It’s been a busy week for George Pearson Centre…along with all the usual activity, the building turned 60 years old this week, which brought back many memories and visits from past staff and residents. The Thursday May 17th Vancouver Courier article can be read here.
The poster above is from the GPC Archives display that’s been up all week. It is of the Iron Lung, an early breathing device for people who could not breathe on their own due to Polio, Muscular Dystrophy or other issues. These days, residents have ventilators attached to the back of their power wheelchairs — many people with ventilators live in their own homes outside of facilities. Support is provided by the Provincial Respiratory Outreach Program (PROP).
Outside the building, the sunshine has been beaming down on the Pearson Community Gardens and Farmer’s on 57th Farm. The Public Health Association of BC (PHABC) took note of the Garden Club program and especially the introduction of a blender to the mix! Read the PHABC article here.
Maybe this is a good opportunity to say something regarding terminology — over the years there have been changes to how we refer to people receiving health care services. While the term ‘patient’ is still used for those using hospital services for acute care needs, when a person is receiving care in their home, the term patient is no longer used. Think of it this way — a patient is someone who gets services in a hospital or doctor’s office. And Pearson is not considered a hospital — it is a residential care centre. Some people have resided at Pearson for 40–50 years. And as such, people living here are called residents, just like you are a resident of your community. While there are indeed care services provided here, they aren’t generally aimed at ‘curing’ people, they are to maintain quality of life and enable residents to live as independently as possible.