Helen says.

Helen believes that clients and caregivers can bring a unique perspective to discussions that would normally happen between staff. In the end, it benefits everyone, leading to better care. “I’ve been really impressed,” she says of SPRINT Senior Care. “I hadn’t realized how many different aspects there were to the organization. Nor had I realized the high standards that they have in all of the programs that they’re offering. It’s an honourable organization that I feel proud to be connected with.”

MP Rob Oliphant meets SPRINT Senior Care summer student

Member of Parliament Rob Oliphant (Don Valley West) stopped by SPRINT Senior Care’s Adult Day Program on August 9 to meet one of our summer students, Noah.

Oliphant, a former North Toronto-area United Church minister, is a longtime supporter of SPRINT Senior Care. During his visit, he spoke to Noah about his future career path and the work he’s accomplished this summer at the Adult Day Program. Noah is one of six students at SPRINT Senior Care funded by the federal government through its Canada Summer Jobs program.

Noah, who will be starting his second year as a psychology student at the University of Guelph this September and is interested in a social work career, spent his summer planning and running activities, and serving meals to our senior clients. “It’s very hands-on,” he says. “It’s a good stepping stone to become a social worker.”

He says SPRINT Senior Care is very client-focused, which he believes is beneficial. One of his favourite experiences has been talking to seniors about their lives and their pasts. “It’s interesting that clients from so many different walks of life end up at the same table,” he says.

2018 Annual Volunteer Recognition Event

On Wednesday, April 25, 2018, SPRINT Senior Care celebrated our incredible volunteers at our Annual Volunteer Recognition Event, held at The Bob Rumball Centre for the Deaf. We would like to thank all those who joined us for this special event, and congratulate our award recipients below.

We would also like to thank our generous donors: Cineplex Yonge & Eglinton, Mellow Walk, FoodShare, Lindt & Sprungli, California Sandwiches (2474 Dufferin Street), MLSE, and several anonymous donors.

Check out our Facebook for photos of the event!

Charlotte Maher Outstanding Achievement Award: Michael Moore

Departmental Volunteer of the Year Awards: Dementia Care Award: Adam Dinoff; Community Wellness Award: Jenny Huynh; Meals on Wheels Award: Matt Madill; Office Support Award: Helen Neville

5 Years of Service Awards: Barbara Goodbody; Margaret Boland; Heather Bates; Paula Schipper; Claire Perkins; Barbara Gruber; Jocelyn Charles; Barry Yontef; Mary Fraleigh

10 Years of Service Awards: Eileen Greer; Sukhanpreet Dhanotta; Sally Lew; Mary Pat Moore

15 Years of Service Awards: Paul Colman; Ian Fraser

20 Years of Service Awards: John Fuller; Ines Couperthwaite

CBC News features SPRINT Senior Care in story highlighting shortage of Meals on Wheels drivers

On Thursday, March 15, 2018, CBC News published stories on their website and on Metro Morning highlighting the shortage of Meals on Wheels volunteers in Toronto.

SPRINT Senior Care’s Volunteer Services Specialist Ashika Iqbal; Meals on Wheels Supervisor Eileen McGeean and a Meals on Wheels Client provided their insight on this important issue.

Please follow the links below to read and listen to this story.

CBC News article

Metro Morning

Are you interested in volunteering with SPRINT Senior Care’s Meals on Wheels program? Call 416-481-6411 ext. 723 or email volunteer@sprintseniorcare.org.

South Korean delegates visit SPRINT Senior Care to learn about Toronto Ride

Neighbor System's Jungwook Choi, Principal Research Scientist and Chisong Ryu, Senior Researcher, joined by interpreter Emma Lim, Women's Empowerment Program Facilitator at North York Women's Centre, visited SPRINT Senior Care on Wednesday, January 24, 2018, to learn about Toronto Ride.

The delegates met with our team to discuss how Toronto Ride provides transportation services for older adults and people with disabilities, and they were particularly interested in learning about the challenges we have faced and how we have dealt with them. Through a demonstration of our centralized scheduling software, we showed how it enables us to work more closely together with our partner agencies.

This meeting was a great opportunity to learn about how Toronto Ride differs from comparable transportation services in South Korea; yet how they are similar in many ways, with the same challenges being faced such as securing sufficient funding for vehicles and providing equitable service for all clients, regardless of where they live.

We are very thankful to Jungwook, Chisong and Emma for taking the time to visit and learn about Toronto Ride.

