Leaving Your Worries Behind
An independent living community like Shannon Oaks in Oak Bay can be the perfect place to enjoy your retirement. No yard work, delicious home-cooked meals, and weekly housekeeping services free up your time to participate in scheduled activities and excursions and to pursue your personal hobbies and interests. Research also shows that there’s a positive correlation between the increased social interaction found in a residence and health and well-being in older adults.
But for some seniors, they worry their life will be too regimented, and they won’t have the freedom to do the things they enjoy, preventing them from making the move.
“Although shaking old habits can be difficult, and initially some residents can miss doing their regular chores, they quickly come to realize they enjoy being pampered and find it a relief to let someone else do those chores for them,” says Leo Martin, Marketing Manager for Shannon Oaks, Oak Bay. “Not having to worry about gardening and house maintenance allows them to become more involved in satisfying activities like arts and crafts, learning a new language, or becoming involved with charities.”
Perhaps this Shannon Oaks resident says it best: “When someone said to me ‘don’t you get bored living in a small apartment and having all your meals supplied?’ I had to chuckle as I searched my cluttered coffee table for my crowded calendar, each day brimming with activities.”
For more information, visit https://www.baptisthousing.org/communities/shannon-oaks-oak-bay
Stretching To Meet The Care Needs Of Residents
Independent living offers housing and the convenience of services like meals, housekeeping and transportation, as well as activities like fitness classes and recreational outings. Unlike assisted living, residents in independent living residences direct their own lives, if they’re healthy and able.
Residences like Berwick Royal Oak also offer a special service called Brio Care to residents, which allows them to stay in the residence, without moving to a care home as their abilities decline.
“Our healthcare team works closely with the resident and the family to develop a resident-focused care plan that caters to their unique needs,” says Amanda Guignion, Community Relations Manager for Berwick Royal Oak.
Brio Care residents have full access to the Berwick Royal Oak’s building and activities, but also have specialized programs. Care and assistance from nursing and care aides are tailored to suit each resident’s special needs, while continuing to promote as much independence as possible in a supportive environment.
“All residents at Berwick Royal Oak are part of the Berwick family,” says Guignion, “so when the needs of the resident in independent living change, it is important to cater to these changes by offering more assistance.”
The Brio Care suites – spacious studio-style suites with kitchenettes, private bathrooms and outdoor patios – are Berwick’s way of focusing on the continuum of care from independent living to licensed residential care. These suites offer a supportive, caring option with assistance available around the clock.
“This is the Berwick way – having daily access to a variety of engaging activities and events in a comfortable environment, while maintaining independence and enjoying an active, involved lifestyle, without the worry.”
For more information, visit https://www.berwickretirement.com/bro/enhanced-living/
Responding To Resident Concerns
At Bria Communities, seeking resident input and responding to it is part of what makes them special. They know it’s important to elicit feedback often in order to have happy, satisfied residents. To create mechanisms for residents’ voices to be heard, Bria organizes groups like their Resident Food Council and they regularly host Chef’s Chats. Once a year, they also ask residents to participate in a detailed satisfaction survey conducted by a third-party company.
“We really value our residents’ voices, so we seek their input,” says Janice Miller, Marketing Partner of Seniors Living for Bria. “Our commitment is to continuous quality improvement and that’s why we do the survey every year. We know there is always room for improvement, and we want to be transparent with our residents and their family members. The survey creates accountability on our team and creates accountability to our residents – they can give their opinion and know they have been heard. It matters because this is their home, and your voice should always be heard loudly and clearly in your home. We’re committed to improving our services and ensuring what we put in our seniors’ home – food, recreation activities, services – reflects their choices.”
The feedback Bria most often gets tends to be about food – residents want to be involved in menu planning. “They want to eat their favourite things and speak to what they like and don’t like. Our chefs are very responsive to this,” says Miller.
Bria’s efforts to be transparent and to increase satisfaction are paying off. In 2018, 94 per cent of residents said they feel at home in their residence, and 95 per cent of residents would recommend Bria Communities to others.
For more information, visit https://briacommunities.ca/
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