Aug 12, 2022 | Mental Health, Faces of HDGH
August 12th is International Youth Day. For this Blog, we have a very special Q&A session from Malek Mekawi, HDGH Youth Advisory Council (YAC) Member as well as Student Trustee for the Greater Essex County District School Board. If you had any fear about the future of our world, you will fear no longer after reading more about this bright, talented, and driven Gen Z. Enjoy and breathe a little easier knowing our future is in good hands with youth like Malek!
My name is Malek Mekawi, and I am currently headed to the University of Windsor for Engineering this fall. Throughout the past few years, I’ve come to gain a deep concern, understanding, and passion for issues in need of social awareness. This led me to join not only the Youth Advisory Council at HDGH, but also seek the position of Student Trustee for the Windsor-Essex public board; GECDSB. I’ve come to meet many individuals across WE that have shared similar concerns and a drive to take action. Aside from my roles in youth advocacy, I am involved with several extracurricular activities in my school community, including student council, mock trials, and helping plan a series of fundraisers for those in need. I’m almost always talking and tend to be an outgoing individual, which allows me to better connect with my peers. Aside from that, I enjoy any and all Italian food and spend most of my free time binge-watching any action thriller I can find on Netflix.
I first joined the Youth Advisory Council (YAC) in the fall of 2019. A grade ten student at the time, I sought out opportunities to put my leadership and deep awareness of advocacy to use. I served as a Communications subcommittee member. Given the council was still relatively new, we worked collectively to spearhead our social media presence and promote the role of the council across Windsor-Essex. Over the course of two years, our committee worked to promote topics related to our mandate of social justice, mental health awareness, substance misuse and poverty in our community. YAC is comprised of three subcommittees that all complete unique tasks to drive change, though we’re all working towards one larger cause: youth awareness and advocacy. Working alongside other subcommittees and the council as a whole, communications shed light on all YAC initiatives, notably the Wellness Through Grace event held in May of 2021. Most recently, I moved from a communications subcommittee member to one of the Events committee co-chairs. This committee is more focused on the planning and execution of our initiatives. Through consultation with our partners, committee members, and youth, we work diligently to host engaging and informative events for students. The Youth Photo Voice Project was the first events-related task I had the honour of working on. The event enabled youth to capture issues across the community through a cinematic and photographic lens. Shedding light on issues that may be overlooked or surrounded by stigma. Students worked for several weeks to capture the perfect picture to help raise awareness on topics from climate change to mental health adversities. The events committee is also working alongside YAC committees, toward hosting our second Wellness Through Grace event in the fall of 2022. The event aims to promote key issues youth in the community value as students hear from notable speakers and experts from across the community.
Most people will often make note that youth are the future, while simultaneously overlooking their critical insight and opinions. It’d be an understatement to say youth hold a unique outlook on life. The input of youth is unlike anything else, given our deep understanding of current trends and issues. As health care continues to progress, institutions like hospitals are required to uphold greater responsibility in the community. Beyond simply serving the emergent medical needs of community members, it is vital that those in positions to engage in preventative care by sharing their knowledge, like health care professionals, work to engage with the communities they serve. There is no better way to truly understand the needs of the constantly evolving generation than to involve them. Involving youth in health care settings helps bring awareness to stigmatized issues that may be evolving within our generation, issues only we can truly understand and work to resolve. The Youth Advisory Council works to do just that, echo the voice of youth in a health care setting. Issues evolve and adapt to the times, so the way some issues are approached needs to change too. Inviting fresh ideas and insight from youth allows hospitals to uphold their vow to truly protect and serve their communities.
The Youth Advisory Council is hard at work planning our second annual Wellness Through Grace event. It offers an opportunity for like-minded youth across Windsor-Essex to engage in an informative, exciting and unique social awareness event. The emerging themes of WTG come directly from our mandate, which we’ve worked on extensively to ensure YAC is representative of the various issues across Windsor-Essex directly impacting youth. This year, students will hear from exceptional guest speakers on topics of mental health, social justice, substance misuse, poverty and a Let’s Get Real session focused on broader and stigmatized concerns.
