Skip to content

Honours for health innovator

Chaplain Vikki Marrs was recently presented with the BC Care Providers Association Innovation of the Year Award
Vikki Marrs Doll
Senior’s care: Vikki Marrs created a support booklet for families of care-home residents to help with the transition process and introduced a therapy doll to help calm agitated residents.

By Jocelyn Crouse
OBSERVER CONTRIBUTOR

Chaplain Vikki Marrs was recently presented with the BC Care Providers Association Innovation of the Year Award for her efforts to improve the quality of care delivered to residents of Hillside Village and Pioneer Lodge, operated in Salmon Arm by Good Samaritan.

“There were two things that were part of winning the award,” explains Marrs.

An ordained minister and registered counsellor, Marrs developed a support booklet for residents’ families. It’s designed to communicate the limitations of complex care versus care in a household environment. The booklet addresses some of the transition issues that happen when a person enters a care facility and provides basic tools and suggestions for supports where necessary.

The second innovation is the implementation of doll therapy where Vikki created an artificial doll that looks like a real baby.

“Both items came out of a need,” says Marrs. “The doll is not cuddle therapy. It’s a specific one-on-one visit that brings stories out of a person’s past into the present.”

The doll has been successfully used by front-line staff to deal with aggressive residents. It is a creative support option to residents with challenging behaviour.

According to Marrs, residents with memory issues can sometimes become agitated when dealing with daily living. Introducing the doll therapy in such instances has a calming effect.

“It helps residents connect with happier times and brings them forward into the present.”

Marrs, who is coming up on her second anniversary in June with Hillside Village and Pioneer Lodge, received the award from Health Minister Terry Lake at a dinner held recently.