Inside Leafs take time to remember

January/February 2007 - Issue 4

Inside234568

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The Toronto Maple Leafs honoured Canada's veterans, fallen heroesand troops serving overseas at a pre-game ceremony onRemembrance Day against the Montreal Canadiens. The pre-gamefestivities also included a Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.Sunnybrook veterans Gord Percy and Charlie Kewen were among thehonourees on centre ice.

"On behalf of the entire Toronto Maple Leafs organization, we'rehonoured to recognize our heroes — the Canadian veterans andtroops who served and presently serve our country," said LeafsGeneral Manager, John Ferguson. "Our lives today would have beenvery different had it not been for the tremendous personal sacrifices ofthese courageous men and women."

In the Director’s Lounge prior to appearing on centre ice, Gord andCharlie met and had autographs signed by hockey legends Dick Duff,Johnny Bower, and Patrick Roy.

All Toronto Maple Leafs players wore special poppies on their helmetsin recognition of the evening and a moment of silence was observedprior to the puck drop.

RemembranceDay 2006

Grant a Wish

VAC Ceremony

LessonsLearned

BreakfastClub

Flu Prevention

Calendar ofEvents

By Sally Fur

Leafs take time to remember

Veterans WeekVet Sings aHappy Tune

2 November/December 2007

‘Tis the season for many infections! As winter begins, so does ourannual increase in respiratory infections. These infections include thecommon cold as well as more serious lower respiratory infections suchas Influenza (the “flu”).

Influenza (the “flu”) is a serious, acute respiratory infection caused bythe influenza virus. The symptoms include cough, fever, chills, sorethroat, headache, muscle aches and fatigue. Influenza usually lasts3 – 5 days, but can last longer, with cough and fatigue persisting forseveral weeks. Influenza spreads easily through coughing andsneezing (droplets) and also by touching contaminated surfaces,unwashed hands, or objects such as eating utensils. The influenzavirus results in approximately 4,000 deaths and 10,000 hospitalizationsper year in Canada alone.

In Aging & Veterans Care our residents are vulnerable to becomingseriously ill or dying from respiratory infections such as Influenzabecause of their age and other health problems. The most importantway to protect yourself and those around you from Influenza is bygetting the vaccine each year and by washing your hands frequently!

Protection from the vaccine develops about one to two weeks after theshot and may last up to one year. People who receive the vaccine canstill get influenza, but if they do, it is usually milder than it would havebeen without the vaccine. The vaccine is about 70 – 90 per centeffective in preventing influenza infection in healthy adults. In theelderly, the vaccine can prevent pneumonia and hospitalization in about6 out of 10 people, and prevent death in about 8 out of 10 people. Thevaccine is safe with few side-effects.

Encouraging staff and families to get the vaccine is anotherimportant step in protecting our residents from Influenza. Studieshave shown that immunization of health care workers decreasesinfluenza in patients of the facilities they work in. Also, ensuring thatstaff and families stay home when they are ill reduces the risk ofinfluenza outbreaks in Aging & Veterans Care.

Let’s make this winter a healthy one! • Get the flu shot • Wash your hands frequently • Ask family and visitors to stay home if they are ill

What You Can Do to Preventthe Flu!

Dorothy FergusonOperations Director

Aging & Veterans Care

Dr. Jocelyn CharlesActing Medical DirectorAging & Veterans Care

At Home is the official newsletter of

Aging & Veterans Care. The

newsletter is published six times a

year and is made available to all

members of the Aging & Veterans

Care community. At Home is also

available online at

www.sunnybrook.ca under Programs

& Services, Aging & Veterans Care.

Editor: Sally Fur

Layout: Tereza Radman

Photography: Doug Nicholson

(unless noted otherwise)

Circulation: 1,800

The next issue of At Home will bepublished for Jan/Feb. Deadline for submissions isFriday, Jan. 15, 2007

For more information, or to make a

submission, please contact Sally Fur

at 416.480.6100 ext. 5057 or by e-

mail to [email protected]

Contributors:

Dr. Jocelyn Charles

Dorothry Ferguson

Leanne Hughes

Albert Jung

Erin Molloy

Vivian Ng

Chris Otis

Wendy Plumb

Wes Roberts

Ana Seara

Mariella Watson

Dr. Evelyn Williams

Material printed in At Home is protected by

copyright and may not be reprinted without

the permission of the editor.

