Nominations for the 2017 BC Care Awards closed on December 5th. The Events & Recognition committee met on December 6th to review nominations and select winners in the three categories:
- Care Provider of the Year (Homecare and Residential Care)
- Innovation of the Year
- Ed Helfrich Long Service Excellence Award
We received a tremendous number of nominations this year that demonstrate the commitment to quality, compassion, and excellence in the continuing care sector.
The BC Care Providers Association will be celebrating the several nominees for Care Provider of the Year in the coming weeks—watch our website for upcoming posts. Winners will be announced in January.
Care Provider of the Year: Runner Up
Dayna Zanon
Rehabilitation Assistant
The Cascades
Chilliwack, B.C.
This outstanding individual not only provides excellent customer service to the residents of the Cascades, but she is a peer champion and excels at safety in the care home. This year Dayna took safe patient handling training and now is mentoring and training all Cascade staff and students. She is an integral part of the emergency preparedness team and comes in some days at 05:30 to run drills. She also is on many committees including the quality council, OH&S, and social committee, and has spend many volunteer hours preparing for staff appreciation events.
On her own time Dayna has been helping a resident and his wife, who are both declining in health, to plan an on-site ceremony to renew their wedding vows. She came in on her day off to bathe him and get him ready for the ceremony. This special day would not have been what it was with out her commitment and compassion. She has been instrumental in bringing this resident’s wishes into a reality.
The resident and his family were extremely grateful for all Dayna’s help. The resident invited several other staff members to the ceremony, saying that they are his family and he wanted them there for his special day – part of the reason he feels that way is because of the care Dayna provides.
Dayna says, “In my time at Cascade Lodge, they have given me the opportunity to grow and I am so thankful for all the support and encouragement they have provided. I have been employed at Cascades since 2004 and have worked on the floor as a care aide, and, for the last two years as a Rehabilitation Assistant. I thoroughly love my role as it gives me the opportunity to share the knowledge I have gained with my co workers, as well as with students that have come through on practicums. I chair the OH&S committee, Quality Counsel, Emergency Preparedness Committee, and our Social Committee. Cascades is my family, and I often find myself looking back at the last 13 years and realize how lucky I have been. I have amazing family support, and with the help of my husband, our five children and three grandchildren, I am able to try to at least make someone’s day where and when I can!”
