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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.

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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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Streamway Villa and Burnbrae Gardens engage community at volunteer fair

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The Community Care Northumberland Volunteer Fair was a valuable recruitment and networking opportunity, say LECs

A recent volunteer fair was an opportunity for two OMNI Health Care long-term-care home team members to connect with people, raise awareness of their homes’ presence in the community and develop possible opportunities for people to donate their time in meaningful ways.

Laurie Kracht from Streamway Villa and April Faux of Burnbrae Gardens attended the Community Care Northumberland Volunteer Fair held at the Lions Community Centre in Cobourg on Oct. 18.

The fair attracted more than two dozen local organizations and about 120 people who were interested in volunteering.

Laurie, the life enrichment co-ordinator (LEC) at Streamway Villa, says people stopped by the booth she and April, the administrator and LEC at Burnbrae Gardens, operated at the fair to pick up pamphlets, learn about the homes and discuss opportunities.

“People would come by and we would educate them on what we do and why volunteering in long-term care is important – and it was a good turnout, we had people flowing in all day long,” Laurie tells The OMNIway.

When the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, many organizations had to put their volunteer programs on hold. With restrictions easing this year, many organizations, including long-term care homes, have struggled to bring volunteers back.

The good news is some people who stopped by the OMNI booth expressed interest in volunteering at Streamway Villa and Burnbrae Gardens, including students who were looking for volunteer placements as part of their high school curriculum requirement.

While the event was held in Cobourg, where Streamway Villa is located, April says some visitors to the booth who expressed interest in volunteering were from Hastings, near Burnbrae Gardens in Campbellford.

April adds attending the fair was a chance to explain to people that volunteering in long-term care homes helps enhance the quality of life for residents in many ways.

April and Laurie also explained that homes will create opportunities that match volunteers’ strengths and interests.

“There are lots of opportunities for volunteers in long-term care, and I think we were able to communicate that and explain just how many opportunities are within a home,” April says.

“There were a lot of surprised people who didn’t know we do so many things.”

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Horsing around at Pleasant Meadow

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LEA commended for going ‘above and beyond’ to help bring two horses for a visit with residents

A Pleasant Meadow Manor life enrichment aide (LEA) is being praised for going “above and beyond” to help bring a pair of horses to the Norwood long-term care home to visit residents on a Sunday afternoon.

On Oct. 9, the horses stopped by the home with a representative from the Norwood Fair, whom LEA Emily Gerow had contacted to arrange the visit, explains life enrichment co-ordinator Kim Williams.

Emily had also organized a visit on Oct. 7 from fair organizers who shared information with residents about the baking and crafts contests the fair hosts (residents won two ribbons in the crafts contest. See Nov. 9 OMNIway story).

Kim says the work Emily did to bring the horses to the home, as well as her efforts to ensure residents entered crafts and baking in the fair’s contests, was “much appreciated.”

The horses were brought to the front of the home and residents spent part of the afternoon petting and interacting with them.

Kim is commending Emily for coming up with an idea she knew the residents would appreciate.

“Emily thought it would be a great idea for the residents to see the horses, and she was right,” Kim tells The OMNIway.

“That was above and beyond, and it was very thoughtful of Emily to arrange that.”

The Norwood Fall Fair returned this year for the first time since 2019. The event, which has been a highlight of autumn in Norwood since 1868, was cancelled for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Riverview Remembrance Day service includes community members for first time since 2019

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Riverview Manor residents and staff members honoured veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces on Nov. 9 with an early Remembrance Day service that included representatives from the Royal Canadian Legion and the local community.

This was the first time community members have participated in the Peterborough long-term care home’s annual Remembrance Day service since the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.

The home organized the event two days early due to participants having commitments at the city’s Remembrance Day service on Nov. 11, explains Riverview Manor life enrichment aide (LEA) Adam Wicklum.

This year’s service, which LEA Rosemary Roseborough organized, was also in honour of Canada’s late monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, who passed away Sept. 8.

Rosemary has organized the home’s Remembrance Day services for 21 years.

Representing Riverview Manor residents at the service were Joan Brownson, who served in the Women’s Auxiliary Territory Service, a branch of the British Army, during the Second World War; and Frank Lindsay, a veteran of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Joan and Frank laid a poppy wreath during the service.

Guests included Verne and Collette Kish from the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 52, Pastor Ben Denhood of Gilmour Memorial Baptist Church, bagpiper Brandon McDermott, bugler Sgt. James McLaren of the Royal Canadian Air Cadets 534 Raider Squadron, and Sgt. McLaren’s father, who was one of the poetry readers.

Riverview Manor LEAs who helped Rosemary this year included Adam, who served as photographer and video player; Marilyn Price, one of the readers; and Tina Hutchinson, who operated the CD player.

A highlight of the service was the bagpipe and bugle music, Adam says.

“The musicians performed amazingly, and this was their first time participating in our service,” he says.

