Rosebridge develops best
practices in supportive measures
From educating family members about supportive measures to making it part of new staff orientation, Rosebridge Manor is leading the way in the individualized care approach, says Fraser Wilson.

“I believe they have developed a number of best practices in supportive measures,” says the OMNI CEO about the staff at the Jasper long-term care home. “They are accentuating the humanity in health care, showing incredible courage in embracing supportive measures every day.”

Supportive measures is the term used to describe OMNI’s individualized way of supporting residents. Supportive measures involve a number of interventions aimed at soothing agitation in residents who have dementia. Interventions include medication monitoring, music therapy, reminiscing, therapeutic baths and massage.

Rosebridge dedicated March as supportive measures month, a time to rekindle the interest in the care approach. Administrator Nelly Hobbs told the OMNIway, “We feel it needs to have the profile elevated again. It’s like anything. It loses the novelty and we’re trying to get some of it back.” Nelly says supportive measures are everyone’s responsibility from front-life staff to housekeeping employees. Throughout March, Rosebridge held a number of initiatives including a luncheon with guest speakers to celebrate supportive measures.

Staff members’ individual contributions were recognized throughout the month. One Rosebridge employee went out of her way to arrange for a bubble bath for a resident who requested one. Another employee gave a male resident a beard and moustache trim her self instead of waiting for the hairdresser’s next visit.

That’s what supportive measures are all about, says Nelly. “It’s taking time to do (something) extra for a resident.”

Kathy Barr, supportive measures advocate at Rosebridge, says sometimes that involves changing your schedule to accommodate a resident’s request. The resident should come first, she says. "For so long the residents had to work into our schedules," says Kathy. “That's how we've changed over the years. It's not about what's convenient to the staff member. We can change to accommodate the resident," she says. "It's their home. It's the decent thing to do."

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