This year for Giving Tuesday, Hearts for Healthcare launched our Lifting Long Term Care Campaign. It was our second year participating in the global event that seeks to inspire a generosity movement around the world. It falls on the Tuesday after Black Friday and Cyber Monday and encourages people to give what they can from monetary donations to volunteering their time. We challenged our community to help us raise enough funds to purchase a new Lift and Slings for each of our 31 residents currently living in Cold Lake Long Term Care.

A request for a new lift was identified as an emergent need for our team at Long Term Care. The Argo Maxi500 lift would allow staff to provide residents with safe and timely care thus improving their quality of life. Last year a few of our incredible supporters stepped up and made this purchase possible. A huge THANK YOU to Canadian Natural, The City of Cold Lake and Osum Oilsands Corp. for their generous donations totalling $15,000. This contribution reflects your sentiments that our Seniors are the backbone of our community and that you recognize the importance of ensuring that they are cared for in a safe, effective and dignified way. You expressed your desire to care for our friends, family and fellow community members at Cold Lake Long Term Care; and wanted to recognize the hard work and heart that the staff dedicate to caring for our loved ones. Thank you very much!

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Due to Covid-19 reaching pandemic levels, it became evident just how important this new piece of equipment would be to our residents at Cold Lake Long Term Care. A new need arose when infection control protocols increased and Seniors became increasingly vulnerable due to the virus. H4H received a request for 31 new slings for each of the residents to go with the new Maxi500 Lift. This purchase would allow staff to prepare each sling based on the residents’ individual needs. It would increase efficiency, provide safer movement for the resident and staff and also help meet the infection control standards. Here are some examples as to why this lift and slings are so essential and help to improve quality of life: 

*provides safe moves between beds/chair/wheelchair

*expedites repositioning 

*aids in weighing residents

*facilitates moves to participate in social activities/visits

*encourages balance training

*assists with Activities of Daily Living (ADL’s) such as grooming, dressing, feeding, bathing, toileting

*helps staff provide skin care and wound treatment

*supports mobilization assistance

*provides safe moves for residents and staff

As you can see, with each resident having access to their own sling, the above can be performed quickly, safely and discreetly, improving the overall quality of life beyond measure.

H4H turned once again to our incredible community and launched the H4H Giving Tuesday: Lifting Long Term Care Campaign on December 1, 2020. Our goal was to raise $6000 by January 15^th. Amazingly, that goal was nearly reached by the end of the day!! Individuals, teams and local businesses rallied together on this day of Giving and completely blew us away. Canadian Natural kicked us off with another incredible donation:

“We appreciate the important role that seniors hold in the community and because of this, we wanted to take part in helping with their quality of care and overall well-being” -the Team at Canadian Natural

There were 6 main teams and over 38 individual donations made and together you raised $7665!!!

We are very pleased to announce that the new Maxi500 Lift and 31 slings arrived at our LTC in January 2021. The smiles beneath the masks and the tears in the corner of eyes (okay maybe that was just me) say it all! Here are some words from staff at LTC: 

“Having the additional lifts on the unit and having additional slings for each individual resident has made things more efficient and sanitary. It has made the care much easier for the staff. Residents are happier that they are not waiting. We are all so thankful to the people who have made this possible.” – Marcella Friesen and Nicole Storring, LTC Healthcare Aids

“The additional lift has significantly decreased the wait times for residents needing personal care. Our residents have continually expressed their gratitude for the additional lifts. Through the purchase of new slings for all of our residents, we are meeting and exceeding our provincial standards. It also decreases the chance of COVID transmission. The donations we have received are invaluable and are so greatly appreciated.” – Adele Richardson, RN – Area Manager, Senior’s Health Bonnyville, Cold Lake and St Paul. 

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The members of H4H and the staff and residents of LTC are beyond thankful to everyone that donated, helped spread the word of the Lifting Long Term Care Campaign and for taking the time to reflect on the giving spirit and truly lifting one another up to get through the past year!