A labor of love for Brier staff

KATHARINE HAMER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH BULLETIN

Debbie Litvack must have one of the busiest jobs around. As a social worker at the Louis Brier Home and Hospital, she oversees the day-to-day lives of 218 residents, 93 of whom are in extended care. An average day for her involves co-ordinating admissions; liaising with the local health authority and with her colleagues in the dietary, nursing, rehab and recreation departments (ensuring not only that residents are properly placed, but also properly cared for); holding care conferences with residents and their families; offering bereavement counselling and troubleshooting any issues that might come up among staff, residents and their families.

She helps with transitional and post-admission support for new residents, and answers questions about tax returns and Pharmacare. She is being shadowed by a University of British Columbia social work student and touches base regularly with local organizations like the Jewish Family Service Agency, the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver, the Jewish Community Centre of Greater Vancouver Seniors and L'Chaim Seniors. Right now, Litvack is fielding applications and co-ordinating admissions for the new Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Residence, where she is acting client services leader. Oh,
and she also has two toddlers at home.

"The hardest part is the juggling right now," she confessed, although she seems to have the energy of at least three people. Litvack has been at the Louis Brier for five years. Before that, she worked with the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority in hospitals, and with the Ministry for Children and Families.

"I've always wanted to work in geriatrics, particularly with Jewish elderly," she said. "It was just the right fit. It's a very important place, and we do very important work. People really love it here. I'm a Louis Brier snob. I think it's the best place in the world."

Brent Boutin has been a dietary aide at the Louis Brier for eight and a half years. He used to work in kitchens from Edmonton to Quebec. Like all but one of his fellow kitchen staff, Boutin isn't Jewish, so he had to get used to preparing certain foods. "Some things I never knew before: kugel, what's a kugel? And all the kashrut rules and regulations were new, but we're used to them now."

It's part of Boutin's job to make sure that residents with diabetic, low salt, gluten-free and any other special dietary needs are taken care of. Since he spends most of his work day either in the kitchen or in the storeroom, he doesn't have much contact with residents. His interest in Judaism stems not from an attraction to the culture but in the parallels between Christianity and the Old Testament.

"I'm a Christian but there's a lot of similarities between Judaism and Christianity for me," he said. "A lot of the holidays that are celebrated here, I'm aware of in scripture as a Christian. I think that's probably the most unique thing and the most interesting thing."

Home has family feel

Registered nurse Kathy Lee came to the Louis Brier nearly three years ago, ending a 21-year retirement after her children left home. Lee once worked in the emergency departments of large hospitals back east. Now she looks after 47 residents of varying needs in the intermediate care and special care unit. It's a very different environment. In her hospital years, "I had a doctor at my elbow all the time," she said. "Here you really have to be aware of what's happening to the residents, because they can turn quite ill very quickly." She also has to assist residents with dementia or physical mobility issues.

While a typical day involves the usual rounds of administering medications, changing dressings and liaising with doctors, a large part of Lee's job is just day-to-day reassurance.

"They always want to talk to the nurse, so there's a lot of interaction, a lot of one-on-one with the residents, just chatting with them and making them feel secure and that they're important," she said. "I love the residents and the staff. There's kind of a nice family feel here, I think. It's not like a big institution, it's more of a home."

"I'm relatively the new gal on the scene," said Allison Chandler, a recreational therapist who's been working at the Louis Brier since last October. Chandler graduated from Concordia University in Montreal with a specialty in therapeutic recreation. It's her responsibility to ensure that residents have well-planned leisure activities – including a weekly exercise program – that foster increased social contact, cognition and general well-being.

Like having a bubbe

This is Chandler's first paid job in the field. She came to the Louis Brier in part because her mother was a nurse there for 10 years.

"I'm loving it," she said. "It is hard work and you have busy days, but it's very much a satisfying job, because you see the direct impact that you're having on residents. There was a woman who came out of her room today for the birthday who had not been, I think, since I started in October, really involved in any of the programs, and it was just so satisfying to see her smile.

"When I first got into my program, I said I don't think I want to work in a hospital, I think that would be a little bit too depressing," said Chandler. "I thought I wanted to work with kids and do a totally different thing – and now from the experience I've had with seniors, I can't imagine working with any other population. It's like you've got your bubbe and your zayde here."

All of the staff take great pleasure in their work at the Louis Brier.

"You just have so much to learn from older people," said Litvack. "Their histories are so unbelievable. The other thing is I think aging as a whole is looked upon so negatively, and end of life is looked upon so negatively, and with such fear, and I really believe that we do such a good job in providing quality of life to people.... I see people thriving here, I see loneliness and isolation combatted. I just think that it's a very fulfilling thing to do to be involved in someone's end of life. I think it's a mitzvah. I think it's beautiful – and I think everyone here feels that. It's really a privilege to work with the residents."

Katharine Hamer is a freelance writer living in Vancouver.

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