We are pleased to announce that the Alzheimer Society Peel has received a $20,000 donation from the Verve Senior Living in support of the Society’s Day Programs.
This donation was made possible by Verve Senior Living’s 40th Anniversary Challenge. In celebration of their anniversary, the retirement communities were tasked with creating small events in support of their local Alzheimer Society chapter. In support of this initiative, Verve Senior Living’s head office located in Mississauga pledged an additional donation to directly support the community and support services currently utilized by the senior populations where they are located.
CEO of the Alzheimer Society Peel, Christopher Rawn-Kane, shared that “without the support of our community partners, like Verve Senior Living, and their dedicated teams we would not be able to do what we do. We thank Verve Senior Living and their retirement communities for their generosity.”
The generous donation will be directed towards the day programs and respite home at Alzheimer Society Peel to aid in furthering the exceptional programming offered to clients.
The Alzheimer Society Peel serves the Region of Peel through our offices in Brampton and Mississauga. Our Chapter promotes public and professional awareness of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and offers a variety of programs and services. Alzheimer Society Peel works with all service providers to ensure that optimum health and social services are provided for the family and persons living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in the Region of Peel. Alzheimer Society Peel’s presence in the community since its inception has had a tremendous impact on individuals whose lives are affected by the disease. In our last Fiscal Year, 2016-2017, the chapter served over 42,000 individuals. Alzheimer Society Peel is the largest chapter in Canada and the first to become accredited for its services and programs by CARF International.
For more information contact:
Brandi Deimling
Alzheimer Society Peel
905-278-3667 x214
b.deimling@alzheimerpeel.com
(Original article by Kevin Griffin, The Vancouver Sun, February 28, 2018)
Canada’s first community designed specifically for people with dementia is opening next year in Langley.
It’s called The Village. Comprised of six, single-storey cottage-style homes and a community centre, The Village will be home to 78 people with dementia, an umbrella term that includes people suffering from Alzheimer’s and other degenerative brain diseases associated with aging. Care will be provided by 72 specially trained staff.
Project leader said The Village’s design was inspired by , the world’s first dementia village, in The Netherlands.
Jespersen, the vice-president of special projects for Verve Senior Living, said The Village builds on the other assisted- and extended-care communities he has developed during the past 29 years.
“We’ve really designed and tried to build communities where people could be independent and live their own life their way,” Jespersen said. “And by and large we were able to do that — with the one exception when somebody developed dementia and they could no longer live safely in our communities. We thought we should add another piece to that to allow them to stay within, if you will, our ‘family’ of communities.”
The Village is at 3920 198th St., which is known as the Old Bradshaw Elementary School site.
Groundbreaking is Wednesday, and Jesperson said he expects The Village to be finished by April 2019.
“What makes The Village different from traditional nursing homes … is that residents will be able to shop, have a coffee, walk their dog, get their hair cut and take part in activities such as gardening by themselves,” Jespersen said.
Three of the cottages will be designed to allow a couple to live together, and the other three will have an extra guest room for short-term stays for people with dementia.
Living in the privately funded project won’t be cheap. Jespersen said he is still working on final numbers, but he estimates it will cost between $190 to $245 a day per person, or $6,000 to $7,500 a month.
“People will say that’s a lot of money, and it absolutely is a lot of money,” he said. “It’s about the same amount of money we would get from the government if the government funded us to provide care. That’s what it costs to do what we’re doing.”
Jespersen said The Village would be open to working with government to make it more affordable to people so that there is a real community of people of different income levels.
The world’s first “dementia village” is outside of Amsterdam, where 152 people live in 23 houses on 3.7 acres. Residents can walk the streets, squares and gardens and go to a theatre and grocery store.
In Hogeweyk, the buildings are designed so they create a border that allows residents to wander safely within the property. Access is controlled by a single entry and exit.
The Village will have a similar design, but in a rural setting on five acres. The site will be surrounded by an eight-foot perimeter fence designed to blend in with its surroundings.
Jespersen said The Village has been designed to give people “unfettered access to the outside.” All the residences are at ground level so no one has to negotiate steps to enter their home. No locks on doors also allows residents freedom to move.
“Everyone comes in through one door in the community centre … and they leave that way,” he said. “Once you’re beyond that, people can move about, sit on the benches, and go wherever the path leads.”
The Village includes a barn that could be home to chickens and other farm animals, but that will be up to the residents to decide, Jespersen said.
“If we’re going to give more than lip-service to person-directed living, we can’t say we’re going to do this, this and this. Until we have people living there, we don’t know what we’re going to do,” he said. “We do know that most people have pets in their lives. If you have a pet, they’re welcome to come to The Village with you. If you don’t, we can arrange to have pets. I hope there will be a bit of a menagerie.”
