Family Dinners – What a Success!
Thank you to all the family members at Menno Home and Menno Hospital for joining us for our first Family and Friends Appreciation Dinner!
The dinners took place on Friday, October 28th and Saturday, October 29th. They were attended by 80 family members and 14 leadership staff. Guests enjoyed a steak dinner with delicious roasted potatoes, beans and squash followed by a perfect piece of black forest cake.
Sharon Simpson, Director of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement shared a presentation about “Who Do I Ask?”. Photos of staff members were displayed and an explanation of their role in the care of a resident was explained. 80% of survey respondents said that they were more confident than prior to the dinner in who to speak with when they have concerns about their loved one.
Karen Baillie, Chief Executive Officer provided a presentation on the hopes, dreams and future of Menno Place. Following the dinner, 75% of survey respondents said that they were more confident than prior to the dinner in the leadership of Menno Place and the future vision. She encouraged family members to come to leadership with concerns, compliments and ideas.
Click here for PDF version of Karen’s presentation. She shared a presentation that talked about our hopes at Menno Place to honour each resident’s unique journey. She shared how important it is that the flow of each day is driven by what is meaningful to that resident in a home that is their own. Karen talked about what is important to the leadership as we continue to improve and move forward.
Click the movie below to view Karen’t presentation slides.
What a joy it was to read the comments of the family members who shared their experience of the evening:
Very glad Menno Home put on this event. It was great to meet many of the leaders. Seems that Menno Place cares about grandma; they are proactive in the care they provide. I could only stay 90 minutes; had child issues at home. Sorry to have missed some of the presentations.The Black Forest Cake was awesome.. I’m still dreaming about that cake.
The atmosphere was very welcoming and the food was delicious. Thank you again for a wonderful evening.
It was a very warm and comfortable atmosphere. We learned a lot about Menno Place, including factual information, plans for the future and goals for the best care for all residents. We appreciated the opportunity to see and meet the people involved in the care and the decision making.
It did make me feel that I can be proactive and confident about approaching staff regarding what my thoughts on my dads needs are. It was good to be able to greet a staff person by name and be recognized the week after the dinner.
It did make me feel that I can be proactive and confident about approaching staff regarding what my thoughts on my dads needs are. It was good to be able to greet a staff person by name and be recognized the week after the dinner.
Along with these comments, there were concerns expressed by family members:
Our family would like better communication with those who are providing care for our loved one.
It would be helpful for families to have more time to meet those in leadership positions – to circulate between the tables to hear how residents are responding in specific areas.
Please allow more time for discussion and comments at the end.
Overall, 95% of those who responded to the online survey after the Family & Friends Appreciation Dinner were satisfied (30%) or very satisfied (65%) with the dinners.
Here’s what you said about how you felt after the dinner:
75% felt more appreciated by Menno Place in your role as caregiver
70% feel that your thoughts and input matter more in how your loved one is cared for
55% feel an increased sense that you are an integral part of the team that provides care for your loved one
55% feel more hopeful about the care your loved one receives at Menno Place
80% feel more confident about who to speak with to express concerns
70% are more likely to talk with leadership about your loved one’s preferences and needs
75% are more confident in the leadership of Menno Place and the future vision
What’s next?
With 95% of survey respondents saying that they would attend another event of this kind, we’ll start the planning for another opportunity in the new year! We realize that not every family member or friend had the opportunity to respond to this invitation. We look forward to extending another one to you in the future!
The 
Eve has extensive training and experience in Grief and Loss and Pastoral Counseling; She has served as a professional Chaplain in Hospitals, Care Homes, Funeral Homes and Prisons since 1992.
