How we help enrich lives
If we are going to help our residents live better, then it is our responsibility to offer them every opportunity to be actively engaged and involved. At Extendicare Michener Hill, we provide social and recreational services seven days a week - including holidays. These services are designed to meet the physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual needs of our residents. All activities are developed, organized and led by qualified staff and we offer both group and individualized services to meet residents’ unique needs and circumstances. Examples of our recreational services and activities include:
- Montessori Program: Our Montessori Program helps residents living with dementia connect with things and activities from their past. Our team learns as much as they can about the residents past from friends and family and then tailors activities to their past history. It helps them to feel needed or useful and can help reduce and control responsive behaviours.
- Yak-Yak Corner: Yak-Yak Corner is a daily program to help residents with dementia who are exhibiting “sun downing “ behaviours. Each day, volunteers sit with residents, one-on-one, usually for about ½ an hour between 4:00 and 4:30 pm and distract them through conversation or games so that they don’t become anxious and distressed.
- Happiness Basics Workshop: We also conduct a Happiness Basics Workshop for residents with mental health concerns. For 7 weeks residents meet weekly with caregivers and family members to express emotions and concerns through journaling, by building trust and providing positive feedback. The purpose is to convey the fundamentals for building a happy health lifestyle.
- Music Therapy Class: Once a week we hold a music therapy class in which small groups of residents gather to calm themselves through song and music. It is very effective in calming residents and changing their moods.
- Exercise Classes: We have regular exercise classes that include “sit and dance”, “sit and fit”, and “stretch and breathe” to build strength, flexibility, balance and positivity.
- Pub Night: Every Friday is Pub Night where residents can relax and interact with each other over a maximum of 2 drinks.
- Gardening Group: Our Gardening Group is very popular as residents plant vegetables and flowers in raised beds. In winter, they focus on pot gardening and planting bulbs so that they sprout and are ready for planting come spring.
- Intergenerational Program: Once a month in our Intergenerational Program, children from the Daycare come in to spend an afternoon reading, doing puzzles, working on crafts or playing games with residents.
- Gentlemen’s Group: Our Gentlemen’s Group enjoys meeting once a month to discuss current events and the headlines as they make and eat pizza, garlic bread, pasta and more.
- News and Views: Every morning, we have a regular News and Views session where residents gather to discuss current events and exchange views on the headlines in the newspaper.
- Bingo & Board Games: We also have regular Bingo nights, Movie nights, Games night as well as a regular monthly Birthday Bash.
We also offer a wide range of physiotherapy, cognitive, speech and occupational therapies according to the needs of our residents. Currently we offer:
- Physiotherapist
- Occupational Therapist
- Speech Therapist
- Recreational Therapist