The Wellness Through Grace event was founded to empower the youth of tomorrow by spreading awareness of ongoing issues in our community. If youth really are the leaders of tomorrow, then we must work towards providing the necessary resources to inspire change, and that begins with relearning stigmatized and seemingly simple issues. WTG will focus on a wide range of issues concerning youth and by the end, we hope students will be inspired to take action in some capacity.
Student participants are encouraged to work within their school communities to create groups focused on tackling a proposed issue. We strongly encourage all high school youth in the region to participate. Teachers are also encouraged to sign up their classrooms for a full day of thoughtful learning. Individuals may register by visiting the link in our Instagram bio, @hdghyac. Students will also be able to register by visiting our platform link.
This year’s theme for International Youth Day reiterates the idea that no one should be left behind, by inviting collaboration amongst all generations, to foster a better future for all individuals. Creating a world for all ages is more than just inviting ideas from across the board. We must work as a collective to hear each other out, truly learn one another’s perspective, acknowledge the work that needs to be done and work towards formulating a solution where all are treated equally, with respect and integrity. Now, more than ever, controversy divides our communities, usually stemming from our lack of understanding for one another. As the leaders of tomorrow, it is up to our youth to prevent that continuous cycle.Intergenerational solidarity starts with a conversation. I encourage all my fellow youth to consider an issue they value and use it to evoke conversation with those from previous generations. As opposed to simply researching the headlines, look into how these issues have evolved, from one generation to the next. Consider how and why previous generations have failed to resolve the matter. To truly work towards an everlasting solution, we must equip ourselves with the knowledge of those before us. Generation Z is strong, resilient, and smart. So, to Gen-Z, use that to embark on a journey of social justice and awareness. However, such an initiative should be inclusive of the intersectionality that exists. Next time any of you decide to step up and take action, do so by inviting help from your parents, cousins, friends, teachers, mentors and so forth.Lastly, to promote solidarity across all generations, it is important to continue to be understanding of one another. Ahead of jumping to conclusions when a controversial conversation is struck, try to uphold respect for others and be understanding of their perspective, regardless of how difficult that may seem. If we can continue to host valuable conversations and pinpoint arguably outdated ideals, we can work towards fostering a system that will grow and prosper for all. We should be working as one, to ensure one generation's errors are everyone’s responsibility, otherwise, we will never truly evolve as a society.
We may not be able to control the time era we’re born into, but we can surely make the most of it. I’m finally heading to university next year, and if there’s anything 18 years of being part of “Gen-Z” has taught me, it’s that nothing is truly impossible. My generation embodies the spirit of true natural-born leaders, in all forms. There are no overlooked issues, no tolerance for harmful outdated ideals and certainly, there is no such thing as giving up. The leaders of tomorrow are unlike anything the world has seen before. Our commitment to resolving the issues of previous and current generations is evident. This generation can band together in seemingly impossible situations, to be heard, be seen, and enact true change. My generation was born to fight, overcome and make noise.
Aug 2, 2022 | Patient Stories, Faces of HDGH
A little-known fact about August – it’s Happiness Happens Month! This month is meant to remind us that happiness happens in small moments. It’s our job to recognize those moments when they happen. In this Maison Dieu Health Blog, we are recognizing those moments with “10 Things That Made Us Happy.” We hope they also make you smile!
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (@hdghwindsor)
A post shared by Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (@hdghwindsor)
No matter the occasion, patients, their loved ones, and staff can always find the perfectly-canvassed walls leading to the outpatient rehab reception decorated in full recognition spirit. The leading lady behind these creative designs… Certified Rehab Assistant, Sonia Ferrante. Thanks, Sonia, for taking the time, energy, and bringing happiness to everyone entering Outpatient Rehab.
Patients of the Toldo Neurobehavioural Institute (TNI) were able to safely return to one of their favorite pastimes of enjoying an afternoon movie in our Brown Auditorium.
Check out this inspirational message that our President & CEO, Bill Marra, posted on his LinkedIn
It had been a few years since we were able to host our annual recognition event but the 2022 evening was worth the wait. More than 500 of our HDGH gathered at the Ciaciaro in early June. The energy, smiles, food, and laughter made for a very happy night.