January/February 2007 3

Need ideas for that impossible-to-buy-for person on your list?Look no further, the ArtisanMarket has a wonderfulselection of specialty-handcrafted items perfect for giftgiving this holiday season. Veteran holiday art cards arealso available along with a newline of fashions specificallydesigned by residents forresidents. Please support ourtalented veterans and theircreations!

Photo: Holiday card featuring aCanadian Snowshoe Hare byReg Blundell

Shop Sunnybrook also has avariety of gift ideas with the newSunnybrook logo, from travelmugs to pens to sweatshirts! Ifyou are a first time user, you willneed to create an account. Yourusername can be anythingmemorable, such as an emailaddress, nickname or birthday.Payment options include Visa,Mastercard or cost centre. All in-stock products will be shippedwithin 48 hours of receipt ofyour order. If for any reason youare not completely satisfied, theproduct will be replaced or yourpurchase refunded within 30days of receipt. Check outSunnybrook's online store atwww.shopsunnybrook.ca

Holiday shoppingmade easy at theArtisan

Celebrating Veterans Week

By Sally Fur

Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) is committed to helpingCanadians, especially our youth, learn more about Canada’sveterans and military heroes. At this year’s veterans’ weekcelebration, residents Anne Wood, Charlie Kewen and StephenLittle (District Director VAC) unveiled the new VAC poster titled,Share the Story.

The Share the Story poster features a veteran and his grand-son who have returned home from the cenotaph following aRemembrance Day service. Together they explore the contentsof an old, dusty storage trunk. Among other war time treasures,the boy finds his grandfather’s uniform from the “RoyalCanadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers”. After trying onhis grandfathers uniform, the grandson imagines how it musthave felt to be so young to serve in battle. The grandfathershares his memories of serving and together they talk about and

continued on page 4

Korean Veterans Lunch

Korean veteran residents came together for the annual KoreanWar veterans’ recognition luncheon in late October. Currently,there are ten veterans who reside at Sunnybrook who servedin the Korean War from 1950 to 1953.

Prior to the delicious hot buffet lunch, Jin-Soo Lee, Presidentof the Korean Veterans Associatio, presented gift bags andUnit 71 of the Korea Veterans Association gave out beautifulfruit baskets to all of the Korean veterans.

Many thanks to the Royal Canadian Legion who sponsoredthis pre-Christmas function.

remember those who risked their llives for our country.

Special guests at the afternoon celebration includedremarks from Captain Wayne Johnston, Recruiting Officerwith Denison Armouries; a vocal performance by PrivateScott Newland, a reading of the poem In Flanders Fields,by Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, was read by ChristineEnger and Karina Montagnese. The Thornhill Swing Bandalong with Lindy Hop Dancers, Erica Susky, and DanAmores provided the entertainment for the afternoon.

continued from page 3

By Sally Fur

For Herschel Rosenthal, singing birthday and anniversary greetings is a callingand tradition that goes back to when he was just seven years old.

After hearing that the Canadian National Telegraph was looking for “messengerboys”, Herschel along with two of his friends, jumped on their bikes at Collegeand Spadina and rode to Bay and Temperance in downtown Toronto. Thatsummer, Herschel became an official ”singing telegram boy”. At age seven,dressed in a shirt and tie, he would travel all over the city to private homes, BayStreet and the financial district, the Royal York Hotel, singing the same jingle forcomplete strangers.

“I didn’t get very much in those days. The tips were good though, and it was agreat experience and a real pleasure,” says Herschel.

They loved him so much that when school started up again he stayed on singingafter school every day between 4:00 and 6:00 p.m.

After the war, Herschel worked in sales and retail but continued to do the singingtelegrams on the side. In 2004 he came to Sunnybrook and shares his song withfellow veterans. He does an average of four or five a week individually or at smallparties for his comrades, nurses or other staff within the Aging & Veterans Careprogram.

To this day, he still delivers a singing telegram every July, over the phone to EdMirvish. This has been a favourite tradition of his for about forty years. “One year,when Ed was in the hospital, his son recorded my song and then played it for himat the bedside.”

At eighteen and while he was working at the Canadian National Telegraph, Herschel joined the Navy. Heserved for two years on a Corvette, called the Forest Hill. His girlfriend at the time (later his wife) wanted him tojoin the Navy because she liked the uniform. Together they raised two children. Today, Herschel has twograndchildren who he never forgets to send a singing birthday telegram to.

