One of the hardest decisions you could make, is helping your mom or dad or loved one decide that more care is needed, and you need to look at a long-term care/complex care community. There are so many resources available to you, but it is most important to see if they would be a good fit. A question often asked by family prior to an admission into LTC is – what would a typical day look like for my mom? I always say, each resident is unique – their likes and dislikes – their previous hobbies and perhaps passions. Our recreation team and sales team work together to complete a ‘Getting to Know You’ informational sheet that helps us to gear our current programming with your loved one. Were they an artist? Do they enjoy exercise or large crowds? Do they enjoy music and perhaps do they play an instrument? It is vitally important for us to gather all this information about your loved one, and then on an on-going basis – have things changed? Families will often tell us that their mom or dad enjoyed gardening, but due to their mobility have not been able to enjoy that aspect. We will then encourage them to get involved with our gardening club. Perhaps their passion was reading or the news, and they like to discuss this – maybe joining the IN THE NEWS weekly would make sense for them. MOST important is – are they engaged? How can we facilitate this? We work in tandem with the families to ensure that the Day in the Life of makes sense individually.
A typical day might look like this:
- You may choose to start your morning with Chair Exercise in the Theatre or a Video Call with a family from far away. Perhaps a Drumming Circle will get your circulation going?
- If the grandkids are coming for a visit perhaps arranging with one of our staff to porter you out to one of beautiful patios so you can enjoy your visit
- Your morning could also include a Crossword, Getting to Know You or News and Views.
- Music is an integral part of our recreation programming so perhaps it’s Move to the Music or a Sing-A-Long; you can be a part of our Happy Hour or our many entertainers that come in as well in the Theatre.
- After lunch, the life enrichment calendar holds even more opportunities to take part in. You can enjoy Crafts with Brooke or a Knitting Circle; perhaps BINGO is your thing – or you love to Garden and you would like to be outside. There is also a Knitting Circle or Game Time perhaps
- It is hard to forget the food as we have 2 RED SEAL chefs – a menu is available on each floor and there are always options to choose from. Breakfast is served on your floor and there is always a lot of activity – maybe you would like to change where you sit to engage in different conversations?
- If you like the one-on-one support perhaps a Garden Walk down the street with one of the Recreation Aides.
- Is it your Birthday? Then you are in luck – once a month we celebrate everyone’s birthdays on the last Saturday of the month; we also recognize special Tea parties and events based on the season – in April we had an Easter Bonnet Tea Party in the Theatre; we would love to invite families but right now we have to follow the guidelines of group size
- Do you love dogs? Perhaps your family can bring their pet in to visit as we are PET FRIENDLY and usually have treats at the reception.
- Tea and Talk is a favorite event as well as Music and Memories; Reading Circles, Walks and Talks, Manicures, Men’s Group and Live Music are a normal way of life
- Hairdressing with Barb – a must have to keep your hair looking it’s best! She does both men and women and has a range of services she can provide.
- SPA DAY – perhaps you prefer to listen to some lovely music, in a spa-like environment with one of our bathers; wash and dry hair and get wrapped in a warming blanket or towels afterwards.
- Cycling with Age – bicycle rides throughout town – wouldn’t it be lovely to be driven around town and go down to the ocean to see the seals? We are fortunate to have a great partnership with them – reach out to our REC team for more information or go to the link below:
https://cyclingwithoutagesociety.com/about/
We have a monthly Resident/Family Council meeting through ZOOM which enables us to discuss any changes in the current guidelines as well as get your feedback on what is working. Our recreation team works hard at ensuring our residents are engaged based on their individual needs. Maybe your loved one has a special skill – seamstress – belly dancer – or maybe a skill we are not aware of and they would want to teach others? Give us a call to discuss or reach out directly to our Recreation Manager, Jocelyn Ferguson.
The best way to learn more about how this community could benefit your loved one is by giving us a call and setting up an in-person tour. This will give you a chance to meet with the care team and all staff, and get a picture in your head of whether this would be a good fit for you.
A Day in the Life of is specific to you, so on any given day you can choose what you would like to do. Perhaps sitting by your window and looking out at the Mountains is your preference.