Village Green team helps residents and families get their Christmas photos

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Village Green team members helped residents and their loved ones usher in the holiday season recently by hosting an all-day Christmas photo day at the Selby, Ont. long-term care home.

Using a variety of props, including holiday scarves, hats, costume jewellery and other items, team members created a photo booth a few weeks ago for residents and their family members to have their pictures taken.

One Village Green team member, who wishes to remain anonymous, donated the backdrop that was used: a Christmas trees flanking a wooden gate topped with holly.

Residents and their family members now have mementos they can keep from Christmas 2022, says Village Green life enrichment co-ordinator Ulana Orrick, who served as photographer that day.

Ulana says team members from across the home worked to create a festive holiday theme that day which made the event successful.

“Our hairdresser donated her own time to help all our residents look their best before having their picture taken, and we had Christmas carols playing and a crockpot with hot apple cider for residents to enjoy while they waited their turn,” she tells The OMNIway.

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Riverview team’s Movember campaign surpasses $2,500 fundraising goal

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PETERBOROUGH, Ont. – A group of Riverview Manor residents and team members raised $2,843 for the 2022 Movember campaign, surpassing its $2,500 fundraising goal.

Adam Wicklum, a life enrichment aide at the Peterborough long-term care home and captain of Team MO Riverview, says he’s proud of the 10 residents and participating staff who grew moustaches throughout November for the Movember campaign.

Movember fundraising teams across the globe raise money each November to help fund research for testicular and prostate cancers as well as to support men’s mental health and suicide prevention programs. The campaign also raises awareness of men’s health issues.

On Nov. 30, a pub night that included live entertainment from local musical duo Darlene and the Shamrocker capped off the month.

At the end of the event, Adam extended his thanks to participants before a resident moustache contest judged by The OMNIway was held. Resident Larry Kellar walked away with first-place honours.

Among the Movember fundraising events organized this year were an ice-cream float and sundae sale and two Tim Hortons fundraisers, one of which was organized by the Springdale Country Manor team.

Adam also hosted Movember-themed activities for residents to help raise awareness. These included a moustache bingo, moustache word games, and a moustache and Movember trivia game.

Aside from being the team captain for Riverview Manor’s fundraising drive, Adam also raised $2,185 through his own Movember fundraising efforts outside of the home. All the money he raised was put towards the Team MO Riverview campaign.

While there have been six previous Movember campaigns at Riverview Manor since 2012, this was the first year residents were engaged in the fundraising, which, along with increased staff participation, made this year’s campaign successful, Adam says.

The Movember campaign began in Melbourne, Australia, in 2003 and has grown to become a global movement that sees men worldwide grow moustaches every November to raise awareness of health issues affecting men.

Since 2012, Adam has raised $8,376 for Movember Canada. Adam has captained the Riverview team each year the fundraiser has been hosted at the home.

In 2021, Canadians raised $24.6 million for the campaign, according to the Movember Canada website. If you have a story you would like to share with The OMNIway, please contact the newsroom at deron(at)axiomnews.com.

If you have feedback on this story, please contact the newsroom at deron(at)axiomnews.com.

PHOTO CAPTION: Riverview Manor life enrichment aide Adam Wicklum (pictured standing in the back row at right) poses with five of the residents who grew moustaches in honour of the Movember campaign this year.

Woodland weightlifting program is engaging men in fitness

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‘It has become a really big hit here’

A weightlifting program at Woodland Villa is encouraging the men living at the home to participate in activities while promoting physical fitness.

One of the challenges many long-term care homes face is creating programming that’s attractive to male residents, but this activity is proving to be a winner with the gentlemen living at the Long Sault, Ont. long-term care home, says life enrichment co-ordinator Lisa Doran.

At the moment, about 10 residents regularly participate in the program each week, Lisa says.

Often, the men living at Woodland Villa prefer their own activity groups, and the weightlifting program is aimed at the men for this reason.

“It has become a really big hit here,” Lisa tells The OMNIway.

Lisa notes this program has also created a new pastime for residents, since none were active weightlifters in the past.

The men involved with the program are also showing positive results, she says, adding that the more they work out with the equipment the more weight they need to use to increase resistance.

“They start to find the weights too light, so it has been really good at helping them build their strength,” she says.

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‘Choc’ up another win for the Country Terrace nutritional care team

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A chocolate fondue fountain proved to be the perfect way to bring everyone together

Anyone walking into the Country Terrace dining room on Nov. 25 could easily have mistaken it for a five-star hotel restaurant when they were met at the entrance with a cascading chocolate fondue fountain and an array of fruits and cookies.

This sweet setup was the brainchild of Alex Achillini, the Komoka, Ont. long-term care home’s nutritional care manager, who knew from experience a chocolate fondue fountain would be a huge hit with residents.

Due to the redevelopment project Country Terrace has been undergoing since September 2021 to add 50,518 square feet and eight beds to the home, the nutritional care team has not been able to host many special events for residents because of reduced space during construction, Alex says.

But with space opening up again, Alex says he wanted to celebrate with something special for residents, and a chocolate fondue fountain was the perfect way, since residents have enjoyed past fondues.

“It was great; all the residents participated, and I asked staff to participate as well to make it even more of a family environment, to have everyone together to enjoy a chocolate fondue,” Alex tells The OMNIway.

Country Terrace has owned a fondue fountain for several years, and Alex has used the device in the past with great success which, he says, prompted him to bring it out again.

Residents were offered pineapple, strawberries, shortbread cookies and vanilla wafers to dip in the chocolate fondue. Alex laid out the fountain, fruit and cookies in extravagant style.

Alex says the uniqueness of having a chocolate fondue fountain is what he thinks the residents enjoyed most.

“It’s something different that you don’t see very often,” he says.

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