Province approves Village Green rebuild that will add 62 beds

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Once completed, the new Village Green will benefit residents, staff and the community, says administrator Linda Pierce

The Ontario government announced Nov. 20 that approval has been granted to build a new 128-bed Village Green in Greater Napanee, a move the home’s administrator, Linda Pierce, says will benefit residents, staff members and the community.

Once completed, the new Village Green will have an additional 62 beds, nearly twice as many as the current home, which has 66.

“We are really excited about it,” Pierce tells The OMNIway. “This is such a complement to everybody: the team, the community (and) the people we serve.”

While there is no confirmation on when construction on the new Village Green will start or be completed, Pierce says a tentative site for the home is being considered on the west side of Lennox and Addington County Road 41.

Once completed, the rebuilt Village Green will be a Class A long-term care home with modern amenities, such as wider hallways and more home-like dining areas, and privacy will be enhanced by limiting all rooms to no more than one or two beds.

Pierce says eliminating three- and four-bed wards is crucial to ensuring high quality of life for people living in long-term care homes because lack of privacy can agitate residents.

By limiting rooms to no more than two beds, Pierce says residents will have increased privacy and a more home-like living experience.

“From bathing to dining experiences, everything will be enhanced,” Pierce says.

“Everything, in my opinion, will be more favourable to resident care and to the quality of life of the resident and the quality of life of the worker.”

Pierce also says the redeveloped Village Green will be a community asset because the additional 62 beds will help minimize waiting times for people in the region requiring long-term care.

Village Green is the latest OMNI Health Care long-term care home to receive approval for redevelopment. In 2018, approval was granted to build a new 160-bed Riverview Manor in Peterborough. The province recently announced approval for an additional 32 beds to be added to Riverview Manor, bringing the total to 192 beds.

Pleasant Meadow Manor, Almonte Country Haven, Woodland Villa and Country Terrace received approvals in 2018 for redevelopment projects to expand those homes.

Construction has started on the expansions to Pleasant Meadow Manor, Almonte Country Haven and Woodland Villa.

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Frost Manor resident and LE team member collaborate on Remembrance Day project

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Resident Gordon Browning and LEA Sarah Thayer created a memorial based on a design envisioned by former team member Kim Williams

Just before Remembrance Day at Frost Manor, a memorial that was initially envisioned by former life enrichment aide (LEA) Kim Williams was completed by resident Gordon Browning and team member Sarah Thayer and put on display at the Lindsay, Ont. long-term care home.

The memorial features the silhouette of a soldier kneeling in front of a grave marked with a cross with a poppy – the symbol of remembrance – at the centre.

Below the silhouetted image are the words “Lest we forget”.

The silhouette of the soldier was originally created by Kim, who is now the LEC at Pleasant Meadow Manor in Norwood.

The silhouette image of the soldier was in a storage area, where it was discovered by maintenance manager Rick Riel.

Rick suggested it be used for Remembrance Day.

Gordon and Sarah designed the backdrop for the image, and the finished product was put on display for Remembrance Day.

Sarah, an LEA, and Gordon, a retired police officer, worked on a project together, putting on features to add to the work Kim had started.

Frost Manor life enrichment co-ordinator Lyndsay Burton says everyone was impressed by the teamwork Gordon and Sarah put into the project.

“Together, Gordon and Sarah were able to create a scene (based on) what Kim’s original vision was,” she says.

“It’s a beautiful board that we’re really proud of. It was really great how we were able to save one of (Kim’s) projects and then expand upon it, and we will have it for years to come to put out for Remembrance Day.”

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Province approves 32 additional beds for the new Riverview Manor

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The new funding will increase the size of the rebuilt home in Peterborough’s north end from 160 to 192 beds

The news keeps getting better for Riverview Manor residents – both present and future.

The province recently announced it has approved funding for another 32 beds to add to the 36 new beds that were promised in December 2018 for the rebuilt Peterborough long-term care home.

Riverview Manor’s current location on Water Street has 124 beds. Construction on the new Riverview Manor, which will be nearby on Langton Street in Peterborough’s north end, will likely start in 2021 and will take about two years to build.

During a virtual press conference on Nov. 20, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith said the additional 32 beds Riverview Manor will receive will improve access for people in the region who require long-term care.

“Our seniors deserve quality care in the communities they live in,” he said.

“This is why today’s announcement of more new beds is so important. We are working to reduce wait times and meet the needs of our aging population now and in the future.”

