HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Goderich Signal-Star, 1973-05-03, Page 15TO irrjcij
SIGNAL
ramlcs is a very popular pastime for the older people
the hospital. Here a gentleman is demonstrating how to
ur moulds which come out as fine looking decorating
During the past few --years,
concepts of what a mental in-
stitution is and does Nye
changed drastically— Once
thought of as dark hailed
establishments with- barred
windows these institutions are
now seen as bright cheerful
surroundings with the ultimate
goal of patient rehabilitation.
The Goderich Psychiatric
Hospital located about three
miles south of Goderich on
Highway 21 has an average ad-
mission rate of 60 patents per
month as - compared
to the original rate of,
80. According to Dr. M. Conlon
administrator, over 50 percent
of the patients are under care
voluntarily. The number of
patients in the hosnital «in
the upholstery shop of the hospital, old or used furniture gets 'new life given to it by
he man); talented hands that work here. Profits from the operation are divided up and
•Istributed among the participating patients.
By Wilma Oke
$12,019,586 Huron
nty Board of Education
get for 1973, which was
d in a committee -of -the,:,
le meeting on April lg
owing 4the regular session,
• made available to the press
April 25. At the request of
news correspondent on
il 26 the requisitions from
municipalities in the county
h 1972 figures in brackets,
provided by the Superin-
dent of Business Affairs,
Dunlop.
linton, $119,950 ($120,174);
eter, $170,598 ($170,378);
'erich, $397,901 ($326,792);
forth, $77,864 ($80,882);
ngham $142,882 ($149,023);
Yfield, $40,752 ($37,333);
yth, $25,832 ($27,596);
ssels, $32,074 ($33,147);
nsall, $54,900 ($55,864);
rich, $24,370,($23,599.
shfield Township, $124,632
19,247); Colborne Town.
84c ($82,467);
erich Townsetp, $1T6,099
15,713); Grey Township,
07,832 ($106,538); Hay
flhip$161,036 ($150,698);
*kit Township, $138,779
3448); Hullett Township,
367 (S95,131).
tKillop Township, $66,780
($80,234); Morris Township,
$80,789 ($81,287); Stanley
Township, $12A 030 ($117,157);
Stephen Township, $197,439
($189,688); Tuckersmith Town-
ship, $1518,184 ($104,307); Tur-
nberry Township, $63,204
($62,027);
Usborne Township, $103,280
($99,633); West Wawanosh
TownshiP, $48,655 ($48,052);
day observation is about four
percent, the lowest in the
province.
As a person is admitted, he
or she may go to any number of
wards depending largely on the
advice of the family physician.
In a severe case the person may
be placed in the Intensive Care
Unit where there is a higher
percentage of staff per patient
to ensure better care. The
average stay in this unit is a
week to ten days.
From this ward the patient
may then go to 1B a
••progresSiVe care ward. The
patient then is allowed to wear
their own clothes instead of
hospital garb and is generally
givep more responsibility. At
this point, the unit team system
begins operation.
This team of professional
people Iconsists of a
psychiatrist, physiologist, social
worker and nurse. The needs of
the , patient are closely
examined and discussed by the
team. A key factor in the
rehabilitation •process is the
motivation of the patient. He or
she must want to recover and
take part in a normal existanCe.
In the treatment of patients,
Dr. Conlin stated that '-we try
to be realistic as to what the
patient will encounter outside
and try to prepare them for the
real world. Other wards that a
• patient may encounter depen-
ding ..on their own significant
problems are the Adult Active
Treatment, Alcoholic and Drug
Addiction ward. Child and
Family Care and the Psycho -
Geriatrics unit.
The hospital has only recen-
• tly been recognized by the
Ministry of Labour as a type of
trade school. Some patients can
receive job training right on the
premises in such areas.as hair-
dressing, sewing, furniture
refinishing or upholstery. Dr.
Conlin commented that in-
dustries in the area have been
most co-operative in aiding the
hospital in their rehabilitation
work by giving former patients
and out patients jobs.
• Gone is the old concept of oc-
cupational therapy as a means
of keeping the. so called
"helpless case" contented with
weaving briskets and cutting
Paper dolls. In its place is a
new awareness—of 'swork
therapy" as a means of
assisting the patient in re-
establishing his or her self-
reliance, confidence and
dignity. Dr. Conlin believes "it
is a communication with the
patient through the medium of
work."
The capable patients work
according to a regular schedule
for about five hours each day
and are paid -according to their
capacity to produce, as they
would be in a competitive work
system outside the institution.
Dr. Conlin sees patient par-
ticipation as a means of
breaking the patient's depen-
dency on the institution and
the more formalized approach
to institutional treatment.
According to Dr. Corin,
'when the hospital was . first
opened in 1962, long term
patients 'accounted for 95 per-
cent of • the hospital's
population.