SPRINT Senior Care contribues to UHN OpenLab's story on the detrimental effects of bed bugs on seniors

The Local is a storytelling platform that brings a human dimension to population health data in the Toronto Central LHIN. It tells hyperlocal stories about population health issues and grassroots innovations happening within the Toronto neighbourhoods that make up the LHIN’s five sub-regions.

On Wednesday, November 15, 2017, The Local published a story titled When a Bedbug Problem Snowballs into an Emergency, on how “something as mundane as a bedbug infestation, which might once have been considered a minor public health issue, can quickly snowball into a costly and traumatic ordeal.”

For the story, SPRINT Senior Care contributed our input on the devastating effects infestations can have on seniors in our community.

Earlier this year for a different story by The Local, two SPRINT Senior Care client stories were featured.

2017 Annual Volunteer Social

On Wednesday, November 1^st, SPRINT Senior Care hosted our Annual Volunteer Social, bringing together our incredible volunteers for an evening of socializing and saying thanks.

We would like thank our host The Bull: A Firkin Pub, and our sponsors who graciously provided us with prizes for the event, including:

• The Rom

• Casa Loma

• Mellow Walk

Check out our Facebook page for photos of the event.

SPRINT Senior Care celebrates Community Support Services Month

October is Community Support Services Month – an opportunity to celebrate the services and the individuals that help seniors and people with disabilities live independently.

Community support services support nearly one million Ontarians each year, including seniors and people with disabilities. They help clients live independently in their own homes and communities as long as possible, and reduce the burden on family caregivers and other parts of the health care system. As Ontario’s population ages, community support services will become even more important.

Here at SPRINT Senior Care, we see firsthand how critical community support services are to building a sustainable health system, and we are committed to providing exceptional care and quality services that enable seniors to live at home and thrive in their communities. We know this simply wouldn’t be possible without our dedicated staff and volunteers. Throughout the month of October, we are excited to acknowledge their dedication and the important work they do.

Rotary Club of Toronto Charitable Foundation makes incredible donation to Toronto Ride

The Rotary Club of Toronto Charitable Foundation has committed to donating $351,000 to Toronto Ride over three years to replace the most urgently needed vehicles in our aging fleet.

Toronto Ride, led by SPRINT Senior Care, is a collaborative partnership of 13 not-for-profit, community support service agencies that provides assisted, door-to-door transportation to seniors over 55 years of age and adults with disabilities who are not eligible for Wheel-Trans. The goal is to help our clients continue to live independently in the community by providing transportation to their healthcare and other important appointments. The partnership provides approximately 189,000 rides per year to over 4,000 clients, the majority of whom are seniors.

This generous donation from The Rotary Club of Toronto Charitable Foundation will allow Toronto Ride to maintain its commitment to providing safe, reliable transportation service throughout Toronto, reducing isolation amongst seniors and adults with disabilities and enabling them to live independently.

”For the safety of our clients, it is critical that our fleet be well maintained,” says Kai Simmons, Manager of Toronto Ride. “The older the vehicles get, the more often they need to be repaired, which is very costly and impacts the number of trips we can provide to our clients. These new vehicles donated by The Rotary Club of Toronto Charitable Foundation will enable us to provide a more efficient and seamless service to seniors in need.”

Toronto Ride would like to express our sincere gratitude to The Rotary Club of Toronto Charitable Foundation for their commitment to this vital community support service.

Sunnybrook Hospital CEO & President visits SPRINT Senior Care

On August 30, 2017, we were pleased to have Sunnybrook Hospital's CEO & President Dr. Andy Smith, joined by Malcolm Moffat, Executive Vice-President Programs, Dr. Karen Fleming Interim Chief, Department of Family & Community Medicine and Tracy Hussey, Patient Care Manager, Academic Family Health Team, visit us to learn about SPRINT Senior Care's role in the healthcare system, and to discuss ways to better collaborate. "It's a team sport," says Dr. Smith.

We also took them to meet Supportive Housing client Margo who told them about the community care she receives, saying “SPRINT Senior Care is my lifesaver.”

Thank you for visiting, Sunnybrook Hospital!

SPRINT Senior Care and Alzheimer Society of Toronto present Young Onset Dementia program

SPRINT Senior Care and Alzheimer Society of Toronto are launching a unique wellness program for people living with Young Onset Dementia (under 65), called Saturdays @ SPRINT Senior Care. Find out more: Young Onset Dementia Program.

SPRINT Senior Care does the Toronto Challenge 2017

SPRINT Senior Care would like to say a huge THANK YOU to all who supported our Toronto Challenge campaign!