It was the perfect celebratory farewell for Janice. The afternoon open house celebration welcomed staff, patients, community partners, family, board members, and friends to celebrate Jan’s more than 30 years of healthcare leadership.
We often hear that our HDGH Campus is one of the most beautiful well-kept, peaceful places in the city. “It doesn’t even feel like a hospital” are usually the words from patients and visitors. Our HDGH Team takes their own opportunity to enjoy the campus groups and surrounding nature with lunchtime exercise – the perfect way to stay healthy, balanced and moving.
One of the most recognized regional fundraising events has officially parked its bikes. With more than 1.2 million dollars raised to support our HDGH Foundation, the Probert Family along with more than 1200 bikers, sponsors and fans celebrated a decade of contribution to local healthcare in the 10th and final year.
Of course, nothing makes us happier than knowing we have positively impacted our young people. Below is a happy moment shared by a member of our RCC Team:
Jul 5, 2022 | Faces of HDGH
June 21 officially marked the first day of summer and boy have Windsor/Essex residents been feeling the heat! With record-breaking temperatures hitting our region, sun and heat safety is an important part of staying well during hot summer months. In July’s Maison Dieu Health Blog, HDGH Registered Dietitian and Manager of Food and Nutrition Services Tania McNamara confronts some myths and facts about fluid intake during these scorching summer days. Stay Cool, hydrated, healthy and happy reading!
Instead of focusing on how much water you drink, look at how much FLUID you drink in a day. Fluid needs are based on age, gender, physical activity level, and medical condition. Spending time outside in hot weather can also increase fluid needs. Daily fluid recommendations for the average man is 13 cups and for the average woman is 9 cups. BUT water is not the only source of fluid in the North American diet. Other sources of fluid can include milk, juice, coffee, tea, fruits, vegetables, and soup.
If you are new to caffeinated beverages, they can have a diuretic effect on your body (i.e., cause your body to urinate more compared to non-caffeinated fluids). However, your body quickly adapts to the effects of caffeine and this diuretic effect becomes very mild with extended caffeine use. If you have always drank caffeinated beverages, they count towards your total fluid intake.
Light-colored urine is usually a sign you are drinking enough. If you aren’t visiting the washroom often throughout the day and your urine is dark yellow with an odor, you likely need more fluids. Exception: Be aware that some vitamin, mineral, and herbal supplements can change the color of your urine shortly after you take them.
Individuals 65 and older require a minimum of 1.5 to 2 litres of fluid per day, however, their thirst mechanism doesn’t always cue them to drink when they need it. It’s important that elderly individuals monitor the volume of fluids they drink and the color of their urine to ensure they are meeting their fluid needs.
Drinking more water than your kidneys can handle is called water intoxication. Water intoxication is rare and usually occurs when a person drinks a large volume of water without correctly accounting for electrolyte losses. Reported cases of water intoxication are related to ultra-endurance sporting events and intense military training, or a condition called psychogenic polydipsia (compulsive water drinking related to serious mental illness). It is difficult to accidentally drink too much water. If you are a recreational exerciser and consuming foods and other beverages in addition to water throughout the day, you will prevent water intoxication.
Thirst is your body’s way of telling you to drink fluids. Signs your dehydration is progressing can include confusion, dizziness, headache, dry lips and mouth, flushed skin, and dark yellow urine with a strong smell. The best way to prevent dehydration is to consume water and other fluid sources consistently throughout the day.
For reliable nutrition information, please visit www.unlockfood.ca.
Tania McNamara graduated from Acadia University with a degree in Nutrition & Dietetics in 2003. After completing her dietetic internship in Halifax, she accepted a job at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Hospital in August 2004. Tania worked as a community dietitian in Windsor until joining Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare as an inpatient dietitian in October 2014. In August 2020, Tania accepted a management role in HDGH Food and Nutrition Services.
