St. Vincent’s Langara: Long-Term Care resident, family & visitor guide

Preventing falls is important to maintain your health and independence. Ways to help prevent falls include:

• Slow down and take your time.
• Do one task at a time.
• Look where you are going and don’t get distracted.
• Sit for a moment before getting out of bed.
• Get out of chairs slowly.
• Get your balance before you walk.
• Wear good, supportive shoes with slip resistant soles.
• Wear non-skid socks at night (we provide these).

Your physiotherapist (someone who helps with exercise and movement) checks to see how well you can move, stand and walk. If we feel you would be safer with one of us helping you move, please wait for us. Do not try to move on your own. You may need to use a cane, a walker, or a wheelchair to move around safely.

Our homes have different types of mechanical lifts. These lifts help us get you from bed to wheelchair or from wheelchair to toilet safely. You will hear us call these ‘transfers’. Your physiotherapist checks you to see how well you can move, stand, and walk. For your safety, we might suggest using a lift as part of your transfers. Some of our lifts can look complicated. We are trained to help you transfer safely and we are always right there with you.

Clothing can sometimes be a safety risk. Clothes that are too tight or too hard to put on or take off can result in you being uncomfortable or even hurt. Our staff could also get hurt as we help you into and out of your clothes. If we think some of your clothes are a safety risk, we will talk with you about other options. We may suggest that you buy a special kind of clothes that are adapted to make it easier for you to dress and undress. We call these types of clothes ‘Easy Clothing’ or ‘Adaptive Clothing’. ‘Easy Clothing' is very helpful if you need to use a mechanical lift to help you get in and out of the bed or a chair.  Wearing 'Easy Clothing' can make these lifts more comfortable for both you and us.

For more information on residents' rights view the BC Residents' Bill of Rights.

In order for us to care for you, it is important that we understand each other. Please ask us to explain if you don't understand something. For example, we might use words or phrases that you do not understand or give you forms that are not clear. If you do not speak or understand English well enough to talk about your health, we can book an interpreter (at no cost). We use tools such as pictures and translated cards to make daily communication easier.

We are always working hard to improve our care and services. Please let us know right away if you have any concerns so we can address them as quickly as possible. If you have concerns about your daily care, we ask that you speak with the team member or the team leader (clinical nurse leader). Please refer to our Feedback section for more information.

St. Vincent's: Langara has a non-smoking policy and offers a smoke-free environment. Smoking is not allowed inside the building or on the grounds. Smokers must go to the street level to smoke.

This is your home, but it also has many people coming and going. Please have your family keep your valuables and jewellery somewhere safe for you.  Sometimes these items can go missing. We suggest you get insurance for the valuable belongings you do have with you, to insure against loss and damage. Your insurance should include coverage for glasses, hearing aids, dentures, watches, as well as your own wheelchair or walker. If you wear glasses, hearing aids, or dentures, it is a good idea to have them engraved with your name. Our insurance only covers items that we have damaged or lost.

You are welcome to take a vacation from the care home for up to 30 days. You need approval from your doctor for this vacation. You will continue to pay room charges while on vacation. If you are away from here for more than 30 days, we must give your space to someone else. This is a requirement from the BC Ministry of Health. If we have to give your space away, we will assign you a new space when you return. Co-insurance charges continue during the vacation. If you are going to be out overnight, let our nursing staff know at least 48 hours in advance.  This way, we can have your medication ready to go with you. You need to sign out before leaving so staff know where you will be. Sign-out books are either at your nursing station or at the main reception desk.

Do you like caring for plants or animals? Do you like making or fixing things? We will gratefully accept any help you or your family can give. You can make this a better place by getting involved in your neighbourhood and the larger community. If you or anyone you know would like to share a talent with us, please talk to one of us so we can arrange an event or performance.

Community meetings are opportunities to talk about activities and issues that affect the whole neighbourhood or community. Residents, family members, and friends are welcome at community meetings. The meetings can be formal or informal. Some meetings happen regularly and others only happen when there is an issue to talk about. These are great places to bring your ideas and voice your concerns as long as they are relevant to the whole community.

Community meetings let everyone be part of our community and plan activities that will improve residents' quality of life. Types of groups may include Neighbourhood Meetings, Resident Councils, and Family Councils. Ask staff in your neighbourhood about the kinds of groups we have here.

Residents must have medical insurance coverage while they live here. Extended care residents pay a monthly rent rate set by the BC Ministry of Health. This covers room and board only and is payable at the beginning of each month. Statements (bills) are prepared at the end of each month. Interest is charged on overdue accounts.

You can pay your statement (bill) by pre-approved automatic withdrawal from the bank, mail or cheque dropped off at our site. You can get a summary of the rent payments by contacting Providence’s Finance Department (604-875-5045 ext. 20128). This will be mailed out to your family.

Medical Services Plan (MSP) hospital insurance covers the costs of daily care provided by the care team. It does not pay for extras like cable television or bus transportation; these charges are added to the resident’s monthly comfort fund statement (bill).

Please do not keep cash on you.

For security reasons, please do not carry cash or leave money in your room. Instead, we can set up a special account called a comfort fund. You will get a monthly statement that lists each deposit and withdrawal. You or your family can deposit funds into the account as needed.

Extra charges are added to your monthly comfort fund statement. Telephone, cable and internet services are arranged by you or your family and billed directly to you by TELUS or other service providers.