This spring, two areas of the Menno Place campus will be receiving updates – Menno Home E2 and Menno Hospital W2.  These are the first updates to happen as we continue to move away from an institutionalized feeling in our care homes.

Menno Home E2 will be the initial pilot project for these updates – fresh paint, updates to the decor and new furniture throughout will help to create a homelike feel. A homelike environment is one that de-emphasizes the institutional character of the setting, to the extent possible, and allows the resident to enjoy the environment that feels like a home rather than an institution.

New dining room furniture is arriving for both Menno Home E2 and Menno Hospital W2 at the end of April!

Some good practices that serve to decrease the institutional character of the environment include:

        * Elimination of overhead paging and piped-in music throughout the building

        * Eliminating the use of trays to serve meals

        * Removal of institutional signage labeling work rooms in areas visible to residents and the public

        * Reduction of medication carts.  Some innovative facilities store medications in locked areas in resident rooms

        * Removal of large, centrally located nursing/care team stations

Changes in our older buildings can be challenging as the physical layout of the units creates obstacles to the homelike environment.

Last year, Menno Place partnered with Emily Carr University of Art and Design to begin the conversation with families, residents and staff around changes to the physical environment and increasing the emphasis on person-centered care.

Look forward to updates on this project as we continue to work toward a homelike environment.

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