Jun 7, 2022 | Faces of HDGH, Road to Recovery – Restorative Rehabilitative Care
June is Brain Injury Awareness Month and according to the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation (ONF), concussion is one of the most common brain injuries experienced by people of all ages.
What is a Concussion?
A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that results from a blow to the head or mechanical force to the brain from a fall, assault, exposure to an explosion, or a sudden stop in a high-speed collision. This injury usually results in functional changes to how the brain operates (software) rather than structural changes to the brain (hardware).
After a concussion, people might experience physical symptoms (headaches, dizziness, fatigue, sleep problems, tinnitus, noise & light sensitivity & poor balance), cognitive symptoms (slowed thinking, poor concentration, memory problems, impulsivity & word-finding difficulties), or emotional symptoms (irritability, anger outbursts, anxiety, & depression). Everyone’s experience of concussion is different and not everyone will experience the same symptoms. These symptoms are normal after a concussion and not a sign of worsening brain damage. The good news is that these symptoms will gradually resolve over a few days to a few weeks, especially with symptoms management strategies.
At one time, healthcare providers recommended that people rest until their symptoms resolved. Yikes! Turns out that the research shows that this advice was wrong and we now know that after a concussion, rest is only needed for 1-2 days. People benefit from gradually resuming their normal activities and by alternating periods of activity with periods of rest (i.e., pacing). As long as symptoms do not get worse, it is O.K. to increase the length of time and the intensity of an activity every few days over several weeks and gradually decrease the rest periods. Staying connected with others and doing things you enjoy is important to your physical and mental health so text your friends, watch some T.V., and go for a walk, but start off with brief manageable bits of these activities that do not make your symptoms worse.Persisting Symptoms After a Concussion The ONF reports that about 10-30% of people with concussion continue to experience persistent symptoms for several months. Again, the symptoms are not a sign of a worsening brain injury but rather that your brain functioning has “gotten stuck” or other factors may be prolonging your symptoms. These symptoms do not only occur after concussion but can also result from other conditions that affect how the brain functions (i.e., pain, sleep disturbance, substance use, and the stress of having persisting symptoms). If you continue to have symptoms after 4 weeks, it may be time to get some specialized help. A recent review by researchers (Mollica et al, 2022), recommended prioritizing treatment of dizziness and balance problems, posttraumatic headache, sleep problems, depression and anxiety as these symptoms may contribute to other persistent symptoms. So how can healthcare providers help you with these persisting symptoms? Your family physician or nurse practitioner can review your pain medication use and determine how to best manage your headache pain as well as refer you to other health care providers. Physiotherapists can treat balance problems and vertigo (as well as a neck injury that can contribute to headaches) and also coach you through graded exercise programs. Occupational therapists can help with pacing and prioritizing activities to find that “sweet spot” of activity that does not make symptoms worse and offer strategies to help get things done easier. A psychologist or social worker can provide psychotherapy to deal with sleep problems, depression, and anxiety s well as by changing unhelpful illness beliefs and reducing avoidance behaviour. It can be discouraging to deal with persisting symptoms but individuals can continue with their recovery by finding the “sweet spot” of activity level that does not make the symptoms worse; by gradually returning to activities and exercise; and, by targeting problematic symptoms such as headaches, sleep disturbance and depressed mood.
For more information, check out these resources & references:https://concussionsontario.org/https://www.uhn.ca/Krembil/Canadian-Concussion-Centre/EducationMollica et al. (2022). Neuropsychiatric treatment for mild traumatic brain injury: Nonpharmacological approaches. Seminars in Neurology. CogSmart – Traumatic Brain Injury: A Guide for Patients. VA San Diego Healthcare System.
Dr. Anne McLachlan is a clinical neuropsychologist at HDGH who has provided psychological services to the rehabilitation programs for over 25 years. Always open to different perspectives, she has a passion for learning from her patients, students, and colleagues. Outside of work, she is a community volunteer, amateur cook, and weekend gardener.
Apr 21, 2022 | Faces of HDGH
Launched in 2018, The HDGH Green Initiatives Program puts into action our hospital’s commitment to environmental sustainability and the overall reduction of our operational environmental footprint. In this blog, Environmental Services Supervisor Jason Schneider shares 5 Impactful Planet Friendly Projects at HDGH.
