|
|
October 31, 2008
New director at Haro Park
Catherine Kohm brings experience and innovation to centre.
SUSAN KATZ
"Choices: it's all about them." These are the words Catherine Kohm, the new executive director of Vancouver's Haro Park Centre, chose to describe her philosophy of elder care.
Kohm recently came to Vancouver from Toronto, where she was director of nursing services at the Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care. Baycrest is Toronto's Jewish campus for the aged, which sets the gold standard for elder care, with approximately 1,000 beds, recreational and social programming, health promotion and maintenance programs, housing, specialized out-patient, mental health, residential and medical support services.
Kohm's soft-spoken manner belies her big commitment to responsible and respectful care of seniors. She brings an extensive background of strong leadership through development and implementation of innovative programs, such as the Connected to Care Program at Baycrest, the "flow" systems in Toronto Western Hospital's emergency department and the Sibling Program for siblings of expectant parents at Toronto General Hospital.
Kohm said she feels very much at home at Haro Park Centre, which is a much smaller and more culturally diverse campus than Baycrest, nestled in the West End of Downtown Vancouver. Her philosophy of "it's all about choice" was lived out when she and her husband decided that it was time to make the move west, and downsized their lives into a three-month road-trip through the United States. She said she really saw the parallel of what it is like for her elderly residents to downsize their lives, sometimes into the equivalent of a mid-sized car or hotel room.
Haro Park Centre is situated on land purchased in 1972 by the Lions' Gate B'nai B'rith Building Society. In September 1977, the Netherlands Association for Senior Care contacted Lions' Gate B'nai B'rith to request their participation in a joint venture. As a result of the co-operative relationship, in October of 1978, Haro Park Centre Society was officially registered in Victoria and, in May 1980, it was ready for its first residents.
Kohm said she finds that the diverse population of residents fosters inquisitive conversation, as they share all types of cultural events together. "They are a pretty liberated group!" she said of their mutual support and interest of each other's various ethnic and lifestyle choices.
The interior of the centre is spacious, fresh and homey. The decor is easy and clean, with relaxing hues of mauves and greens and lots of houseplants. The air is fresh, comfortably warm and circulates noiselessly.
Haro Park Centre is a member of the Eden Alternative Registry, a philosophy founded by American physician Bill Thomas. One focal area of this care system is the "three plagues" that can adversely affect quality of life: helplessness, boredom and loneliness. Eden care addresses these common problems by encouraging residents to continue with activities they would have had if still in their own home, such as watering plants, volunteer visits with other residents and pet care. Pets are everywhere – the dog, Caleb, hangs out on the fourth floor, there are two large fish tanks, two cats and a couple of song birds.
In addition, Haro Park Centre strives to reduce the barriers between staff and residents to enhance communication and trust. As you stroll through the corridors, you can see lots of cozy pockets of side conversations between residents and what appear to be visitors chatting. But most of the "visitors" are actually plain-clothes staff, emphasizing the personal, rather than clinical, atmosphere in the centre.
Kohm said she is very proud of the Haro Park Centre as a culturally rich and diverse community, and she called it a real treasure in our own Downtown West End.
Susan Katz is a Vancouver freelance writer.
^TOP
|
|