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PHOTO CAPTION: Riverview Manor residents Joan Brownson and Frank Lindsay are pictured here laying a wreath during the Peterborough long-term care home’s Remembrance Day service as Pastor Ben Denhood of Gilmour Memorial Baptist Church looks on.

LEA is taking Woodland Villa residents around the world

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Armchair travel program uses videos, slideshows and music to help residents experience other cultures

A Woodland Villa life enrichment aide (LEA) is being commended for a program he’s created that’s taking residents to far-away places while remaining in the comfort of the Long Sault, Ont. long-term care home.

Every month, Nicholas Merizzi dedicates a whole day to his armchair travel program, which engages residents in the cultures of countries across the world.

Residents look forward to the globetrotting program, which features props such as videos, slideshows and music to give residents a feel for the featured country of the day.

For many residents, the program brings back fond memories of their travels; for others, it’s a way to learn about countries and their people.

“(The program) goes over really well with the residents, especially the ones who have done lots of travelling,” says Woodland Villa life enrichment co-ordinator Lisa Doran.

“Nicholas starts off in the morning, and he might do something like trivia. In the afternoon they will sing and have slideshows. There is a whole bunch of stuff that is involved with it.”

While Nicholas spearheads the program and organizes the events, other life enrichment team members provide support.

Lisa says Nicholas will let her know what’s needed for an armchair travel day, and she and other team members will help with backdrops and decorations.

Lisa says Woodland Villa residents enjoy programs where they can learn about other cultures and experience the sights, sounds and tastes of other countries.

“We did Oktoberfest last month; the residents really enjoyed that, with the German music and the decorations and the different types of German beers – that was a huge success as well,” she says.

If you have a story you would like to share with The OMNIway, please contact the newsroom at deron(at)axiomnews.com.

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Pleasant Meadow residents win two ribbons in Norwood fair craft contests

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‘The residents were pretty proud of themselves’

Pleasant Meadow Manor residents and team members were hoping to pull off a big win with their crafts entries at this year’s Norwood Fall Fair, and for their hard work, they earned two ribbons.

A terracotta pot and a basket that were decorated by residents both earned second-place honours at the fair, which ran over the Thanksgiving weekend.

Pleasant Meadow life enrichment co-ordinator Kim Williams says residents look forward every autumn to entering crafts and baked goods in the fair’s contests, so winning ribbons for their entries is always a big deal for them.

Other items residents entered in the fair’s contests included wall decorations, door decorations, a Pleasant Meadow Manor scrapbook and homemade fudge.

The Norwood Fall Fair returned this year for the first time since 2019. The event, which has been a highlight of autumn in Norwood since 1868, was cancelled for the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Every September, residents get to work making crafts and preparing baked goods to enter in the fair’s contests. Residents win prizes for their crafts and baking entries almost every year, Kim says.

Fall Fair organizers supply the home with a list of crafts and baking that residents can enter. The Pleasant Meadow Manor life enrichment team presents the list to residents for them to decide what they would like to work on for entries.

About 12 residents worked on crafts and baking for the fair this year, and lots of hard work was put into the entries which made the wins even sweeter, Kim says.

“The residents were pretty proud of themselves,” she says.

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Woodland Villa residents couldn’t go to a pumpkin festival, so a pumpkin festival was brought to residents

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The local community came together to help the home host its own version of Pumpkinferno

When an outbreak at Woodland Villa prevented residents of the Long Sault, Ont. long-term care home from taking a much-anticipated trip to see hand-carved pumpkins on display at a Halloween festival, family members, staff and the local community came together to bring a festival to residents.

Residents had been looking forward to attending Pumpkinferno, an annual festival at Upper Canada Village with more than 7,000 hand-carved pumpkins on display, so they were saddened to learn they wouldn’t be able to make it this year.

Then a family member had an idea to host a similar event at Woodland Villa so residents wouldn’t miss out. And that’s how the “Woodland Villa Inferno” was born, says Lisa Doran, the home’s life enrichment co-ordinator.

The Woodland Villa team reached out to the community for support and got a “tremendous” response, Lisa says.

Generous local farmers donated 168 pumpkins. Local elementary and high-school students joined family members, staff and residents to help carve jack-o’-lanterns.

When the work was done, carved pumpkins and decorations adorned Woodland Villa’s two new courtyards, and about 30 residents got to see the spectacle on the evening of Oct. 28.

Residents who couldn’t make it outside still got to enjoy the view by looking out their windows onto the courtyard, Lisa says.

“We had a bunch of decorations outside and we had music playing and we brought the residents out so they got to see all the pumpkins and the decorations and get the full effect – and they absolutely loved it,” she tells The OMNIway.

“This was an amazing idea from a family member, and so we ran with it.”

Lisa says the community support the home received to make the pumpkin display possible was inspiring.

“This was the first time we have really worked with the community since COVID started,” she says. “We were really impressed with the feedback we got and with the people who wanted to help out to make this happen.”

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