RDHA hosts regional meeting

Details

Published on Monday, May 23, 2016

By Lynn Madden

President

On April 20 Riverdale District Health Auxiliary (RDHA) hosted the annual regional meeting for Assiniboine Northeast, which is made up of six auxiliaries. Forty out-of-town auxilians from Hamiota, Neepawa, Rossburn, Minnedosa and Russell joined RDHA at Rivers Legion Hall. Dignitaries included Riverdale Municipality’s mayor Todd Gill, RM of Oakview’s representative Dick Heapy and local area manager Greg Paddock. All extended welcomes and greetings to the ladies and all are very appreciative of the work our auxiliaries have done over the years for their communities.

The president of Manitoba Health Auxiliaries Association (MHAA) Glynis Danielson, treasurer Elaine Friesen and area rep Bernice Baker were in attendance. These three women are very busy people! They attend every regional meeting and the president and treasurer travel all over Manitoba on auxiliary-related business. MHAA is disbanding, as voted on by all members. It has become increasingly difficult to find people to fill these positions and with no one to step up, it was felt that the board should cease. There will be one final provincial conference in Virden in September. Members felt we should continue regional meetings as a way of keeping in touch with each other on an informal basis. We won’t have area representatives anymore; we will be independent but will have annual meetings with other auxiliaries.

Our first of two speakers was Deborah Ostryzniuk of Rivers. She spoke of her serious car accident in January 2015 and her recovery journey. She presented a slide show of her using the rehab equipment at our hospital in Rivers. Her story was very moving! Everyone there was affected by it and more than a few tears were shed. Her courage and strength were evident throughout the presentation. Her stay in Rivers Rehab lasted several months; she had high praise for the staff and everyone connected with the rehab centre. She also thanked RDHA for the purchases we make for rehab because, in her words, “I used every piece of equipment there.” Her recovery is nothing short of amazing and we applaud her for sharing her story.

Lunch was provided and served by RDHA; homemade soups, open-faced bunwiches, salad and dessert were enjoyed by all.

Our entertainment was provided by Stan and Sheila Runions of Rivers. They sang to two karaoke tracks while Sheila accompanied Stan on piano as he sang, You Raise Me Up, which always brings tears. Watermelon Crawl and From This Moment were the two karaoke pieces; the first was slightly enacted by Sheila and the second showed the power these two have in their voices. They were awesome and received a standing ovation. Both of them were very busy with work and the musical at Strathclair Drama Club that week so we were pleased they took some time off to perform for us and add something extra to our day.

Our afternoon speaker was Esther Krahn, co-ordinator for Riverdale Palliative Care. She explained how palliative care works and how people are cared for there. A dedicated group of volunteers will sit with an ill person when family members need a break or cannot be there. Advance Care Planning was also part of her presentation. Discussions with your family about what your wishes are with regard to your care in the event that you cannot speak for yourself, is very important. Health care directives are legal documents in Manitoba, as long as they are signed and dated. These forms can be obtained through your doctor of through the palliative care co-ordinator. These forms are also part of ERIK — Emergency Response Information Kit. She stressed how important it is for all of us to have a plan in place as to how we want to be treated, or not treated, in the event of sickness or an accident. Family members need to know what their loved ones’ wishes are. These documents also provide much needed information for emergency personnel that may be called. Lots of ladies stopped by Esther’s booth to pick up information; we were grateful for her time and presentation. At some point, we are all going to have to make decisions concerning our health; this information makes it easier to talk about it with loved ones.

Door prize winners were Elaine Friesen who won a bag of goodies donated by Donna Morken; Ethel Lungel of Russell won a floral arrangement which was donated by Suzan Ramsey.

We enjoyed the day and it was great to see so many members attend this meeting. Our appreciation goes out to all who helped make this a success. The next regional meeting will be in Russell in 2017.