Once completed, the new Riverview Manor will be a state-of-the-art long-term care home offering residents a wide range of modern amenities.

Some of the new Riverview Manor’s features will include wider hallways, more home-like dining and lounge spaces, and privacy for residents will be improved by having only one- and two-bed rooms.

The new Class A home will surround a spacious courtyard, complete with a walking loop paved with an “elder-friendly surface,” patio seating and a sandbox for visiting children to enjoy.

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Residents, staff members looking forward to the new Pleasant Meadow Manor

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Excitement builds as construction begins on home expansion

Pictured above, construction crews have started clearing land on the south side of Pleasant Meadow Manor to make way for the Norwood long-term care home’s 34,000-square-foot expansion.

NORWOOD, Ont. – The shovels are in the ground, the work is underway and Pleasant Meadow Manor residents and staff members could not be happier as they look forward to the completion of the redevelopment project that will increase the size of the Norwood long-term care home by 34,000 square feet.

Standing on the south side of Pleasant Meadow Manor on Nov. 16 after a ground-breaking ceremony, administrator Sandra Tucker points to a mound of soil that has resulted from land being cleared for construction.

“That mound was built today, and that’s how fast it can go,” she tells The OMNIway. “I’m excited, I’m really excited about the whole works.”

Some residents have found entertainment value in the project, and they have been watching construction unfold from windows at the rear of the home, Sandra says.

“The residents come up to the windows or come out to the yard to watch,” she says.

Once redeveloped, Pleasant Meadow Manor will have a two-storey addition on the south side of the existing 61-bed home that will house 35 more residents. Residents will live in three spacious neighbourhoods, each housing dining, lounge and activity spaces.

Pleasant Meadow Manor’s new design will also accommodate a courtyard, gardens and outdoor space, and include a whole-home gathering area and chapel space.

The new design will enhance privacy by eliminating three- and four-bed rooms. Once complete, 60 per cent of Pleasant Meadow Manor’s rooms will be private and 40 per cent semi-private.

Having more space in their home is what residents are looking forward to most, Sandra says.

“They’re looking forward to the new rooms and having no more than two to a room,” she says.

The Pleasant Meadow Manor redevelopment project is slated to be complete by December 2022.

This is Part 2 of a two-part story. Click here to read Part 1.

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Frost Manor looking ahead to maintain programing and visitation during colder months

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Team members will ‘try to keep things as normal as possible’ while adhering to safety guidelines

With the start of winter less than a month away, Frost Manor team members have been looking at ways to maintain programming and visitation for residents during the colder months while adhering to important safety measures as the world continues to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lyndsay Burton, the Lindsay, Ont. long-term care home’s life enrichment co-ordinator, says she and her team will “try to keep things as normal as possible” for residents in the coming months.

“We are still running programs with the usual social distancing (and with) the usual cleaning and sanitizing, so that does help that the residents can have some sense of normality going into the winter season,” she says.

Naturally, residents have been missing the in-house entertainment that’s normally a cornerstone of programing at Frost Manor.

Instead, Lyndsay says the team has been focusing on providing residents with Montessori-style activities, which she says have been especially fruitful for residents who normally don’t participate in programming.

Montessori activities include programs that tap into people’s strengths, such as colouring or sorting items.

“We have been focusing on that because a lot of our low-active residents did enjoy coming to music programs, so we want to make sure that their needs are still being met,” Lyndsay says.

Because visitation will continue to be important for residents and their families, especially during the holiday season, Frost Manor is working to create a new window-visiting location to provide families with some cover from the wind and the other elements, she adds.

Due to the uncertainty and changing rules surrounding visitation during the pandemic, the Frost Manor team is trying to stay ahead of the curve by always having window visits as an option for residents to connect with their loved ones, Lyndsay says.

“We want to still be able to offer window visits and still have the (outdoor visits) as well, so a lot of the visits are really working off of the guidelines created by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care,” she says.

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Riverview front-line team receiving care packages as thanks for work during pandemic

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MaryEllen Hearns has been distributing gifts to Riverview Manor and other Peterborough LTC homes to show her support and gratitude

Riverview Manor front-line team members have been on the receiving end of some community kindness recently.

Peterborough resident MaryEllen Hearns has been putting together care packages for front-line staff members at Riverview Manor and other long-term care homes in the area to show support for the work they’re doing to keep residents safe during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

MaryEllen collects donations to create the care packages and puts the name of sponsors on each bag that gets dropped off at long-term care homes, explains Riverview Manor registered practical nurse Becky Dennie.

