Matters Newsletter of Valley Manor – Barry’s Bay, ON - Winter 2025 A MESSAGE FROM OUR ACTING CEO – Gail Yantha Welcome to Valley Manor Matter’s 2025 winter newsletter. Kindness is like the snow. It beautifies everything it covers. Just as every snowflake is different, so too are each of our residents and each of our staff. It is in the uniqueness of the person that we see the kindness being spread within our Valley Manor community. Winter can seem long, but the time within the walls of our Home, goes by fast. It seems we were just celebrating Christmas. Residents got into the spirit by enjoying many activities including the Festive music and games. As per usual, the Home was beautifully decorated. Santa visited and gifts were presented to each of our residents. The feast of the Epiphany was celebrated by staff on January 6th. Long-service awards were presented to staff who have been employed at Valley Manor for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 years. Collectively, 18 staff were recognized for a total of 335 years. This is a truly remarkable testimony to the dedication of our staff. Congratulations to all! Megan O. Laura Y. Lisa Y.
Amie F. Melissa Z. Gale K. Darla D. Gail Y. Lucinda M.
Lucille H. Juliana P. Lowanda C. Tammy P. Donna S. Jo-Anne E.
and the Feast of the Epiphany. There have been some new staff appointments as well. Gail Yantha is retiring effective June 1, 2025. She looks forward to spending more time with family, and particularly the grandchildren. Chantel Brown is the new Director of Care. She is “settling in nicely” to her new role. Chantel’s previous position as Nursing & CQI Coordinator is now filled by Lynn Strack. Lynn brings energy and expertise to the role. I wish Chantel & Lynn all the best! I know they will do a fabulous job! We welcome Sheila Lorbetskie to the role of Administrative Coordinator. She is the welcoming and smiling face you see at the front office. We also have new part-time unit clerks. Welcome to Joe Whitmore and Jodie Jeffrey. Chantel Brown Lynn Strack Jodie Jeffrey Joe Whitmore I am happy to share that the Valley Manor License to operate is extended by five years. This was announced at our Annual General Meeting in October 2024. Last, but not least, it is important to share that Valley Manor has had “proactive” and “reactive” Inspections by the Ministry of Long-Term Care. There were no findings of non-compliance. We have also had inspections by the Ministry of Labour and by Public Health. Valley Manor remains in compliance in all areas. This is a true reflection of the hard-working staff and management. I hope that everyone found some time to enjoy the most refreshing activities with those they love on Family Day Weekend! And, before long, we will be looking forward to the “freshness” of Spring! Please enjoy this addition of our newsletter. Gail Yantha, Acting CEO
Administrative Co-Ordinator – Sheila Lorbetskie My name is Sheila Lorbetskie, Valley Manor's Administrative Coordinator. You can find me in the front office answering calls, booking appointments, responding to emails and providing human resources. I maintain resident and employee files and manage all WSIB claims. My experience as a business owner for 16 years has instilled in me a good knowledge of customer service excellence. I believe in working with honesty, integrity and kindness. I am fulfilled by my personal friendships, laughter, and nature. Married with children, my life is bursting with adventure! When I'm not wearing my admin coordinator hat, I love being outdoors with my dog, Honey and spending time with my family. Born and raised here in Barry's Bay, I am familiar with many local residents and traditions of the area. I look forward to providing many quality years of service to Valley Manor, staff, residents, and family. Thank you all for the warm welcome! Sheila Lorbetskie - Administrative Coordinator Registered Dietitian – Khashayar Amirhosseini My name is Khashayar (Khash) Amirhosseini, and I am a Registered Dietitian with extensive experience across various fields, including management and leadership, dietetics in long-term care homes, hospitals, food service, policy making as well as sales and marketing. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Nutritional Sciences and a Master of Business Administration (MBA). For nine years, I served as both a member and chair of the Quality Assurance Committee at the College of Dietitians of Ontario, and I am also an active member of the Seniors Nutrition and Advocacy Committee (OSNAC). Currently, I work as the Manager of Food & Dietetic Services for Seniors Services and Long-Term Care Division with the City of Toronto. In this role, I oversee all aspects of Nutrition and Food Services across ten municipally owned long-term care homes, including policy development and revision, and collaborating on initiatives aimed at enhancing the care, quality of life, and safety of residents. Additionally, I work part time as a Clinical Dietitian in long-term care homes and joined Valley Manor in August 2024. I am thrilled to be part of this wonderful team, and I enjoy working in the beautiful Barry’s Bay area.
