Category Archives: News

Solid finances, good health and a huge heaping of love — those are the secrets

By Patrick Maloney, The London Free Press

When asked the secret to wedded bliss, Don Pembleton takes his time thinking of an answer.

As he and his wife Lela get ready to celebrate their 75th — yes, you read that right, their 75th — anniversary, nothing happens quite as quickly as it used to. Then again, it doesn’t need to.

Read Full Article: http://www.lfpress.com/2013/12/26/solid-finances-good-health-and-a-huge-heaping-of-love–those-are-the-secrets

 

Nursing: It’s a 24-Hour Job

What would you do if you witnessed a tragic accident? Would you stare in shock? Call an ambulance? Or rush to the aid of the victim? It’s a tough question for many people to answer.

Unless, of course, you’re a nurse.

When you’re a nurse, your gut instinct is to help. Life-or-death situations are what you train for, after all. Just ask Paula Thomson, the Administrator at Bonnie Brae Nursing Home and the soon-to-open Earls Court Village Long-Term Care Facility. In 2010, Paula witnessed a devastating on-ice accident at a Junior C hockey game between the New Hamburg Firebirds and the Woodstock Renegades. At one point during the match-up, two players got into a bit a scuffle, which required Kevin Brown, a linesman at the game, to step in and diffuse the situation. Except, at the exact moment that he approached the players, they both tumbled to the ice sending limbs and blades flying in every direction… including directly at Kevin.”

I kind of remember,” Brown said in an interview with the Sentinel-Review, recounting the fight that changed his life. “I didn’t see the skate coming up but I knew I had a job to do and break up a fight. I remember being on my knees and bleeding.” This is because Kevin’s carotid artery had been sliced by an errant blade during the fight. Confused, Kevin skated over to the New Hamburg bench following the incident, where he immediately collapsed. He would have died if it weren’t for the smart thinking of Firebirds’ trainer Greg Henning, Woodstock trainers Dan Dukes and Bert Cowell, and Nurse Thomson.

“Kevin had his hand clasped over his neck and you could see the blood pulsating from him,” recalled Thomson in the Sentinel-Review article. Forced to improvise, Thomson quickly cut the straps from Brown’s helmet, making sure to keep pressure on his neck. “The trainers did a great job maintaining pressure,” Thomson said. “The group of us worked very well together keeping calm and doing our best to ensure Kevin had a fighting chance once he reached the hospital.” Nurse Thomson, along with the trainers, was later recognized for her efforts with an award from the hockey association.

Kevin, who now has a large scar on his neck as a reminder of that fateful night, suffered a stroke due to massive blood loss. That being said, he could have lost his life if it wasn’t for Thomson’s immediate response.

While Kevin doesn’t remember a lot from the night of the injury, Nurse Thomson knows that it’s a memory she won’t soon forget. “I couldn’t sleep the next couple of days not knowing how Kevin was,” said Thomson. Worried, Nurse Thomson tracked down the cellphone number of Kevin’s father, Murray. “When Murray answered the phone, I told him my name and that he probably didn’t know who I was. His response was, ‘yes I do, you saved my son’s life.’”

A reputation for excellence in London

KENSINGTON VILLAGE RETIREMENT/NURSING HOME, as we know it today, was established in 1984 but its roots go back to the late 1960s.

In the ‘60s, Florence and Earl Schlegel (parents of current owners Peter Schlegel and Carol Drudge) and their partners opened Bethany Lodge on Sharon Road in Lambeth where Teen Challenge is currently located.

In 1984, a 30-bed nursing home and 60-bed retirement home opened at the intersection of Huron and Highbury Streets in London, and Kensington Village was born. Bethany Lodge continued on until 1990, at which time all remaining residents were transferred to the newly expanded nursing home at Kensington Village.

The Schlegel family have been involved from the beginning and continue to be “hands on” and very present in the running of Kensington Village. In addition, the philosophy of Kensington is the continuum of care. In the retirement home, different levels of care are offered, depending on the needs of the resident, including the option of Palliative Care.

When looking at the kind of challenges that a private establishment faces when going up against “the chain” type of operations, the things that come to mind are: 1. establishing name recognition; 2. keeping abreast of changes and 3. being our own experts in the running of a care facility.

We are able to offer flexibility of care options as opposed to over-all corporate policy.

Kensington Village is currently home to approximately 260 residents in a variety of room configurations ranging from private to wards. Residents enjoy three balanced meals each day with special consideration given to therapeutic diets. In addition, residents can participate in daily activities – bingo, music, crafts, church services, pet visits, exercises classes to name a few.

What makes Kensington Village so special?

• a dedicated staff that works together as a team to provide the best possible care and is committed to delivering “compassion, comfort and care”
• pride in the care that has been given over the years
• our warm, homey and friendly atmosphere where you are a stranger only once.

Kensington Village is currently in the planning stages of an addition to the continuum of care with a more independent component. We are proud and happy to say “Come home to Kensington.”

(Photo description: Florence Schlegel, left, was among the original owners of Kensington Village, now owned today by her children, Peter Schlegel and Carol Drudge.)

BIG BIKE WHEELS THROUGH TOWN

The Big Bike is one of the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s most fun-raising fundraising events, and on Friday morning in Mount Forest three groups of riders hopped into the saddle to help raise funds, attention and a few laughs. Causing a commotion wherever it goes, the bike received a rowdy send-off from SoloWave employees as it left the fire hall in Mount Forest. In all, 44 from SoloWave and a third bike of community members enjoyed the annual ride in spite of Friday’s rain, wind and cold. This year’s goal was to raise $195,000 in Wellington/Dufferin for lifesaving heart disease and stroke research.

WARM HOSPITALITY AND HOT CHOCOLATE

Saugeen Valley Nursing Center residents enjoyed the beautifully decorated Mount Forest Greenhouses on Dec. 7, and Alma Ward highlighted her visit with a cup of hot chocolate by the tree.

TRIMMING THE TREE

David Palmer, having fun and experimenting with some of the many beautiful decorations the greenhouse has to offer, was among the Saugeen Valley Nursing Center Staff and residents enjoying a holiday visit of Mount Forest Greenhouses on Dec. 7.