We chose to participate in the City of Toronto’s annual Toronto Challenge, because it’s an excellent opportunity to garner support for non-profit organizations – like ours – that are committed to improving the quality of life of seniors. All funds raised through pledges of SPRINT Senior Care registrants come directly to our agency to support us in providing services that enable seniors to live at home and thrive in their communities.

Thank you to the 45 participants who joined us on Sunday, June 11^th for a fantastic, fun and sun-filled morning! And thank you to the generous donors who have raised $6422 to date!

For photos of the event, check out our Facebook page.

Annual Volunteer Recognition Event

On Wednesday, April 26, 2017, SPRINT Senior Care celebrated our incredible volunteers at our Annual Volunteer Recognition Event, held at The Bob Rumball Centre for the Deaf. We would like to thank all those who joined us for this special event, and congratulate our award recipients below.

We would also like to thank our generous donors: valu-mart on Bayview, Cineplex Yonge & Eglinton, Mellow Walk, The Works, FoodShare, Mysteriously Yours Dinner Theatre.

Check out our Facebook for photos of the event!

Charlotte Maher Outstanding Achievement Award: Lee Shouldice

Departmental Volunteer of the Year Awards: Akihito Mizukoshi, Administrative Support Award; Richard Heystee, Transportation Department Award; Barbara Kulczycki, Community Wellness Award; Tenzin Chun-Wah Ling, Meals on Wheels Award; Mary Fraleigh, Ewart Angus Award; Kathy Morrissey, Cedarhurst Award; Oxana Polyakova, Active Living Centre Award

5 Years of Service Awards: Judith Bell; Mauricio Bobadilla; Victoria Chin-Elliott; Tenzin Chun-Wah Ling; Pierre D’Aoust; Gaston Doiron; Linda Finnigan; Ilana Goldhamer; Kate Griffiths; Gary Kaye; Matt Madill; Kathleen Murphy; Patricia Pinfold; Nina Richmond; Ron Rimer; Caroline Ross; Deborah Taylor; Michael Treuman; Huneid Vakharia; O'Llenencia Walker; Mary Ann Weaver; Ken Wong

10 Years of Service Awards: Linda Byron; Sara Hormuz; Bruce MacOdrum; Robert McDonald; Don Priston; Kitty Retter

15 Years of Service Awards: Linda Gallant; Lynn McLaughlin

20 Years of Service Awards: Marjorie Rogers

SPRINT Senior Care hosts Minister of Health and Long-term Care and Minister of Finance for new caregiver supports announcement, April 25, 2017

SPRINT Senior Care was excited to host Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care and Charles Sousa, Minister of Finance, for a media announcement this morning regarding new provincial supports for caregivers.

From the news release: “Ontario is making it easier for people who care for loved ones, with more respite services that allow people to take a break from their unpaid duties, increased education and training opportunities for caregivers, and a new, streamlined Ontario Caregiver Tax Credit.”

Five incredible caregivers – Helen, Ruth, Don, Winnie and Gini – who receive caregiver support services from SPRINT Senior Care met with the Ministers prior to the event to share their personal stories, with the Ministers aptly referring to them as the “unsung heroes.” Following the announcement, Helen publically and poignantly spoke about her experience as a caregiver.

“As an organization that works with caregivers every day, we understand the significant emotional and physical demands of caregiving, and we are very proud to provide support that helps them cope with their demands and lessens their burden,” says SPRINT Senior Care CEO Stacy Landau. “We are excited about this announcement and hope that this new funding will provide the much needed assistance for valuable caregiver programs in the community – including Adult Day Programs, Caregiver Support Groups, Social Work, system navigation and respite support via Personal Support Workers in the home and community.”

Media coverage of this announcement can be found in The Star, Global News and CBC Toronto.

We're participating in the Toronto Challenge 2017, and we want you to join us!

Register for the Toronto Challenge

In person or by mail: Return the Toronto Challenge Registration Form plus fee payable to the City of Toronto, to SPRINT Senior Care’s Communications & Development Department: 140 Merton Street, 2nd Floor, Toronto, ON M4S 1A1.

Online: Via Toronto Challenge’s website. NOTE: If you register online, you must notify SPRINT Senior Care to receive your free water bottle. Please also see race kit pick-up instructions below. TEL: 416-481-6411 ext. 248 E: info@sprintseniorcare.org.

The deadline to pre-register through SPRINT Senior Care is Friday, May 26, 2017. You may register in-person on race day; however higher registration rates apply.

Thank you for fundraising!

Pledgers can support registrants by donating through the registrant, or online via SPRINT Senior Care’s website. Charitable tax receipts are provided for donations over $10.