In Metro Vancouver, another dementia village is being planned by Providence Health Care on the St. Vincent’s Hospital site at Heather Street and West 33rd. Not expected to open for several years, the village would be home to more than 300 people with dementia. Providence Health Care operates several health facilities, including St. Paul’s Hospital and Mount Saint Joseph Hospital.
Verve’s Living Loving Local theme for March is Maple!
Ed was born in in Cape Breton and moved to Port Credit when he was 13, Irene was born and raised in Port Credit. They met in 1946 while working together at the Thomson Lumber Yard on Hurontario St. in Port Credit. Irene worked in the office and Ed was delivering the coal. They were married in September of 1947. Together they built their home on a property that they bought from Ed’s parents, and had two loving sons, Jim and Doug.
Irene and Ed both left the Thomson Lumber Yard and worked for the Peel Board of Education until their retirement. Upon retirement, Irene and Ed thought it was best to sell their home and they moved in with their son Doug and his wife. Following this they decided that they would move into a retirement community, and this is where they found Credit River Retirement in Streetsville. Irene felt like she was coming home because she spent her summers as a child at the Rutledge farm visiting with her cousins (her uncle was Ed Rutledge; chief of police in the 40’s/50’s). Credit River’s address is 175 Rutledge Road, built on the land that was the Rutledge family farm.
Ed and Irene just celebrated their 70th anniversary at their home of Credit River, having a large party with all their family. Credit River was privileged to be a part of this celebration, so close to our hearts! What an amazing milestone and love story.
Why We Celebrate Beef:
We think of Alberta Beef as a national treasure, and we are not alone. Canadians are hungry for beef. On average we each eat 44lbs per year!
All Canadian beef is managed with exceptional attention to detail, and high animal welfare and food safety standards. Nowhere is this truer than Alberta. As Canada`s largest cattle producing province, the volume and economic value of beef far exceeds all other agricultural activities within the province and the country. Just the mention of Alberta conjures up the image of cattle grazing on an open field and farm hands on horseback. Almost half of the beef on our plates has passed through Alberta`s beef industry and some of it travels to lands as far away as Russia and Japan.
History:
Cows occupy a unique role in human history. They are considered one of the oldest forms of wealth and have always been of interest to man because of their ability to provide meat and dairy foods, to be strong work animals, and to easily reproduce themselves, all the while asking for no more than grass to eat! The first evidence of cow domestication appears to be in the Middle East approximately 10,000 years ago.
Cows are members of the ‘Bovinae’ family. This family also includes Gazelles, Buffalo, Bison, Antelopes, Sheep and Goats.
Canadian Statistics:
- Alberta is the largest provincial producer of beef in Canada. Beef is their largest agricultural sector (20,000 cattle farms) and worth $3.2 BILLION in farm sales which amounts to a $12.7 BILLION contribution to their economy! Giddy up!
- Saskatchewan is Canada’s second largest cattle producing province.
- Canada raises about 11 million head of cattle per year. Almost 5 million in Alberta alone.
- The average Alberta farm size is 200 head of cattle, in the rest of Canada it is 65. Although, BC is home to Canada’s largest working cattle ranch with a herd of approximately 20,000 head and a land base of more than 500,000 acres.
- 45% of all beef (meat) and cattle (livestock) produced in Canada is exported. We rank 9th in the world as far as exports go. USA, Brazil, and Europe are the world’s top 3 exporters.
Health Benefits:
Beef is a source of 14 essential nutrients including Iron (needed by every cell in the body), Zinc (for strong immune system), Vitamin D (for bone health),and B- Vitamins (for healthy brain function).
Fun Facts:
- Cows definitely live to eat, as they spend up to 6 hours a day eating, and over 8 hours a day chewing cud – regurgitated, partially digested food!
- Cows drink approximately a bathtub full of water each day.
- Cows can produce up to 200 pounds of flatus (flatulence and burps) a day! Hence, they are a major source of CO2 in air and often cited as a major factor in global warming.
- Cows never forget their calves. It is quite common to see them licking their grown calves just as they did when they were young.
- There is an estimated 1.3 billion head of cattle and 920 breeds of cow in the world today.
Recipes:
Living Loving Local is our affectionate name for a program developed here at Verve to feature local foods all year round. Our Chefs source in-season and local produce each month such as peaches, cherries, squash or corn or provincial treasures such as BC Salmon, Ontario Maple Syrup or Alberta Beef as the opportunity arises, and we celebrate that food throughout the month in our dining experiences, recreation activities, and special events. Each month is a little different, but always delicious, informative, and fun.
One evening each month our Chef’s prepare a fantastic Living Loving Local Celebration Menu, offering a delicious three course meal to residents, friends and family, featuring our local food of the month. With appetizers such as Beef Crostini with Horseradish Cream Sauce or Zucchini Cakes with Smoked Salmon Sour Cream, mouthwatering mains including Pork Wellington with Apple Sage Sauce or Flat Iron Steak with Blueberry Butter, and delectable desserts such as Sweet Potato Bourbon Pie or a western classic, like Cheesecake with Saskatoon Berry Compote, there is something to satisfy all tastes.