Canadians generate 3.25 million tons of plastic waste each year! That’s 140,000 garbage trucks of plastic waste! To reduce our dependency on single-use plastics, HDGH has sought out vendors who supply plastic alternatives. We have substituted: compostable drinking cups for our patients instead of Styrofoam, plastic straws now supplied only upon request, and installing a water refill station to promote reusable water containers.
One of our water refill station has already eliminated over 52,000 plastic water bottles in just over 2 years!!! HDGH is proud to boast we are removing approximately 25,000 plastic water bottles per year from our waste stream!
Over the past few years, HDGH has significantly bolstered our existing recycling program by identifying additional materials that can be recycled beyond the traditional paper, plastic, glass, and aluminum items. HDGH is now successfully diverting high-density plastics, batteries, toner, electronics, light bulbs, and even the blue procedure masks we wear every day!
In late 2019, we introduced composting of organic food waste into the Green Initiatives Program. This project captures all organic food waste from leftover patient meals, food scraps from our retail cafeterias, and some of the client and staff kitchens and breakrooms across our campus. Since the launch, HDGH has diverted over 100 tons of organic waste from our community landfills and removed over 240 tons of harmful greenhouse gas emissions from our atmosphere! Lastly, this organic waste has created over 67 tons of high-quality, nutrient rich compost.
Hats off to our Environmental Services and Food Services departments for their ongoing efforts in making our composting program a success!
The Plant Operations and Maintenance Department has made significant strides in reducing our environmental footprint regarding the physical operations of our campus. Recent and ongoing upgrades to our infrastructure (energy efficient lighting, new chiller system, etc.) will reduce our CO2 emissions by an estimated 324 tons, or 8.5% of the total site greenhouse gas emissions per year. When combining these reductions with those from our composting program, HDGH has removed over 560 tons of GHG from our atmosphere, which is the equivalent of 180 cars removed from our local roads!
HDGH is now a member of the Canadian Coalition for Green Healthcare – a community of hospitals leading the way in ecofriendly and environmentally sustainable best practices. A benefit of this partnership is the Green Hospital Scorecard (GHS) system. The GHS is an annual report which captures all of our environmental sustainability projects, compares our progress to previous years, and to other post-acute hospitals of similar size. All of our actions as individuals within the organization, beneficial to the environment or not, are captured in the scorecard and make a contribution to our sustainability goals.
Apr 5, 2022 | Faces of HDGH
Peggy O'Kane
This month, we celebrate the impactful roles of our nation's volunteers during National Volunteer Appreciation Week, April 24 through the 30th. This is the perfect opportunity to write about volunteering at Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare. While COVID protocols have required us to pause on most volunteer opportunities, we have recently begun to welcome our volunteers back onsite, making this the perfect time to highlight some of our volunteer opportunities.
For folks in the Windsor-Essex area looking for volunteer experience, we have several options:
Volunteering at our coffee bars is a perfect opportunity for students looking to get their community service hours or for new Canadians and retirees looking to connect within our community.
Recently we have welcomed volunteers back through a phased approach. We started with the Emara Coffee Bar and soon hope to have enough volunteers to open the Tayfour Coffee Bar. Our Coffee Bars operate during the off hours of our cafeterias, making a cup of joe or sweet treat extra accessible for our patients, staff, physicians and Designated Care Partners. Our coffee bars volunteers are a warm welcome to all their customers and the commitment is just one 4 hour shift per week.
To become a coffee bar volunteer or learn more click here.
The patient voice is at the centre of everything we do at HDGH. Established in 2015, PFAC is an advisory committee to the Executive Leadership Team of our hospital. This also included a Mental Health and Addictions Patient Advisory Council, a group of more than 10 individuals who share observations, offer advice and provide input on Mental Health and Addictions care provided by HDGH. These groups are important resources to the organization and are involved in offering ideas on the best way to move forward with changes that affect the patient experience.