4 January/February 2007

Veteran sings a happy tune


In memoryL-ground Breakfast Club

On October 30, and in his 87thyear, Ian Douglas, C.M., Q.C.,passed away with his loved onesby his side. During the SecondWorld War, Ian served overseaswith the 48th Highlanders ofCanada in England and Scotlandand in the invasion of Sicily. Hewas also a prisoner of war in Italyand Germany. Following the war,he served in the Militia, retiring in1958 as L.Col. Mr. Douglas was acorporate and commercial lawyerand a partner with the firm ofMcCarthy & McCarthy. Forfourteen years he served on theSunnybrook Board of Directors,three of which he served asChairman. While Chairman, heinitiated the SunnybrookFoundation. He was a pastnational Chairman of theCanadian Corps ofCommissionaires and PastPresident of the Fort York Branchof the Royal Canadian Legion. Inmore recent years he served onthe Sunnybrook AdvisoryCommittee and also as an advisorto Veterans Affairs Canada. Hewas a member of the Order ofCanada and recipient of theQueen’s Golden Jubilee Medal.This past November he wasawarded the VAC Minister’sCommendation Award.

Mr. Douglas was a true gentlemanin every way. He taught others thatthe most important value was tobe true to yourself, and to thehonour and dignity of who you are.He along with his characteristicgood humour will be truly missedby his family and all his friends atSunnybrook.

By Sally Fur

For nine residents who live in L wing on the ground floor, Thursday isdefinitely the best day of the week! For the last four or five years the“Breakfast Club” has been meeting every Thursday morning in the Lwing kitchen.

After a 7:00 a.m. personal wake-up call from Karen Megson-Dowling,a recreation therapist, each resident wakes up and gets dressed forthe day. Or as some residents prefer they can simply put on theirhousecoat.

It was Karen’s idea to start the club back when the dinning area wasbeing renovated in 2003. “I wanted to introduce something differentand off the unit for the residents. The workers were wonderful duringthe construction but I felt it was important to find a specialenvironment off the unit to meet in,” said Karen.

Karen recruited chaplain, Wes Roberts, to be the executive chef.Everyone looks forward to his scrambled or sunny side up eggs,served on heated plates along with sausage, toast and fresh fruit.

The residents also enjoy a coffee and juice while they sit together atthe single large dining table with the morning sun streaming throughthe large glass windows that look south on the campus. Many of theresidents are in their eighties and the eldest in the group is ninety-six.

One veteran remarked that “it’s like being at the coffee shop with theguys”, another noted that it’s the pork sausage that keeps him coming.Others say that they like the socializing and camaraderie and they“really look forward to coming up here.”

“Everyone plays a role, it’s about relationships, laughter, life andlearning from each other,” says Wes Roberts.

Photo: Back Row (left to right): Wes Roberts, Bing Levinter, IanRogers, Fred Stokes, Karen Megson-Dowling, Frank Stiver

Front Row: Ray Proullx, Jack Martin, Stan Leonard, Don Whitehead

Photo credit: Dale Roddick


Annual PoppyDrive

Remembrance Day 2006

Over five hundred veterans from Sunnybrook attended theannual Remembrance Day Service on Saturday, November 11.In total, 25 wreaths were dedicated and placed by civilians andmilitary in Warrior’s Hall. Kathleen Wynne, MPP Don ValleyWest; John Godfrey, MP Don Valley West; and CouncilorJenkins of the City of Toronto also took part in the wreath layingservice. First World War veterans, Lloyd Clemet, aged 106, andDwight Wilson, aged 105, together laid a wreath in memory oftheir fallen comrades. Invited guest Chief Warrant Officer, ChrisOtis, Canadian Forces, and Base Borden gave the eulogy andspoke about his experiences in Afghanistan. Corporal DenverWilliams laid a wreath on behalf of the current Afghanistanoperations.

Following the service, veterans, family members, health careprofessionals and volunteers moved outside for the laying of thememorial wreaths at the historic Sunnybrook Cenotaph onBayview Avenue.

Chief Warrant Officer Chris Otis, has been a serving member inthe position of Resource Management Support Clerk for a littleover 23 years. Having been recently deployed this past July2005 to February 2006 to Afghanistan he shared with veterans,family members and staff his experiences and feelings aboutthe war in Afghanistan. The following are some excerpts fromthe eulogy that he gave on in Warriors’ Hall on RemembranceDay 2006.