Inside the care packages are items that include popcorn, protein bars, bottles of premium water, energy drinks, vitamin C tablets, lotion and gift cards.

Inspired by a friend in northern Ontario who was putting together care packages for long-term care homes, MaryEllen called Riverview Manor in August and offered to put together care packages to bring to front-line staff members.

MaryEllen has been distributing care packages throughout the Peterborough area. At the time of this writing, she has distributed 56 care packages to Riverview Manor, and the home will be getting up to 90, Becky says.

As the care packages get dropped off at Riverview Manor, Becky distributes them to front-line staff members, starting with the personal support workers (PSWs).

“We are almost done distributing the care packages to the PSWs, so then I will start giving them out to the registered staff,” Becky says.

Becky says staff members have been overjoyed with the care packages and appreciative of what MaryEllen is doing.

“They think the care packages have been great – they really like the gifts that have been inside the packages,” she says.

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Helen Sadio becomes Burnbrae Gardens’ new DOC

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‘This is a chance to make a bit of a difference’

Helen Sadio started working at Burnbrae Gardens six years ago; today, she’s the Campbellford long-term care home’s new director of care (DOC).

Helen is taking over as DOC after Laurie Gibson retired from the position Nov. 10.

She started as DOC the week before Laurie retired, and while much of Helen’s work so far has been transitioning to her new position, she says she’s looking forward to taking on new challenges and responsibilities.

“This is a chance to make a bit of a difference,” she tells The OMNIway. “I’ve always tried to keep an upbeat attitude and get everybody laughing and smiling, so I will continue to do that while trying to make everyday life a little bit more exciting for everyone involved.”

Helen began working at Burnbrae Gardens in 2014 after moving to Canada from the UK, where she worked as a registered nurse for the National Health Service (NHS).

Helen initially worked as a personal support worker at Burnbrae Gardens while she waited for her RN qualifications from the UK to be certified by the College of Nurses of Ontario. She began working as an RN at Burnbrae in 2015.

Although she has only recently become Burnbrae Gardens’ DOC, Helen says she has a good feeling about things to come, adding her familiarity with residents and staff members has made the transition seamless.

“I’ve got a really positive vibe about it,” she says. “I’m familiar with all the residents and staff and how Burnbrae works, so I’ve got a good head start.”

As part of the company’s culture, OMNI Health Care long-term care homes often promote their staff members to management positions, rather than hiring from outside.

This, Helen says, demonstrates commitment to team members and shows that OMNI “values the staff.”

Helen has had lots of well-wishes and kind words from her colleagues since becoming DOC, but she has also been touched by the amount of support from residents she’s received.

“I have had a few other visitors to the door to say congratulations and that has been from the residents, and that’s been really cool,” she says.

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Springdale residents and staff enjoy ‘Halloween hoedown’

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Springdale Country Manor resident Jane Adams is pictured here enjoying the “Halloween Hoedown” the life enrichment team organized.


There are two things most Springdale Country Manor residents love: Halloween and country music. So the Peterborough County long-term care home created a program that combined the spookiest day of the year with a country-western theme.

To keep residents and team members safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, activities were limited to small groups, but the engagement level was high and residents and staff had fun, says Springdale Country Manor life enrichment co-ordinator Sonia Murney.

“We had a celebration up front where residents could come up in small groups at a time in the afternoon, and there were all kinds of treats for them to have,” she says of the program, which was dubbed the Halloween Hoedown.

These treats included sarsaparilla, popcorn that looked like corn on the cob and licorice that looked like dynamite.

Residents and staff members dressed in their favourite cowgirl and cowboy attire. Sonia sported a costume that had her as a cowgirl sitting atop a bull.

And, of course, there was lots of country music for the residents to enjoy.

Team members also decorated the home with combined Halloween- and western-themed fixtures, such as hay bales topped with pumpkins and a signpost that included directions to the saloon, blacksmith shop and post office.

Sonia says the program proved to be a great way to bring residents and team members together in a fun way.

“(The Halloween Hoedown) was for everybody – both residents and staff – and we all had a lot of fun,” she says.

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Homes keeping people connected during pandemic

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Teams develop creative ways to keep everyone in the loop

Members of the Frost Manor family council are pictured here during a video conference.

While the global COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in restrictions that affect visitation in long-term care homes, creative thinking on the part of OMNI Health Care team members is helping keep families and volunteers connected.

