The residents at Canada’s first ever publicly funded long-term care home based on the concepts of a dementia village are ringing in the holidays for the first time in its short history, and they are doing it with joy and whimsy. Since its opening last July, Providence Living at The Views in Comox has been called home by its 156 residents – slightly more than half of which have dementia.
Providence Living at The Views staff have revealed a kind of mini-Advent calendar of activities. Here are a few windows onto a charming world of seasonal surprises.
Dutch treats
Move over Anna Olson: Canada’s next star in home-baked goodies is rising like a perfect cake! Janny Parks, age 95, could host her own baking show. Merry, energetic and bright, she is Providence Living at The Views’ baking phenom. She bakes most days (including bread), capitalizing on her stand mixer that is, for her, an essential part of her household’s kitchen. Using an old recipe book she’s had for years, she’s already been busier than one of Santa’s elves, creating delicious treats for other Providence Living at The Views residents and staff.
“I love sharing my favorite recipes and keeping everyone smiling,” said Parks.
Born in Holland, she moved to Canada at 19 years of age, married and had four sons. Years before moving into The Views at St. Joseph’s and eventually Providence Living at The Views, she actually volunteered at The Views. In addition to pursuing her lifelong passion for baking, she is renowned for her artistry in knitting and crocheting.
“Watching Janny take charge of the kitchen, setting her own schedule, and sharing her talents with others perfectly illustrates our belief that residents should direct each moment,” said Kelley Romeril, director, site operations, Providence Living at The Views. “In traditional care homes, residents rarely have the opportunity to continue their everyday passions. Here, Janny’s baking shows how our Home for Us care model supports residents in maintaining their independence and purpose.”
The 13 trees of Christmas
For the residents at Providence Living at The Views, the holidays just wouldn’t be the holidays without a Christmas tree. Under the old institutional model, one tree might be considered sufficient for the entire long-term care home. Under the Home for Us (H4U) model, Providence Living at The Views’ unique division into 13 households presented a fresh and unprecedented opportunity to obtain one for each household. Staff reached out to businesses in the Comox Valley, requesting Christmas tree sponsors. Local businesses responded with glee and greenery. Providence Living at The Views extends heartfelt thanks to those businesses and individuals for their generous donations to the following households:
- Arbutus House
Donor: Matt Zacharias Re/Max Ocean Pacific Realty. All décor was chosen by Zacharias’ nine-year-old son who helped him decorate the tree along with his parents and Arbutus House residents. - Dogwood House
Donor: Auxiliary Thrift Store. - Cedar House
Donor: Auxiliary Thrift Store. - Dolphin House
Donor: Comox Valley Raiders Youth Football Club Junior Bantam Team and Westview Ford. The tree was trimmed by the Junior Bantam Team coach and players with a black and silver design (Raiders colours) with custom Raiders ornaments. - Eagle House
Donor: Mark Vicary of Van Isle 3D Printing by XYZ Designs. - Hemlock House
Donor: Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation. - Huron House
Donor: Jane Denham Real Estate Group. - Hummingbird House
Donor: Comox Valley Newcomers’ Club. - Orca House
Donor: Courtenay Little Theatre. Theatre staff made decorations – paper chains and ornaments – with the residents. - Otter House
Donor: Architype Millwork & Cabinets. - Raven House
Donor: Providence Living at The Views staff member Carly Foster who also took on the decorating. - Seal House
Donor: The board of Comox Valley Raiders Youth Football Club Junior Bantam Team. The tree was decorated with homemade football ornaments with the residents adding their own Seal House-themed baubles. - Wolf House
Donor: Island Health Home Care Services community support workers. A team of three brought treats and coffee to residents and visited with them after they decorated together.
Raising candy cane on Main Street
On Dec. 23, a Santa sleigh full of holiday festivities and decorations was unloaded onto Providence Living at The Views’ primary gathering place, Main Street, which already boasts an in-house grocery store, hair salon, bistro, medical office, art studio, multipurpose room, wellness centre, and community hall. Fun holiday activities were lined up for residents who each received a passport, giving them access to everything from a hot chocolate bar, Christmas photo booth, musical entertainment, and games.
How Home for Us (H4U) helped make it a home for the holidays
The warm and home-like way residents at Providence Living at The Views are enjoying the holidays is due in part to the newly developed H4U care model, which has been fully implemented since the long-term care home opened last summer. Incorporating best practices from around the world, this made-in-BC care model was jointly created by Providence Living (PL) and Providence Health Care (PHC). Sensitively designed to meet the needs of seniors in long-term care, H4U emphasizes that emotional connections matter most, home is not a place, but a feeling, and that residents direct each moment.