The annual poppycampaign was a hugesuccess this year withmore than $6,000 raised.The funds generated notonly go the Royal CanadianLegion, but a percentage isalso given to the VeteransComfort Fund here atSunnybrook.

Photo: Bill McHattie,Korean War veteran wasone of about fifteenveterans who canvassed inthis year’s campaign.

Little PoppyA little poppyThat was given to me, Can help me keep Canada Safe and free.I will wear this little poppy.As red as red can be, To show that I remember Those who fought for me.

From a grade one class atJohn Wanless PublicSchool.

continued on page 7

Photo credit: Dale Roddick


“I hear many young Canadian civilians crying out loud for us to get out of arms way and plea to our

politicians to have us stop killing people without the understanding of what exactly we, as soldiers,

do overseas rather than just to take some meager facts reported by journalists. I have seen first

hand the help that we provide to the orphanages by giving them warm clothes, blankets and toys.

Rebuilding schools, providing students writing material, schoolbooks, chairs and desks. The

opportunities given to women to express themselves freely and also attend school. Many young

Canadians do not see this first hand but will always remember the bad things that are being

reported”.

I would like to quote a poem by Mr. Charles M. Province “It is a soldier, not the reporter, who has

given freedom of press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech. It is

the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the

soldier, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial. It is the soldier not the politician,

who guarantees our democracy. It is the soldier, not the diplomat that becomes a tangible expression

of a nation's willingness to extend its values and its ideals worldwide. It is the soldier who salutes the

flag, who serves under the flag. And whose coffin is draped by the flag who allows the protester to

burn the flag and vividly demonstrate the ultimate cost of representing our beliefs in difficult and

dangerous places.”

“The ultimate sacrifice is a high price to pay for peace but it may be worth it if it is to last. I believe

that every soldier presently serving is willing to make that sacrifice, otherwise we wouldn’t be doing

the job that we love so much. This is the time of the year to remember the ones that we have lost

so far, and the ones that are injured. I wish them a speedy recovery. It is also the time to reflect on

the memory of past histories that we have learned from.”

Remember, Lest we forget!

continued from page 6 - Remembrance Day 2006


Passings

By Wendy Plumb

On Friday, November 3, 2006, the Minister of Veterans AffairsCommendation ceremony was held in the Victoria Albert Room of theRamada Plaza Hotel, in Hamilton.

The Governor General issued a warrant for the award, and TheQueen approved a motion supporting it in 2001. The governingpolicies call for it to be “…awarded to individuals who have performedcommendable service to the veteran community and/or individualswho represent commendable role models for their fellow veterans.”

A total of 69 recipients from across Canada received the award and atthe recent ceremony in Hamilton there were 18 recipients (four ofwhom were awarded posthumously). From the Sunnybrook family, thehonourees were Duncan Graham, Ian Douglas (deceased), ArthurPlumb (deceased) and Albert Wallace (Sunnybrook VolunteerAssociation).

The Master of Ceremonies read a citation outlining theaccomplishments of each recipient and then invited the recipient (orwidow) to come forward. Minister Thompson shook hands with therecipient, and the framed certificate was held by both of them asofficial photographs were taken. Then, Lynn Jackson of VeteransAffairs, Ottawa handed the recipient a small white box whichcontained the actual bar and a pin with the Commendation crest on it.The design is a gold maple leaf resting on a red poppy, with the RoyalCrown at the top.

Following the ceremony, guests enjoyed a buffet dinner. The Ministergraciously posed for photos and chatted with the guests. It was a verymemorable evening and guests stayed overnight in the hotel,courtesy of Veterans Affairs Canada.

Photo:– Back row: Albert Wallace (fifth from the left), Gregory Thompson,Minister of Veterans Affairs (seventh from the left) and Duncan Graham(ninth from the left) Front row: Arthur Plumb’s daughter, Jane Pearlman (seated far right)

OctoberPaul CornackJames ButtWilliam ReidJames KearnsHerb ChapmanJohn ComrieRoy DoironWilliam Ruddock Kenneth HowardWolfred LandsbergJames Moffat

NovemberSam SlavinJune MillsJohn CornerHarold SheffeJohn KayorieDonald Terry Lloyd Ball Charles Bell Arthur PhillipsWilliam HamiltonHerbert SmithElmer Webber

“Wear Red Friday”

The “Wear Red Fridays”campaign that started last springis spreading across Canadacoast to coast! The idea waslaunched by family members ofsoldiers, from CFB Petawawawho are serving overseas inAfghanistan. The idea is toencourage people to wear red onFridays as a show of support forCanadian forces. Anything redwill work – a red shirt, jacket,cap, bandana etc.