At Streamway Villa, life enrichment co-ordinator (LEC) Laurie Kracht and life enrichment aide Chelsea Tinney have created a Facebook page to keep residents’ family members updated regularly on the activities and programs their loved ones are participating in at the Cobourg, Ont. long-term care home.

Knowing residents’ families are interested in the activities offered, Laurie and Chelsea have been uploading photos and videos of socially-distanced activities and of the residents themselves to keep families up to date during the pandemic.

Family engagement on the Facebook page has been strong, Laurie says, adding family members often provide content to share.

“Families have started sending us pictures through Facebook Messenger, and we started posting those, and we’re getting e-mails left, right and centre (from family members) saying they love the page,” she says.

“I’ve had comments from family members saying (the Facebook page) makes them feel like they’re there and they know what’s going on.”

Given the changes happening in the long-term care sector due to the pandemic and the fact that family councils have not been able to meet inside long-term care homes since March, Frost Manor has been keeping its family council members and volunteers up to date on the latest news at the home by sending them the monthly activities and special events calendar.

This, says LEC Lyndsay Burton, is helping “keep the conversations flowing.”

Family council and volunteers are particularly interested in activities, events and programs, so the team wanted to keep everyone in the fold, she adds.

Lyndsay says there are a few members of Frost Manor’s family council who have stayed on the council even though they no longer have a loved one living at the home. This, she says, speaks to the value of the connections family members make with the Frost Manor team.

“We talk about the programs and what we are doing in detail,” Lyndsay says. “I will send a copy of our newsletter, especially if they don’t have a resident living here anymore, because they’ll be missing those things.”

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Construction begins on Pleasant Meadow Manor redevelopment project

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OMNI representatives were joined by local MPP and mayor at Nov. 16 ground-breaking ceremony

From left to right, OMNI president and CEO Patrick McCarthy, Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini, Pleasant Meadow Manor residents’ council president Gord Holliday, Asphodel-Norwood Township Mayor Rodger Bonneau and Pleasant Meadow Manor administrator Sandra Tucker pose with shovels at a Nov. 16 ground-breaking ceremony marking the start of Pleasant Meadow Manor’s redevelopment project.

NORWOOD, Ont. – Construction has begun on a $25-million redevelopment and expansion project at Pleasant Meadow Manor that will increase the size of the Norwood long-term care home from 61 beds to 96, eliminate three- and four-bed wards and provide a wide range of amenities to enhance quality of life for residents.

The redevelopment project, which will add 34,000 square feet to Pleasant Meadow Manor, is expected to be complete by December 2022.

At a Nov. 16 ground-breaking ceremony at the home, OMNI Health Care president and CEO Patrick McCarthy, Pleasant Meadow Manor administrator Sandra Tucker and Pleasant Meadow Manor residents’ council president Gord Holliday were joined by Asphodel-Norwood Township Mayor Rodger Bonneau and Northumberland-Peterborough South MPP David Piccini to celebrate the start of the project.

“We are really happy to be underway and we are looking forward to the new Pleasant Meadow Manor meeting the needs of residents in accommodations that offer greater privacy and meet updated design standards,” McCarthy said.

“We acknowledge and express appreciation for the support of the Province of Ontario and the Township of Asphodel-Norwood in moving this redevelopment forward.”

Once redeveloped, Pleasant Meadow Manor will have a two-storey addition on the south side of the existing 61-bed home that will house 35 more residents. Residents will live in three spacious neighbourhoods, each housing dining, lounge and activity spaces.

The new design will enhance privacy by eliminating three- and four-bed rooms. Once complete, 60 per cent of Pleasant Meadow Manor’s rooms will be private and 40 per cent semi-private.

Pleasant Meadow Manor’s new design will also accommodate a courtyard, gardens and outdoor space, and include a whole-home gathering area and chapel space.

During the design phases, Toronto-based G Architects presented preliminary plans to residents, families and staff to obtain feedback.

Addressing media at the ceremony, Piccini underscored the value long-term care homes bring to the residents they serve, adding the redeveloped Pleasant Meadow Manor will increase that value.

“I’d like to thank OMNI for the great work that you’re doing, and I’d like to thank the staff here for the work they’re doing to care for our loved ones,” he said.

In addition to providing great value to residents, Bonneau said the redeveloped Pleasant Meadow Manor will help the community economically.

“The timing is perfect; there’s lots of building going on around town, so … (for) the people looking for jobs, this will be the place to come,” he said.

“Long-term care is where it’s going to be at.”

– More to come

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