Basketball League (OBL), and my 7-year-old daughter, Arina, who plays the piano. In my spare time, I love being outdoors, going on road trips, traveling, and enjoying quality time with my family and friends. Khashayar Amirhosseini– Registered Dietitian Same Beautiful Face – New Role! Resident & Family Service Co-Ordinator – Jenna Stothers Warm Welcome to Our New Resident and Family Service Coordinator, Jenna Stothers! Submitted by: C. Brown (JR) DOC We are thrilled to announce that Jenna has joined our team as the new Resident and Family Service Coordinator! Jenna has been with Valley Manor since July 2015, initially working as a PSW and, more recently, as our Full-Time Unit Clerk since 2022. With her extensive experience and deep understanding of our home, Jenna is well-prepared to take on this new role. Jenna is married and has two children, and she is excited to continue making a positive impact in our community. As our new Resident and Family Service Coordinator, she will be dedicated to supporting both residents and their families, offering guidance and ensuring a welcoming and supportive environment for all. We are confident that Jenna's warmth, dedication, and commitment will be a tremendous asset in her new role. Please join us in welcoming Jenna to this exciting new chapter in her career!
Infection Prevention and Control continues to be an important focus for Valley Manor. Each year brings new challenges as well as ongoing old challenges, such as the design and age of the home. The Infection Control program is reviewed annually to review changes, successes, and set new goals for the upcoming year. Program goals for this year includes decluttering of the home to improve storage and the ability to clean spaces. Families are an important part of keeping resident rooms tidy by bringing in or removing seasonal items and clothing. With the changes in the Fixing Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2021, a revision of the policy manual has been necessary to keep up to date with changes in the Act, updated guidance documents, and emerging or re-emerging viruses as well. Improvements in Infection Control practices are continually being sought in all areas of the home and observations and suggestions from all departments, residents and family members are always welcome. There have been several outbreaks this past year including COVID-19, Norovirus and Rhinovirus. Other facilities in the area have also experienced RSV and Influenza outbreaks. While COVID -19 has not yet settled into a predictable season, the other respiratory illnesses have returned to compete for attention. This means that all of us must be vigilant in practicing good infection prevention techniques and staying home when ill to prevent the spread. The guidelines for determining and ending a respiratory outb reak have been streamlined so that all acute respiratory infections (ARIs) follow the same rules for duration of the outbreak. Public Health directs the duration of an outbreak, but generally, respiratory outbreaks may be declared over if no new cases have occurred in 8 days from the onset of symptoms of the last resident case or 3 days from last day of work of an ill staff, whichever is longer. Outbreaks can be a difficult time for residents as they have less visitors, fewer activities and in the case of a whole home outbreak, may involve meal trays in their rooms. Having family or friends that are designated Essential Caregivers is an important role as these are the only visitors allowed in the home during an outbreak or when a resident is on isolation. The resident or POA may decide who is to be designated an Essential Caregiver (there is no limit on how many) and this involves receiving specific Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) education. If interested, please contact me to book this education. Tina O’Malley RN, CIC Infection Control Coordinator
I am delighted to introduce Lynn Strack as the new Nursing and Continuous Quality Improvement Coordinator. Lynn had been working in the role of Charge Nurse for the past 19 years at Valley Manor, and prior to that she had been in Ottawa working as a Registered Nurse in acute care and with a primary care physician. Lynn started in her new role on October 23, 2024. Lynn focuses on enhancing the quality of resident care and nursing practices within the home. Her primary responsibilities include leading efforts to improve care delivery processes, ensuring compliance with the FLTCA, 2021, and developing initiatives that enhance the overall resident experience and nursing practices. Lynn has been participating in education to understand the fundamental principles of quality improvement, such as continuous improvement, systematic processes, and data-driven decisionmaking. She has worked collaboratively with the Resident Council and other members of the Continuous Quality Improvement team to develop and implement the 2024 Resident and Family Satisfaction survey. She has collected, analyzed, and interpreted the data to identify areas for improvement. Lynn is presently collaborating with the Continuous Quality Improvement Committee to develop the homes 2025/26 Quality Improvement Plan. Lynn champions the rights, needs, and well-being of our residents, ensuring the voice of the residents is heard and respected, and that they receive the attention that they are so deserving of while promoting their rights to autonomy, dignity, and quality of life. Congratulation Lynn! Submitted by Chantel Brown, JR Director of Care
A Christmas to Remember!!! The Residents at Valley Manor got a Christmas that they deserved with a month filled with non -stop Christmas themed activities! The Residents got to enjoy participating in the Santa Clause Parade, going on a Christmas Light drive, Christmas wreath crafts, Christmas baking, Christmas Church services, Christmas Caroling from St. John Bosco school, many Christmas themed live performances by our wonderful volunteers/community groups, and of course family, friends and Santa Clause himself coming to visit. Our residents got the chance to experience pure Christmas joy every day at Valley Manor and we are all so grateful for that. A quote from one of our residents Jutta Wolfsetter, “You guys made me feel like I was at home.“ (After attending the Jingle Bell Tea with Joe Bratley).
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