The Military Family ResourceCentre (MFRC) has created“Support Our Troops” red t-shirtsand is selling them at cost tosupporters. To date thousands ofred t-shirts are being worn onFridays. For more informationcontact the MFRC @ 519-538-1371 ext. 6509.

Veterans AffairsCommendation Award

Photo credit: Duncan Graham


By Vivian Ng and Ana Seara

The veterans would like to thank the Army, Navy, Air ForceAssociation (ANAF) for their generous donations and tremendoussupport! The recent donation of a stage skirt will brighten Warriors’Hall and make the atmosphere more comfortable for the veterans.In addition, the financial support of our bingo games for theupcoming year will provide the veterans with hours of fun andenjoyment. The veterans absolutely love the bingo program, it isone of their favourite games and we can’t thank the ANAF enoughfor their generosity.

The Veterans’ Portrait and Photography studio would also like togratefully acknowledge the financial support from the ANAF for thepurchase of glass doors for the front entrance of the studio space.This purchase will not only ensure the safety of our residents andstaff entering the studio (presently there is a roll-up gate which hasto be pulled up and down manually several times a day), but it willalso provide a private atmosphere in which therapeuticphotography services can be more efficiently facilitated to ourveteran residents and their families. The glass doors will be simpleand contemporary and will also display the name of the studio witha Letraset design. Thank you once again for helping us providethe best quality service to our Veterans.

Lastly, we would like to thank the ANAF for their generous supportof the seasonal decorations that are displayed throughout K and Lwings. Our veteran’s home looks spectacular at this time of yearwith the beautiful wreaths, and Christmas trees all tastefullydecorated for the holiday season. We can’t thank you enough!

Bruce Randall (left) andGeorge Potter (right),along with a bus groupof Sunnybrook veteransattended the unveiling ofthe new Veterans’Memorial at Queen’sPark in September. Thehuge 30-metre-longgranite monument wasdesigned by Canadian

artist Allan Harding MacKay and recognizes all citizens who haveserved in Canada’s military since Confederation.

Please welcome Nancy Bowers-Ivanski, Manager, Recreation &Creative Arts Therapies andProfessional Leader to RecreationTherapy. Nancy has a Bachelor ofRecreation and Leisure Studiesfrom Brock University and aBachelor in Adult Education fromthe same university. She has ateaching appointment at theUniversity of Waterloo, haspresented at a number ofprofessional conferences andpublished other work. Additionally,Nancy has been active provinciallyin her professional association,Therapeutic Recreation Ontario,and recently served as itsPresident. For the past 21 years,Nancy has been employed atParkwood Hospital in London,Ontario where she held a numberof roles - Professional PracticeLeader of Recreation Therapy;Therapeutic Recreation Specialist;Director, Alzheimer’s Day Programand Supervisor, TherapeuticRecreation. In addition to herexperience with both Recreationand Creative Arts Therapies, Nancywill bring to Sunnybrook a strongunderstanding of veterans and theirneeds.

Please welcome SusanGreenwood to the appointment ofAdvanced Practice Nurse, LGSE,LGSW & LDMH, effective October16, 2006. Susan first joinedSunnybrook in 1991 and hasworked as staff nurse in acutegeriatrics, neurosurgery and theDorothy Macham Home. She alsoworked as a Clinical ResourceNurse at St. Elizabeth Health Careduring which time she hadeducational responsibilities. Susanhas completed CNA Certification inGerontology, and is currentlystudying at Ryerson University.Susan’s office is located at L102dand her extension is 2132.

On the moveArmy, Navy, Air ForceAssociation Donation

Photo credit: Karen Morris

Veterans’ Memorial


Veterans Grant a Wish

Have you made your wish yet? Referral boxes are located at the

L ground elevators and outside the Artisan Market. The goal of the

program is for every veteran living at Sunnybrook to have at least

one wish granted. Thanks to the generosity and continued support

of the Veterans Honour Ride Foundation this program enhances

the quality of life of our war heroes.