Our life enrichment department is always up for a little fun and they organize various Living Loving Local events and activities throughout the month to inform, educate and entertain our residents. Join us in June as we celebrate strawberries with our famous strawberry socials, a trip to the farm and maybe a jamming session. In December we are crazy for Cranberries, enjoying cranberry cocktails at happy hour, creating cranberry topiaries or wire ornaments for festive decorations or baking cranberry hot crossed buns or cranberry shortbread in our baking clubs. In February we may delight in the humble potato trying recipes from around the world with our locally grown fare or creating simple yet elegant wrapping paper with hand carved potato stamps. You never know what local excitement we will get up to.
Why are we loving local? Because good food is made even better when it’s locally sourced, expertly prepared, and enjoyed with family and friends, all in a setting that promotes comfort and conversation. Cheers!
Canterbury Place Retirement Residence has many pieces of decorative art that was installed when the building first opened. These are typically wall art that compliments the colours of our carpets, paint and furniture.
Many of our residents have taken to completing puzzles of various sizes, it seems a new puzzle is finished once every two weeks. In recognition of their time and efforts, some of the more artistic puzzles have been framed and placed on the walls throughout the building.
In our lower ground where residents and guests park their cars, a beautiful puzzle of wild butterflies is on the wall in front of our elevators, with a plaque that reads, “This puzzle was completed by our residents”.
A total of 5 puzzles have now been completed and installed as Puzzle Art around the building. You are encouraged to see them as part of your tour or guest visit.
Throughout the month of January, residents at Canterbury Place Retirement Residence are assisting the Life Enrichment department in making beautiful handmade bangles. The beautiful bangles will be sold at reception and the proceeds will be going to the Alzheimer’s Fundraiser. Great job everyone!
As children we feel free to express ourselves and simply enjoy our creativity without expectations of perfection. As we become older we tend to “restrain” that sense of freedom for fear of criticism or judgment. Combine that with the many daily responsibilities adulthood brings of raising children, working and financial responsibilities and pretty soon most people are left with little time or energy to enjoy the gift of creativity. I grew up on a farm and my mother, raising six children, babysitting ten grandchildren, working outside the home part-time and on our family farm was constantly busy. She finally had some time for herself and at the age of sixty-five began to paint and loved meeting many new friends through her art classes. When my father passed she spent many quiet evenings creating – time passes very quickly when painting and all worries and negative thoughts disappear as your creative side takes over. I am so grateful that she taught me to be creative and enjoy!
All aspects of a senior’s life can be positively influenced through the process of producing artwork: emotional, spiritual, physical and mental. I love teaching Seniors and seeing the joy on their faces as their paintings come to life and the pride they have when they have a beautiful piece of art to hang.
Cathy Clark
Sales Representative, ASA
Keller Williams Realty Solutions, Brokerage
Direct : 647-296-7403
www.cathyclark.ca
The first meeting of the ROMEOs took place over 10 years ago. John and Brian (both from England) would get together once a week, without fail, for a beer and a burger to rehash current events and sporting outcomes.
Over time and through various events and introduction, the group has grown to 9 members from several different countries. Frank from Trinidad, Bing from Grenada, John from Vancouver, Reg from Northern Ontario, Pat from St. Vincent and the latest additions, Peter and Joey also from Trinidad.
The “get togethers” are still on Wednesdays and are at the original location called San Frans on Unity Dr. in Mississauga… where you can get the best veal sandwich in the G.T.A with your choice of a generous helping of Greek or Caesar salads.
Bing is the musician in the group, often referred to as “maestro” and he plays a mean piano. He also volunteers once a week to play for the patients at the Cancer Center at Credit Valley Hospital. He has also produced several CD’s under the title of Bing, the one and only – great background music for those leisurely dinners.
Frank and John make aeroplanes as a hobby… out of beer cans. You can get a single wing or a double wing in the beer can of your choice. You buy and drink the beer and they make the planes. They insist that the pull tabs stay on the cans as they are an integral part for the wing and landing gear.
Frank has also recently won an award from the City of Mississauga for the participation in the Neighbourhood Watch Program. He also organizes an annual street party with representation from local law enforcement, fire departments, politicians and the Mississauga News.
As a group the ROMEOs, have for several years now, collected pull tabs from cans of various refreshment drinks which are given to the Legion, from which they make wheelchairs for our veterans and others in need. It takes about 2.5 million tabs to make one chair so if you care to collect and donate they can be dropped off at Credit River Retirement.
I think it is safe to say that the group will be around for some time to come because at great individual expense, we had t-shirts printed up – black with gold letters, emblazoned with R.O.M.E.O on the front… which stands for Retired Old Men Eating Out.
The ROMEOs thank you for your time and we wish you all a great day.