Guest Blog Post - "Care Is Not Just An Idle Word"

Please enjoy another Guest Blog Post from the Christys, long-time friends of Perley Health about how Commissionaires Ottawa helps elevate care for the entire Perley Health community:

"Care Is Not Just An Idle Word"

"How interesting to see the names of “People at Perley” and learn where they fit in. But do you know Gary? Nicole, Dave, Mamaduo, and Chris? Most people come to Perley Health and a lot of the residents and tenants don't. Yet we see them most days. They are the people we first see as we enter 1750 Russell Road, Perley Health's main entrance, the members of the Commissionaires. And having seen them, have you ever wondered what they do during their shift? As we've discovered by experience and talking to them, they do a lot!

Perley Health is a sprawling complex of four buildings – 1750, 1720, 1780 Russell and the respite care unit. The main building has over four hundred residents and there are over seven hundred staff throughout the complex providing numerous services and events. The first task of the people at the front door, of course, is to direct people to where they want to go  – a resident's room, the location of an event, a staff person, or if their loved one is near her/his end of life, to the comfort care suite and perhaps the spiritual care staff. They also direct telephone calls for people who want to talk to someone but don't know the extension.

Ever hear a voice over the intercom call “code red” when there is a fire or “code blue” when there is a medical emergency? It's one of the Commissionaires assisting a staff person responsible for ensuring the safety of residents and tenants. When an ambulance has been called and is having difficulty locating the potential patient, it's the Commissionaire who has to know where the person is and direct the ambulance to him or her. Once, when the power went out and landlines weren't functioning, the Commissionaires were still available using cell phones.

Many people lose their parking tickets and have difficulties at the gate when leaving Perley Health. Commissionaires take responsibility and push a button to open the gate. They also have the sad task of pushing a button to lower the two flags to half-mast in front of Rideau Residence when a veteran dies and to lower the flag at the west end of Commissionaires Place when a community member dies.

One of their duties is to ensure the main building is safe all the time. Cameras in hallways enable the Commissionaires to monitor traffic from their work station; alarms at the sliding doors near the Day Program alert the Commissionaire to someone leaving who is not supposed to, enabling other staff to intervene, and they are required to patrol the entire main building to ensure all is well, definitely a long walk!

But it's the personal, caring, unofficial things we've heard and seen that the Commissionaires do that truly makes us respect them – one fixed a resident's wheelchair, saving the person from a hefty repair bill; they've helped us put on our coats many times as we've waited for Para Transpo; one Commissionaire rescued a resident whose wheelchair got stuck in mud near a construction area; residents who receive library books via the Ottawa Public Library home-bound service collect their books from the Commissionaire station then take them back and stack them on the counter on the due date – the Commissionaire then gives them to the Library delivery service. 

It's not a Monday to Friday, 9 to 5 job. It's a 24/7/365 day important necessity in the life and efficient running of Perley Health. Say hi and thank you to these dedicated people next time you go by."

Written by Robert (Bob) Christy 
Researched and edited by Gail Christy

 

Bob and Gail Christy are long-time friends of Perley Health, who share some kind words about how the Comissionaires at Perley Health elevate care for Seniors, Veterans, and all who enter our halls.