October Wishes

• To go to Woodbine Racetrack

• To go to the CN Tower for lunch with my wife

• Go to the horse show at the Royal Winter Fair

• A one year supply of Coca-Cola

• To meet with Oscar Peterson

• Brunch at the Vaughn Estate

• To celebrate my wife’s memorial

• To celebrate my 100th Birthday

• To sing with a Big Band

November Wishes

• To attend my church service

• A bottle of Johnny Walker Scotch

• To go to a Leafs game

• To go to a Raptor’s game

• To have a celebration for my wife’s birthday

• To visit my home in Scarborough

• Dress pants, shoes and a jacket

• To have dinner at the Royal York Hotel

• To visit the National Art Museum

This year along with the

annual Halloween party,

Recreation Therapy hosted a

Pumpkin Carving Contest.

LFS won 1st prize, K2C/E/W

won 2nd prize and the

Dorothy Macham won 3rd

prize.

Photo: Handing out the prize ribbons was Vivian Ng, or was that

Madame Dracula?

By Albert Jung

Thanks to the administrationof Aging & Veterans Care thekitchen used by our more than forty “K-wing coffeeservice volunteers” has had arecent upgrade. TheWarrior’s Hall coffee serviceis very popular with ourveteran residents and thevolunteers have been workingin the original kitchen forabout 30 years. In order tomake the kitchen morefunctional, user-friendly and amore pleasant environmentfor the volunteers to work in,this renovation was longoverdue.

The kitchen maintains an up-to-date look similar to theother K-wing renovations inrecent years. It was also avery clear gesture of howmuch the volunteers whoprovide this service areappreciated and valued.

Special thanks to thevolunteers who ensured thatthere was no disruption to thecoffee service during therenovation and to AnitaHofstatter, Coffee ServiceConvenor and her team, fortheir extra work andassistance preparing for therenovation and organizing thenew kitchen.

New coffee

Service Kitchen

Pumpkin Carving Contest


Sharing Lessons Learned

By Sally Fur

As part of their community serviceprogram, grade six students fromUpper Canada College (UCC)recently had the opportunity to learnhistory first hand from the veteransat Sunnybrook.

Once a week, for the four weeksleading up to Remembrance Day,twenty-one students from Mr.Cooper’s homeroom class meet withthe same veterans in the K-wingannex.

“The boys developed a personal relationship with theveterans that each week became more and moremeaningful, it’s been a great experience,” said their teacher,Bob Cooper, who has been behind the initiative for the lasttwo years.

“The students truly enjoy hearing the veterans’ stories,looking at old pictures, and wartime artifacts. They were alsovery interested and eager to learn about the significance ofthe various medals the veterans were wearing.”

Photo: Second World War veterans Lloyd Queen and CharlieKewen engage the boys in discussion.

Photo (top): Students from UCC sign a large banner andsend heartfelt wishes to troops in Afghanistan.

Second World War veteran,George Hollington served inBurma as a motorcyclemessenger.

Photo: Left to right: BessiePrangikos, Activity Aid, JaniceJarema, R.N., Illeana Vaz,R.N., Claudette Ransom,R.P.N.

Looking back, aholiday memory

Cpl. Geraldine Muter, RoyalCanadian Air Force (left)visited orphans at Christmas,during the Second World Warin London, England. Mrs.Muter was a secretary in anRCAF centre, whichprocessed air crewmenliberated from Europe. LastJune, Geraldine attended the65th WD Royal Canadian AirForce reunion in Winnipeg.

100 years young!

Photo credit: Bob Cooper

Photo credit: Bob Cooper


“Walk forMemories”

By Mariella Watson

Over the past several years, a multidisciplinary team includingphysicians, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapistsand patient care managers have developed a program toreduce falls in our elderly veteran residents.

Falls are the leading cause of serious injury and death forseniors who are at risk of complications due to frailty and otherillnesses. Even without a serious injury such as a hip fracture,falls can affect a person’s confidence, lead to decreasedmobility and a loss of independence.

Our Falls Risk Reduction Program addresses the multiple riskfactors that can contribute to falls. The goals are to reduce therisks of falling and to minimize the risk of injury should a falloccur.

General falls prevention strategies (such as environmentalsafety checks) are used for everyone and individualizedinterventions targeting specific risk factors such as poor balanceor reduced vision are implemented by the various teammembers. Such interventions include activities as regularmedication reviews, exercise programs, prescription of walkingaides or hip protectors.

