When Nicole Nadeau-Fréchette found out she had received the Maike Zinabou Award from The Huntington Society of Canada, she was a little uncomfortable with the attention until she decided she would share the award with all her colleagues on the Complex Care Unit at Actionmarguerite St. Boniface. Nadeau-Fréchette, a social worker, was recognized for outstanding achievement and efforts in advocacy, but says that it’s the confidence she has in the team at Actionmarguerite that makes everything she does possible.
The Maike Zinabou Award, presented once a year, honours a professional who represents outstanding achievement and advocacy for Huntington’s Disease patients and their families.
“Huntington’s can be very complex to manage and requires a lot of supports,” Nadeau-Fréchette explains. “It’s a genetic disease that some describe as suffering from ALS, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s at the same time. It impacts all the systems in the body, and it can be really challenging for families to meet all those needs, therefore some individuals need to come to a long-term care environment.”
That is where Nadeau-Fréchette’s work begins. She’s the first contact with many families and she’s aware of the importance of that initial impression. “People want to know about care and services, but most of all, they want to know that we will care about their loved one. They want to be reassured that we see everyone as unique and important human beings, beyond their condition and disabilities. That’s what really matters.”
The Complex Care Unit at Actionmarguerite St. Boniface provides care to dozens of individuals under 65 years of age who require personal and medical care, often related to illnesses and conditions such as Multiple Sclerosis, Huntington’s Disease, strokes or brain injuries. “There is a genuine intention by our team to walk alongside our residents and really get to know them,” continues the social worker. “Our residents and families look to see if we smile and if we care. Do we know the resident’s likes and dislikes? Do we treat them as individuals? I simply couldn’t provide that reassurance and support to families without the staff on the unit doing all they can to care for our residents with such skill and compassion.”
While the medical and personal care involved in complex diseases is an important part of long-term care, staff, residents and families are also walking through different stages of grief and loss. It’s important for the community at Actionmarguerite to be present to those experiencing difficult emotions.
“Many residents come to Actionmarguerite and experience a progression of their illness. We watch them go from walking to requiring a wheelchair for mobility, for example,” Nadeau-Fréchette shares. “These transitions can be difficult, but the residents and families are truly not alone. There’s a team of people who are standing there with them, to grieve, to help, to support. We feel it, too, that grief, and there’s no greater privilege and honour than for us to walk alongside them on their journey.”
Nadeau-Fréchette has worked with Actionmarguerite for over 20 years, and has been grateful and inspired by the team with whom she shares this award. “The best gift in a care setting is having people who work with their heart,” she concludes. “When people are genuine and kind…you can’t always teach that but you can feel it. The goal and hope are to have a team surrounding you who believe the same thing. This is the team on the Complex Care Unit, and while I have a role to play here, it wouldn’t work without all the support and hard work of everyone in this building, from nurses, health care aides, rehab staff, dietary, managers and maintenance.”