While we’ve all felt the impacts of the pandemic, for those lucky enough to have a strong team to support them, the effects haven’t seemed quite so bad. Just ask the residents of Summerland’s Prairie Valley Lodge!
When restrictions saw services and activities cancelled, the talented team at this seniors residence got creative.
As a small, family-run care home with only nine residents, they embraced the flexibility to manage restrictions, while continuing to provide exceptional care. With more than 40 years in business, they’ve got the experience to provide the best care to you and your loved ones, while keeping things fun!
Keeping residents looking their best: When hair services were cancelled, residents missed out on the pampering, which was definitely a highlight. A team member who previously worked as a hairdresser stepped in to continue weekly hair services. They were also spoiled with spa days, complete with essential oil diffusers, manicure accessories and foot baths!
Helping seniors feel their best: Equipped with team members trained in recreation and rehabilitation, Prairie Valley Lodge could continue residents rehabilitation exercises and recreational activities when they couldn’t attend appointments.
The freedom to explore: With restrictions on transportation preventing residents from getting out and about, a larger van with wheelchair access was purchased to allow for outings supervised by staff within residents respective cohorts. Some adventures included exploring local beaches, vineyards, orchards and upon resident request, they even drove by some of their old homes to check out the changes!
Delicious meal plans to satisfy all tastes: “Although food is an everyday thing, we still want to create a celebration at every meal so residents have something to look forward to,” notes Prairie Valley Lodge’s Naomi Burts. Thanks to their meal service coordinator, residents enjoy scratch-made meals, including homemade baked goods, dinner pies and casseroles, to name a few. Keeping up with a very popular pandemic pastime, the team also perfected their bread-making skills, allowing residents to enjoy fresh homemade bread every day. And, by building up a network of local suppliers, weekly deliveries of farm-fresh eggs, smoked meats, local apples, seasonally baked pies and unique goods are just some of the delicious things residents look forward to.
“We are truly lucky to have a small team of dedicated, loyal members that know our residents well and are accountable for our seniors’ health and safety,” Burt says. “We treat every resident uniquely, because not everyone falls into the same daily routine, and our unique size provides us with the flexibility to adapt and tailor every day to each resident.”
In doing so, it’s helping to keep daily life as normal, interesting and vital as possible.
To learn more, visit online or get in touch today!