What Can YOU Do?

TIPS TO KEEP YOU SAFE:

1. Rise slowly – don’t rush to answer the phone.2. Wear shoes with closed heels and non-slip soles-avoid

wearing only socks when getting up.3. Ask for help when necessary.4. Keep the floor free of clutter.5. Lock your wheelchair or walker brakes before getting up or

when not in use.6. Engage in physical activity every day- keep your muscles

strong and loosen stiff joints.7. Avoid going out when weather conditions are poor -plan

ahead to avoid rushing.8. Never get up in the dark – use a nightlight in case you need

to get up.

Physiotherapists in Agingand Veteran’s Care are“Walking for Memories” insupport of the AlzheimerSociety’s annual fundraiser.

As a group of healthprofessionals who spend asignificant amount of timeeducating about the benefitsof walking as well asmotivating and training ourresidents to walk; we felt thisfundraiser coincided with ourmandate.

We will be posting pledgesheets by our gym entrancesand advertising theAlzheimer Society’sfundraising efforts. We arelooking for donations that wecan bring to the AlzheimerSociety as we participate intheir “Walk for Memories”on Saturday January 27,2007 at BCE Place.

Join us in the walk orparticipate by pledgingyour support through us.

Falls Risk Reduction Program


My Father, the General

By Erin Molloy

“He was not one to seek the limelight or command headlines; he was one of those great souls whoseonly ambition was to do his duty to his troops and to his country.”

These are the words Supreme Commander of all Allied Forces and a president of the US, Dwight D.Eisenhower used to describe General Henry Duncan Graham (“Harry”) Crerar. Eisenhower’s words alsoencapsulate the sentiment in Crerar’s biographical book, My Father, the General, written by his son,Peter V. Crerar, an L wing resident and an Italian Campaign veteran. In his book, Peter retells hisfather’s story and that of his family’s during the drama of war.

“Being a kind and gentle person, he refused to write his memoirs for he felt he would hurt other peopleinvolved in the Canadian Army’s rise to a major player in the final Allied Victory,” writes Peter. Therefore,being his son and a war veteran himself, Peter felt that the responsibility was bestowed upon him torecord the true facts of his father’s career, mainly to establish an accurate insight into the efforts andsacrifices Canadians endured in the struggle during World War II.

In the book, Peter describes his father’s “slow rise to fame.” In 1940, Harry Crerar became theCanadian Chief of Staff and held much of the responsibility for the dispatch of Canadian troops to HongKong in November 1941. A month later he was appointed to command of I Canadian Corps in theUnited Kingdom and in November 1943 he took that formation to Italy, which included Peter whoqualified as an Officer Cadet and describes this experience as a time when the father-son relationshipshined. He was then brought back to England to lead the First Canadian Army in the invasion of France.Promoted full general in November 1944, he commanded the field army throughout the northwestEurope campaign.

Peter also tells of his father’s greatest successes and honours both before and after his military career.Peter said the Normandy Campaign marks his father’s success as an Army Commander. His peacetimehonours include being appointed Assistant Division Commander General to Her Majesty the Queen.When his distinguished career came to an end, he moved from Canada to California and was honouredand welcomed in many cities. Before his death, Harry Crerar was awarded by the government as PrivyCouncillor of the House of Commons and many tributes were paid world-wide from the many survivingwar-time leaders.

Clearly Harry Crerar was responsible for a large number of casualties, and because of this, Peter sayshe was open to criticism. He was sometimes described as a “mediocre commander.” Therefore, Peter

wrote this book as a means to “set the record straight.” He believes hisfather should be showcased the way he was viewed by those who reallyknew him – as a “sincere, ambitious, severe yet fair man.”

Peter admits that throughout his father’s entire military career he mayhave been seen as a cold figure, but he was an extremely hard workerand during campaigns he knew how to relax from the strain, and histroops trusted him above all else. The book gives insight as to howHenry Duncan Graham Crerar was a true Canadian patriot and a greatwar-time figure.

“I don’t want him to be forgotten, he did a lot for Canada,” says Peter.

Peter’s book, My Father, the General, is available for sale at both theSunnybrook and Veterans Artisan Market gift shops.


Farewell to Dr. Seymour FrydrychBy Dr. Evelyn Williams

At the end of August 2006, after 26 years service as an attending physician in Aging & Veterans’

Care, Dr. Seymour Frydrych retired from his duties here. He has been the unit physician on LFSW

since the unit opened in 1990 and was also the unit physician on K2C for several years. He remains

in active family practice at the Mt. Dennis Medical Group.