In person through registrant: Registrant must track and collect pledgers’ information and funds using the Toronto Challenge Pledge Form. Registrant must provide the pledge form including cash or cheque payments to SPRINT Senior Care’s Communications & Development Department: 140 Merton Street, 2nd Floor, Toronto, ON M4S 1A1.

Online: Pledgers can donate online, noting that their donation is in support of Toronto Challenge. Registrant must still provide enclosed pledge form including any additional cash or cheque payments to SPRINT Senior Care’s Communications & Development Department: 140 Merton Street, 2nd Floor, Toronto, ON M4S 1A1.

The deadline to submit your pledge form and funds is Monday, June 19, 2017. To get a SPRINT Senior Care Dri-FIT t-shirt, you must submit your pledge form and funds with over $50 raised by Friday, May 26, 2017.

Race kit pick-up

Please select your preference for race kit pick-up (includes SPRINT Senior Care water bottle and Dri-FIT t-shirt, if eligible) on your Registration Form. Online registrants must contact SPRINT Senior Care if they prefer advance race kit pick-up, otherwise they are responsible for collecting their kit on race day as per below.

Before race day, from SPRINT Senior Care: 140 Merton Street, 2nd Floor, Toronto (Date and time TBA)

On race day: Toronto Challenge race kit available from Metro Hall, from 7:30am. SPRINT Senior Care water bottle and Dri-FIT t-shirt available from SPRINT Senior Care booth, from 8:30am.

SPRINT Senior Care is launching an LGBT Educational Series

Please find the details below, or by clicking here.

lgbt_educational_series_flyer_-_letter_size_-_pride_creativity_and_aging_tf.jpg

SPRINT Senior Care client’s story featured in UHN OpenLab’s The Local

The majority of neighbourhoods in North Toronto have a higher population of seniors living alone, compared to the rest of the Toronto Central LHIN. In fact, in Mount Pleasant West, 58% of seniors live alone.

Home Alone: A Portrait Series, takes you into the lives of seniors, including 103 year-old SPRINT Senior Care client Mr. Kwok and 92 year-old SPRINT Senior Care client Ms. Palmer, who both live in one of the four Toronto Community Housing buildings from which SPRINT Senior Care provides services to around 160 seniors. Listen to their stories below.

Mr Kwok from Tai Huynh on Vimeo.

Ms Palmer from Tai Huynh on Vimeo.

Toronto Central LHIN Appoints SPRINT Senior Care CEO as North Toronto Community Care Co-Lead

Source: Toronto Central LHIN

Toronto Central LHIN has divided its region into five sub-regions to provide a foundation for the development of local integrated systems to ensure that residents receive better health outcomes. According to Toronto Central LHIN, these local planning areas will assist the Toronto Central LHIN to more effectively plan, evaluate and improve each local health system. This work will be done in consultation and partnership with its residents, patients and health service providers to ensure that the system is responsive to the unique local communities within the city of Toronto. They will use these planning areas as a means to better identify and respond to population need and to better plan together, coordinate and integrate service delivery, and improve population health and equity in health outcomes. It is important to note that the sub-regions are not service boundaries and will continue to allow for patient choice.

Toronto Central LHIN has appointed SPRINT Senior Care CEO Stacy Landau as the North Toronto Community Care Co-Lead. The Community Care Leads with representation from Community Support Service (CSS) and Community Mental Health and Addictions (CMHA), act as advisors to the Toronto Central LHIN. Leads are responsible for transparent communication, collaboration, and coordination with CSS and CMHA providers across their sub-region and bringing forward the range of perspectives to LHIN-related discussions. These leaders work collaboratively with the Primary Care Clinical Leads, Hospital Resource Partners, and sub-region leads from the Toronto Central CCAC and LHIN.

Further information can be found on Toronto Central LHIN’s website.

SPRINT Senior Care Hosts 2016 Annual Volunteer Social

SPRINT Senior Care could not care for seniors without a dedicated army of volunteers who generously give their time. On Thursday, November 10^th, we brought our amazing volunteers together for the Annual Volunteer Social.

We would like thank our sponsors who graciously provided us with door prizes for the event, including:

• The Bull: A Firkin Pub

• Tuft's valu-mart

• Foodshare

• Mellow Walk

Check out our Facebook page for photos of the Annual Volunteer Social.

SPRINT Senior Care clients and caregivers featured in CTV report about Alzheimer's disease

Read the report: Number of Alzheimer's patients will triple by 2015: study

Premier Kathleen Wynne visits SPRINT Senior Care

Watch the video: Premier of Ontario Kathleen Wynne visited SPRINT Senior Care's main office to discuss investments in senior care and to meet with our Active Fingers Knitting and Crochet Group.