Info for Residents + Families

Browse this section for information on living at Mount Saint Joseph, including rent rates, health care teams, what to bring with you and more.

Living Here

We encourage you to get to know your neighbours, who they are and where they come from. Let us get to know you as well. We are committed to creating a safe environment for everyone where residents, their families, and our staff treat each other with the greatest respect. A good way to get to know others is to join in the many activities we have here. We have lots of activities in your neighbourhood as well as larger activities that involve our whole community. Many of our bigger celebrations and events take place in a central location within our building. Children are also an important part of life here and we encourage visits from children in your family. We also get visits of groups of children from places such as child-care centres, preschools, local elementary schools, and churches.

Moving homes can be a challenging time, and we want to do whatever we can to make that change as pleasant as possible. We encourage residents to personalize their rooms with cherished possessions, photographs, and plants. Please label items so that if something is misplaced we can get it back to you. Small pieces of furniture are welcome as long as they leave enough room for you to move in your wheelchair and for our staff to help you with your care, and can be moved easily for cleaning around. Please talk to us about adding any furniture before it is brought in.

Care Plan

When you first arrive you are going to meet a lot of people and each of them will be trying to get to know you better and learn how they can support you in every area of your life here. As we get to know you, we build a plan for care. You and your family are part of your care team and as such, help decide what goes in your care plan. As each of your care team meets you, they add to the plan ideas that will help you to live life to its fullest while you are with us. Your care plan becomes the guide for all your caregivers, helping to make sure you get the care that is right for you. We review your plan regularly and update it whenever there are changes.

Health Care Team

A typical health care team consists of the resident, the family, registered nurses, personal care assistants, an occupational therapist, a physiotherapist, activity aides, a social worker, a dietitian, a pastoral caregiver, a pharmacist and the family physician. Professional nursing care is provided on a 24-hour basis. The unit clerk, located at the nursing station, can assist with any questions residents have. The resident’s family physician can continue to provide care, as long as he or she has admitting privileges with one of the Providence hospitals. Staff can also provide a list of physicians. It is very important that the resident and/or family have a discussion early on with the doctor about the kinds of medical care considered acceptable. Key topics include resuscitation, end of life decisions, blood transfusions and/or IV therapy.

Room Rates + Other Charges

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 are prepared at the end of each month. Interest is charged on overdue accounts. Payment can be made by pre-approved automatic withdrawal from the bank, mail or cheque dropped off at our site. A summary of the rent payments can be issued upon request by contacting Providence’s Finance Department (604-875-5045 ext. 20128) and mailed out to the 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. Extra charges are added to the resident’s monthly comfort fund statement. Telephone, cable and internet services are arranged by residents/families and billed directly to them by TELUS or other service providers.

Cash Account

For security reasons, residents are asked not to carry cash or to leave money in their rooms. Arrangements can be made to set up a special account called a comfort fund. Monthly statements itemize each deposit and withdrawal. Deposits can be added by the resident or a family member as needed.

What to Bring

The following checklist is a useful guide for what to bring when moving into residential care at Mount Saint Joseph:

• Clothing – six complete changes of clothing; two pairs of loose-fitting, washable, non-slip slippers; one pair of shoes; two or three washable sweaters; jacket or coat and suitable head covering for outdoor activities; hat, gloves, scarf etc. for cool weather.

• Personal items – toothbrush and toothpaste; dentures; denture cleaner and cup; deodorant; razor (electric); after shave lotion; cosmetics; comb; brush; face and hand creams; shampoo; eye glasses; hearing aid; cane; walker; favourite possessions (e.g. family photos, favourite blanket, clock, books).

All personal items should have name labels on them. Dentures can be marked for a small fee. All clothing is labeled by our Laundry on admission. New items can be given to the nurse for labeling. Information about special clothing for wheelchair dependent residents is available.

Sharing Rooms

Some of our care homes are built so that residents share rooms. Depending on the room size, you could have one to three roommates. Your roommates can help you get to know our community and help you feel less lonely. We use privacy curtains to help create a distinct space for each person. We ask that you use headphones when watching television or listening to the radio so you don’t disturb your roommate, and ask that your visitors socialize in public areas when your roommate is trying to sleep or when we are helping your roommate with his or her personal care.

Resident Care Conferences

Resident Care Conferences provide an opportunity for the resident, family members or friends and staff to review the resident’s care plan and to address any issues. An initial meeting is held six to eight weeks after a resident moves in. After that, care conferences are held annually.

Resident + Family Councils

There is an active Resident’s and Family Council present at MSJ. Please inquire with one of our staff for more information.

Electrical Items

Any electrical items that you bring in here must be ‘CSA’ approved. We will check them to make sure. This includes radios, televisions, clocks, shavers, fans, etc. Please do not bring in heating pads, electric blankets, or humidifiers. There are a number of risks related to these items such as burns, fire, and mold.

Well Wishes Email Service

Please send an email that includes the patient’s full name, unit, and room number, along with your written message, and it will be hand-delivered by a volunteer. This service is intended for well-wishes only. Messages containing matters of business or inappropriate content will be deleted. We recommend that confidential items not be sent using this system. Patients are unable to send a response through this service, as it is delivery only. Send your message to wellwishesmsj@providencehealth.bc.ca.

Moves

There are times when we need to move residents from one room to another, such as if there is a change in your health; a need for special equipment; or noises that disturb you or others. We will talk with you about the reason for the move and what will need to happen. On occasion we may need to move a resident to another facility – if you are seriously ill and we agree that you need medical care beyond what we can give you and transfer you to hospital; if you need a special type of care that is only provided in certain facilities; or you are offered a spot at another care home that you chose earlier as the care home of your choice. Our social worker works with you and your family to make these types of transfers as easy as possible.

Goodbyes

At the end of life, we know that there are many different ways people wish to say goodbye to their loved ones. If you have specific expectations or wishes that you would like us to know about, please talk with us about them. We will do what we can to honour you and your family. Pastoral Care holds regular memorial services as a way of saying goodbye and celebrating the lives of our residents. It is our way of thanking and honouring all, be they families, friends, or staff.