Dr. Frydrych has been active as a lecturer for the Department of Family and Community Medicine

throughout his career, teaching clinical clerks and residents from the Toronto, Western, and

McMaster medical schools in his private practice and at Sunnybrook. His special interest in urology

led to his contribution to papers and seminars on the overactive bladder. He received special

training in facilitation for small group learning and organized continuing medical education sessions

for the physicians in long term care for over six years.

Although Dr. Frydrych did not want an official farewell event, a surprise party was held on LFSW for

him. The highlight was a harmonica duet featuring Dr. Frydrych and resident Ralph Polson. Many

residents and staff thanked Dr. Frydrych for his superb medical care and respectful caring attitude

throughout the years. We will certainly miss him and wish Dr. Frydrych continued success in his

community practice.

Welcome to Dr. Maria Chang

The Division of Long Term Care, Department of Family and Community Medicine, is please to have

Dr. Maria Chang join us as attending physician on K1C and LFSW. Dr. Chang recently completed

her family medicine residency here at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.

Dr. Chang is also a physiotherapist and brings this added dimension to her work with the

interdisciplinary team. As a physiotherapist she worked at Bridgepoint hospital. As a lecturer with the

University of Toronto, Dr. Chang will be involved with training of family medicine residents in

geriatrics, during their rotation in Kilgour and Hees wings.

M.D. Update


Spiritual & Religious Care Holiday Celebrations

December 16 at 10:00 a.m.



December 17 at 2:00 p.m.



December 24 at 7:00 p.m.

Hospital-Wide Memorial Service - Wednesday, January 24th

The Sunnybrook Spiritual & Religious Care team invites the hospital community to the hospital-widememorial service to be held in the McLaughlin Auditorium (Sunnybrook campus – EG 18a) beginning at3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 24th, 2007. The service provides an opportunity for family members,partners and friends of those who died during the months of July through October 2006, to celebrate thelives of their loved ones along with those who cared for them in this hospital community.

As well, the employees and volunteers of the hospital who died during the aforementioned months willalso be remembered. All are welcome to attend. For more information contact Wes Roberts at ext. 4855.

Sunday Service Times

10:00 a.m. - Interdenominational Service (Sunnybrook Chapel, E-wing, Ground Floor)

11:30 a.m. - Celebration of Sunday Mass (Annex, K-wing)

Calendar of Events

- Jewish Saturday Service (Jewish Synagogue)

- Lesson and Carol Service (Ecumenial Service -

Veterans Chapel)

- Celebration of 3rd Sunday of Advent (Mass, K-wng

Annex)

- Hanukkah Party (K-wing Annex)

- Ecumenical Christmas Service & Communion

(Veterans Chapel)

- Celebration of 4th Sunday of Advent (Mass,

K-wing Annex)

- Christmas Eve Mass, Carol Sing & Family Choir

(L-wing lobby)


Show your support of Aging & Veterans Care

Contributions to the Aging & Veterans Care program are gratefully accepted, helping us meet specialor urgent needs in a timely fashion. Donations to the A&VC program will help fund high priority needssuch as educational fellowships in Aging, and capital improvements to the veterans’ residence.Donations to the Veterans’ Comfort Fund helps us provide our Veteran residents with ‘extras’: equipment,events and entertainment items that help to enhance their quality of life. Support of the Palliative CareTrust Fund helps to enhance the living environment for patients and families receiving palliative care.

Donations can be made in memory or in honour a loved one, or to acknowledge a special event suchas a birthday or anniversary. If you so choose, Sunnybrook Foundation will send a card to yourhonouree or their family letting them know that they have been honoured through a donation. A taxreceipt will be issued for all donations over $10.

How to donate:

By Mail:Cheques should be made out to Sunnybrook Foundation

For a specific designation, please write ‘Veterans Comfort Fund’, ‘Palliative Care Unit TrustFund’ or ‘Aging and Veterans Care’ on the bottom of your cheque.

Mail your donation to:Sunnybrook Foundation, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Room H332, Toronto, ON, M4N 3M5

By Telephone:call 416.480.4483 for the Sunnybrook Foundation

By Internet:www.sunnybrook.ca/foundation and follow the simple instructions

Thank you!

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