$64,000 in Family CARE grant money is going towards patient care at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation.
The money is from the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation and the Volunteer Association.
In total 31 Family Care grants, ranging from $90 to $5,000 were announced which will fund the purchase of equipment that will benefit patients across the Health Sciences Center.
They include:
- Boogie board LCD writing tablets for Rehab Services to help occupational and physical therapy patients communicate and strengthen fine motor skills
- A tipi to provide a cultural space at the hospital to perform Indigenous ceremonies, gatherings, teachings and storytelling
- An interactive flat panel device for Child and Adolescent Mental Health to provide visual and interactive learning for patients who attend education classes each weekday morning
- Additional musical instruments (guitar and percussion instruments) for patients in Adult Mental Health to play and enjoy the therapeutic benefits of music
- Activity blankets and pillows for the hospital’s Help program
Activity blankets and pillows in 2A will be helpful for Alzheimer’s and dementia patients according to Manager Matthew Shonosky.
“As these diseases progress, behaviours develop in these patients like fidgeting and grabbing things to occupy themselves including, sometimes, their IVs or medical tubing which is stressful for nursing staff,” Shonosky says.
He goes on to say the blankets and pillows, which have pockets, buttons, laces and velcro help keep the patients stimulated for hours which helps them stay calm and relaxed.
