Spirit of summer in full swing at OMNI homes
Riverview Manor resident Doris Shiniman is seen here with one of the many classic cars at the home July 22 during its annual car show.
Homes offering a variety of resident-focused events
Friday, August 1, 2014 — Deron Hamel
As we enter August, OMNI Health Care’s long-term care homes across Ontario have spent the summer involved with a myriad of activities and festivities that capture the spirit of the season.
At Forest Hill, life enrichment aide Shannon Lynch is bringing a unique program to residents with cognitive impairment that sees larvae become butterflies in a tent that’s been set up in the Kanata long-term care home’s garden area.
Lynch says family members are overwhelmed with the program’s success. What has made it successful, she adds, is the fact that the program allows for residents to reminisce and socialize in an atmosphere that provides a lot of sensory stimulation.
“The family members are just blown away by this,” she says. “When you show them the photographs of their loved ones smiling and laughing, they love it.”
What would summer be without car shows? At Riverview Manor an annual tradition “rolled on” again this year with a local group of car enthusiasts bringing their classic cars to the Peterborough long-term care home.
The July 22 event, which included a barbecue, saw about 50 of the home’s 124 residents come outside to have a look at the cars, which included hot rods dating back more than 80 years. Residents and community members filed past the vehicles and took time to speak with the car club members about their wheels.
“We also had a deejay this year, which was great, so there was lots of music and it was a lot of fun,” life enrichment co-ordinator (LEC) Sherry Baldwin says. “The cars were absolutely gorgeous and the residents loved it.”
Even when the sunny summer weather turns cloudy and grey, the folks at Country Terrace know how to make the most of it.
The team of staff members and volunteers at the Komoka long-term care home were not willing to let inclement weather ruin the annual family barbecue, so they brought the carnival-themed event inside.
The event featured many carnival activities to coincide with its theme, including ring, balloon and ball tosses, musical entertainment and a pie-in-the-face fundraiser that collected more than $300.
“We made it work — it was a little hairy, but we made it work and the families that came had an awesome time,” says LEC Christie Patterson. “We made sure the kids, the residents and everyone else had a great time.”
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