We may not think about how something as small as a newspaper can make a big difference in someone’s life, but for patients at the hospital, it can become their connection to the outside world.
Thanks to your generosity, Victoria Hospital Foundation recently funded a grant for Victoria Hospital to receive 60 Winnipeg Free Press newspaper subscriptions. Reflecting on the years during the Covid-19 pandemic, “We actually had a year where we had no newspapers,” says Susan Charach, Recreation Coordinator. “And we really noticed a difference, that this was a way for people to connect with the outside world, this was sort of part of their routine, and that it was no longer available. And a lot of people really, really missed it.”
Now, thanks to your support, Victoria Hospital receives the Winnipeg Free Press Monday – Friday, with a whole team helping to ensure that distribution goes smoothly. Approximately 100 patients are looking forward to reading the newspaper every day. Take that number and multiply it by each day of the week; that’s over 500 instances where the newspaper subscription makes an impact in patient lives each week.
The newspapers have made a particularly large impact on the sub-acute and geriatric rehabilitation units at Victoria Hospital. Many of these patients don’t have the means to connect with the world digitally, so the newspaper becomes their window to the outside world. For many of these patients, they used to have the newspaper delivered to their own homes, where at one time, it would have been a part of their morning routine. Being able to have the newspaper delivered almost every day gives a sense of normalcy and routine to patients, and gives them something consistent to rely on when they may not know what their days holds.
“It brings them comfort, because there's lots of disappointing things happening,” says Charach. “And a lot of people aren't going back home or mobility isn't coming back, or illness has taken over…. for people who are going through a lot of loss and grief, the newspaper is something tangible that they can rely on.”
The Impact
Because of you, the impact that the newspaper subscription has made at Victoria Hospital is easily recognized by staff every day. “We know that they really appreciate it,” says Cathy Ngo, Recreation Coordinator, noting that they often receive a lot of gratitude when delivering the papers. “Our geriatric rehab patients or our sub low acuity really appreciate it the most, they genuinely say ‘Oh, thank you very much’ Or ‘I really appreciate this’.”
One patient reflects “I look forward to it every day, it’s a part of my daily routine that I like to pass along to others when I’m finished.”
Connection, routine, and comfort are just a few of the many ways that the newspaper subscription continues to make a difference every day. When she thinks about the impact that they see when delivering the papers in person, Susan notes “I don’t know how to describe it with enough passion, that this really brings comfort to patients and is something that they can rely on that throughout their day.” For some patients, receiving the paper has become a freedom of something that they can do on their own, and have a sense of control over when everything else seems to be out of their control. Because of your support, the newspaper subscription lifts patients’ spirits, becomes a bright spot in their day, and gives them a sense of hope.
Unintentionally, the newspaper subscription has even more impacts that weren’t originally considered. “For us, it is actually an assessment tool because it gets us right in the room, and we can see visually where our patients are at each day and how much they’re engaging,” says Ngo. Seeing how patients interact and engage with the newspaper also allows staff to get to know their patients on more of a personal level; discovering who likes the sports sections and who likes to do the puzzles, it creates an opportunity for staff to establish rapport and a connection with each and every patient.
For many patients who have come from 55+ centres, the part of the paper that they most value is the obituary section so that they can stay updated with friends from their previous homes that their family may not know to update them on. One reflects “I like to check the obituaries to see if there’s anyone I know, I used to live in a multi-level building with lots of people that I was friends with.”
Recreation Therapists at Victoria Hospital continue to see how much of an impact the Winnipeg Free Press Subscription makes for patients in their care every day. Whether it be their connection to the world outside, the one thing that helps to orientate their day or becomes the most exciting part of their routine in the morning, it’s easy to recognize that the newspaper subscription makes a tremendous impact on patient wellness and mental health. Capturing the level of importance, and all of the impacts that the newspaper subscription makes is nearly impossible. The dedication that our healthcare teams at Victoria Hospital make towards providing their patients with the best care becomes even more evident when they show how they go the extra mile to advocate for items that their patients benefit from, with the newspapers being one. Thanks to your generosity and support, we are able coordinate with staff to help make a difference in so many patients lives each and every day.
