2021 Canadian Business Awards

Since its inception in 1989, the Foyer Richelieu Welland care home has been a non-profit organisation that provides long-term quality of care in Welland, Ontario. It specialises specifically in improving the quality of life for those suffering with chronic diseases, working to improve the psychological, physical, emotional, and spiritual health of its residents. The company has developed a ‘French and Catholic ambience’ with which to serve the French speaking population of Southern Ontario. The teachings of Catholicism permeate every aspect of this business and what it aims to achieve, all the while maintaining a vision of inspiring wellness and joy, keeping to its core values of mutual aid, respect, pride, loyalty, and acceptance. As an institution it prides itself on its superior quality of care and is considered an employer of choice. This is certainly a credit to it, especially when it is considered that during the pandemic, one survey from the Queen’s Nursing Institute revealed that 80% of nurses found working during the pandemic to be an overwhelmingly negative experience. Which Foyer Richelieu has been blessed to successfully manage through thus far, with good staff morale and a very generous community. Of course, the nursing professional has seen a time of tumult over the past year because of the outbreak. As Covid-19 is particularly dangerous to the elderly and immunocompromised, stricter measures had to be implemented across the board to ensure the safest environments possible. For a lot of nurses, this meant having to reduce contact with their residents/patients as much as possible to reduce the risk of transmission. Increasing the pressure on this industry is the fact that the overall population of Canada – and indeed, the world at large – is aging. During 2016, senior citizens accounted for 5.9 million people whilst children only accounted for 5.8 million. This was the first time in the nation’s history that such statistics had been seen. A further challenge for the industry has been a shortage of personal support workers for its residents. This has been especially felt in the company’s home province of Ontario, where the shortage has been declared a ‘crisis’. In response to this, Canada’s government has been setting up a staffing agency with hopes to provide aid to this crucial part of the care infrastructure. Internally, Foyer Richelieu Welland has withheld a staunch commitment to human dignity throughout the crisis. It firmly believes in respecting the rights of its residents and works in cooperation with its local community to deliver quality long-term care in a ‘peaceful francophone environment’. It also makes use of a four-pillar strategy when hiring new employees to join its dynamic team: a prospective hire must believe in superior quality of care and its delivery, be able to work in a French and bilingual environment, show an understanding of the Catholic and faith based environment within the home, and understand that great care is delivered by great people. Being a non-profit organisation, Foyer Richelieu Welland relies on funding to develop its site, grounds, and care delivery services further. In 2018, the board started the Touching Lives Campaign. This charity campaign started towards its $5 million goal with the hopes of acquiring the funding needed to build a new site for its residents. It was a comprehensive capital campaign, and all funds were raised through events, donations, grants, bequests, and other sources. Best Long-Term Care Home - Ontario During the pandemic, some of the most heavily hit industries have been those serving vulnerable groups. Care homes such as Foyer Richelieu Welland are experiencing this first-hand; but it isn’t letting Covid-19 stop it from continuing to provide the best care for its residents as it remains Covid Free since the beginning of the pandemic. Eventually, the hard work caused it to more than succeeded its goal and Foyer Richelieu Welland continues to fundraise more money than ever. After deliberation, it developed a 2-phase expansion plan. Phase one will be to design, develop and build a 128-bed new care home adjacent to its current facility. In addition, Foyer Richelieu has partnered with Hospice Niagara to build a 10 bed hospice in the new build. This will create one of the first campuses of care offering all four points of care along the continuum (Independent Living, Supportive Housing, Long-Term Care and Hospice). Phase two of this plan will be to retrofit the existing site to create ‘Maison Richelieu’, which will have 50 new wellness suites for supported housing. Company: Foyer Richelieu Welland Contact: Sean Keays Website: www.foyerrichelieu.com Dec20575