The problem of the secon-
dary illness of in-
stitutionalization which oc-
curred after six months, in the
hospital, was Often greater than
.,the original illness for which
the patient was admitted. It -is
now estimated that the average
stay in hospital is from four to
six weeks largely due to more
modern methods of treating
patients.
The most noticeable example
of community existence and
patient involvement is the In-
dustrial Therapy. Department
In this large department, goods
are produced Shich range from
handsome leatherette tote bags
to aprons, decorated'plates and
soap cakes. Stuffed animals,
fabric handbags, wall hangings
and . drink -glass coasters are
also made.
Clothing and accessories,
home decorations as well as
,handiwork and craft articles
are produced in large bus)'
workshops where patients are
and East Wpwanosh Township,
$65,687 ($63,459).
The budget indicates that
educatiqn cogs in Huron will
increase by $398,262 during the
calendar, year 1973. This will
result in an average increase of
2.1 mills for the county
ratepayers.
The budget calls for expen-
(continued on page 2A)
Mrs.
Linda Freeman acom-
panied Jean Ross and family of
Stratford on a lovely trip to
New Brunswick. While there
they visited friends and Linda
says, the people there are so
friendly, and .they made you
feel so much at home. The
weather with just great while
they were travelling and the
scenery was beautiful. They
travelled by car 'through Mon-
treal. Linda also celebrated her
birthday and their friendshad
a birthday cake and a party for
her.
ome from and
everyone hopes he will soon be
able to be out and around
again.
Don Johnston isAin school in
Hamilton for a few weeks
studying more on refrigeration.
Howard Sproul, Mrs. Ilene
Sillib 'and Mrs. Louise
McWhinney travelled to
Detroit last week to attend the
funeral. of Howard's brother,
Andrew Sproul. Wilfred
Sproul, of Oshawa also went to
the funeral with Howard.
permitted to work at their own
pace under the direction of
skilled supervisors.
Othe4,4ervices include a
hustling furniture restoration
department where such items
as bureaus, desks, chairs, and
other pieces of home furniture
are rebuk re -upholstered or
refinished for private in-
dividuals or on a consignment
basis for used furniture dealers.
The workers are paid weekly
and are encouraged to •keep
their own bank accounts. All
profits of the Industrial
Therapy program are returned
directly to the participating
patients
additions to the recreation
facilities are the tennis courts
and a golf course. In the future
Recreation Director Tom Wor-
thington Stated that an indoor
pool is much needed for both
thetapv and recreational pur-
poses.
The, atmosphere is very im-
portant to the treatment of the
patients. In this large modern
building • the atmosphere is
bright and cheerful and not at
all gloomy like the concepts of
old. The rooms are cheerful,
facilities immaculate,
workshops well organized and
laid out and the offices friendly
• and efficient,
Only now is the value of the
hospital and the community
working together being fully
realized. Dr. Conlin expressed a
sincere appreciation to the com-
munity for the acceptance and
approval it has shown the
hospital.
However, the well -made
products and the carefully per-
formed services of this program
are not as important as the
program itself which forms an
essential ingredient in the
process of re-establishing the
patient into a normal com-
munity role.
A very important part of
rehabilitating these patients to
returning to the .'community is
to provide 'them with a physical
outlet through recreation.
Recreation aids in fulfilling
their physical need to be active
as well as their psychological
jleedsl'of self -gratification that
they are accorfplishing
something.
The purpose of the recreation
program directed by Tem Wor-
thington is to treat the patient
in steps. Often when a patient
enters the hospital, he or she
. seems to withdraw theirself
and the first step must be to
reintegrate them so that they
feel a part of activities. After
this is accomplished, the
sffient must he encouraged
and made to feel' that he has
been accepted and, approved.
Preventive measures are then
taken to ensure that the patient
doesn't slip hack into
depression,
The final step in the
recreation program is to re-
educate the patient in using his
free time usefully after his
release from .hospital.
A large nuMber of recreation
activities are available to
—patients of all wards. Many
team sports are played such as
volleyball, baseball, . floor
hockey, relay races, soccer,
basketball and bowling.
There are also various in-
dividual activities to take part
in which build up the patient's
;body and also his ,self-
confidence. Some of these- are:
-weightlifting, tumbling, yoga,
exercises, and boxing. Two new
A most important step tc
of responsibility to tho
using,a band -law while
repairing of furniture.
Is the assessment
a worker is busy
to be used in the
Director of Recreation for the Goderich Psychiatric Hospital Tom Worthington is currently •
spending a lot of time instructing tennis as the hospital has just built courts. A golf course
is also underway.
The Mite Division of the Goderich Minor Hockey System
took home their share of trophies from the annual Minor
Hockey Banquet hold last Thursday April 26 at the 8111
ford Valley Hall. Loft to right David MacDonald (runner up
Houseloague trophy) David Galiow (most improved
player), Mlke Moriarty (most improved -goalie) Tim
Lassaline (championship) and Greg Lapaine and Tim
Shsardown hold the first in league play trophy.