If you are a former patient, loved-one of a patient, or have ideas on how to improve local healthcare service delivery, this is the volunteer opportunity for you!
Being a volunteer at a fundraising event is a great way to get involved in the community, meet new people and give back to healthcare by way of our HDGH Foundation. Whether it is by taking part in a committee or being an event day volunteer, we are always looking for creative and outgoing volunteers of all ages to join the fun. Volunteer for an Event
The Hôtel-Dieu Grace Board of Directors and standing committees are responsible for providing strategic leadership and direction to the Executive Leadership Team. This dedicated group of volunteers from the community brings a wide range of skills and experience. They are committed to ensuring that HDGH is making Windsor and Essex a healthier community and living out its Mission every day.
The Foundation Board is responsible to oversee the activities of the Foundation, and administering funds entrusted to them, ensuring that it is done ethically and transparently.
Be sure to watch the Hospital’s and Foundation’s social media channels for application information.
I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the resiliency of our HDGH volunteers. The pause on volunteers during the pandemic has been a challenge for everyone. Through phone calls, emails and messages, we continue to experience your eagerness to return to volunteer, signifying your tremendous dedication to our hospital, and ultimately, the health of our community. We cannot wait to see your smiling faces again soon and many new faces as well, as a Spiritual Care Volunteer, a Pet Visitation Volunteer or as one of our many other patient and client assistant volunteers. Thank you to all for hanging in there. Our regular volunteer updates will continue via email and on our webpage www.hdgh.org/volunteers.
About the author Peggy O’Kane Coordinator, Volunteer & Academic Placements Peggy.OKane@hdgh.org
I have been involved with volunteers at HDGH for over 15 years in various roles starting as a volunteer myself in the Human Resources department. While helping there in HR, I quickly learned that HDGH was a community I would like to be a part of long-term. A few months later, I was thankful and excited to join the Volunteer Services department as an Administrative Assistant.
These days, I enjoy extremely rewarding work by engaging with people of all ages and in all stages of their careers, education and life. In addition to my Coordinator role, I am also the staff liaison for the HDGH Youth Advisory Council (YAC), a group that connect through youth-led initiatives to improve the health of our community through mental health education through social media, education events, and volunteering. This group gives me hope for a future where our community continues to grow stronger together.
I would be remiss to not take the opportunity to mention two impactful annual events hosted by YAC - Wellness Through Grace and the Photovoice Project. Follow them on Instagram (@hdghyac) for further updates.
Throughout all this time, while learning from and working with the diverse population of volunteers who have come through our doors, I have seen firsthand how volunteering connects people, ideas and actions and I’ve witnessed the creation of multiple unforgettable and important connections. As we continue to work collectively with volunteers, we all have something to give and something to receive. Volunteers give their time, talent and passions which transform into unique gifts that make a difference in our community. These are the reasons we need to celebrate volunteers here and everywhere during this National Volunteer Week.
Apr 1, 2022 | Mental Health, Leadership, Research and Innovation, Community and Partnerships, Patient Stories, Faces of HDGH, Road to Recovery – Restorative Rehabilitative Care, Palliative Care, Spirituality, Heritage
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Welcome Readers. Our HDGH Team has always loved sharing stories with our community. Our Blog is just one of the many creative ways to do that with you. It has become a popular corner of our website where everyone is welcome to not only learn ABOUT our hospital, but also FROM the talented healthcare experts and professional voices we are proud to call our HDGH People. Our blog will be home to sharing expertise through varying healthcare-related topics from interviews, experience, patient stories, daily topics on how to stay healthy, and more.
You may have also noticed a new name to the HDGH Blog. “Maison Dieu Health” is a nod to our HDGH Heritage, honouring our French-Canadian five founding sisters of the Religious Hospitallers of St. Joseph’s (RHSJ) who with love, perseverance, faith and persistence travelled from Montreal over 135 years ago to establish Windsor’s first hospital – Hôtel-Dieu of St. Joseph.
You can think of Maison Dieu Health as your refuge for wellness-related resources, all accessible “under one roof” through the many voices of our HDGH staff and community.
With that, welcome to Maison Dieu Health.