Tag: Retirement

Share The Love Week – Valentine’s Day at Bay Haven 2020

Posted on by Reagan Morgan
The final collage from the Valentine’s Day Love Photo marketing event

The entire Recreation Department and Marco, the Marketing Specialist, worked hard to create a two-week long Valentine’s Day event for the residents at Bay Haven Care Community. The Recreation Department organized Valentine’s Day themed programs throughout the first and second week of February. Some of the programs included creating a Valentine’s Day posters, arts and crafts, trivia, drama performances, and even making heart-shaped Topper’s pizza with Emaan, a new volunteer who owns all of the Topper’s Pizza in Canada with her family.

This year, Bay Haven Care Community and the Georgian Tringle Humane Society collaborated on a Valentine’s Day idea to raise money for the Humane Society. The Recreation Department created two program that allowed the residents on the retirement home and the nursing home side to bake and decorate Valentine’s Day themed cupcakes. These cupcakes were then sold on Wednesday, February 5th to all residents, staff, and guests at Bay Haven. On that day, we had two volunteers from the Therapeutic Paws of Canada bring in their dogs to help celebrate our bake sale! Virginia brought in her dog Poodle Enzo, and Alex brought in her Golden Retriever Georgia. The residents absolutely loved buying cupcakes and having a dog visit. Bay Haven Care Community raised $183.00 during the bake sale, with all proceeds going to the Georgian Triangle Humane Society.

Throughout the two weeks of February, Marco created a campaign titled “Valentine’s Day Love Photo.” This campaign allowed family members of residents and staff to submit a photo of their loved ones and to add a short description about why you love them, and what kind of inspiration that particular person gave you throughout your life. Since February 1st, Marco has been posting a new submitted photo on the Bay Haven Care Community Facebook page until Valentine’s Day. The marketing campaign was a huge success! The campaign generated 14 new “Likes” for the Bay Haven Care Community Facebook page, which is a 250% increase since January 17th, 2020. The campaign also got a 79% increase in “Post Engagement,” meaning there were more people commenting and liking our Facebook pictures and posts during this week than any other. After the campaign was over, Marco created a collage of everyone’s pictures and posted them on Facebook, as well as around the building.

Overall, Bay Haven’s 2020 Valentine’s Day was very successful and we are excited to continue providing the best quality care for all of our residents.

Marco Sanfilippo
Marketing Specialist/Recreation Assistant

Halloween At Bay Haven Care Community

Posted on by Reagan Morgan
Nursing Home Residents Trick-Or-Treating

Here at Bay Haven Care Community, we know how to celebrate Halloween! On October 30th, the residents from the Retirement Home side of Bay Haven dressed up and had a Halloween dance party! Not only that, they also baked and decorated Halloween cookies, and ate some candy. The Bay Haven building was fully decorated with spider-webs, bats, ghosts, and pumpkins! It was truly a fun evening for the residents. On October 31st, Bay Haven residents from the Nursing Home side went Trick-or-Treating to the home of the residents on the Retirement Side to receive chips and candy. The residents were dressed as bunnies, clowns, a squid, king, the Grinch, and even a Hula girl. The costumes were so incredible, and we are so proud of all the residents that dressed up!

Not only that, but the staff at Bay Haven Care Community also dressed up for Halloween. Some staff members dressed up as scarecrows, unicorns, witches, a Clone Tropper, a Blue Jays player, a Gum Ball Machine, Minnie Mouse, Piglet, Eeyore, and more. We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who participated in Halloween at Bay Haven this year. We truly know how to party at Bay Haven!

 

To see pictures and videos, please check out our Facebook page.

 

Marco Sanfilippo – Marketing Specialist/Recreation Assistant

Bay Haven’s Third Annual Summer Hoedown

Posted on by Reagan Morgan
Residents during the 2018 Summer Hoedown.

Bay Haven Care Community’s third annual end of summer party hoedown will be taking place on Wednesday, September 4th for the residents on the retirement side. This is a party that the Bay Haven recreation and dietary team like to provide for the residents before the summer is over. The purpose of this party is to kick-off the summer in style! Residents are encouraged to wear jeans with a plaid shirt, and to wear a cowboy or cowgirl hat and boots!

Residents are invited to celebrate the last days of summer with entertainment by North of 50 and a themed supper to be served in the Bay Haven courtyard. Appetizers and drinks will be served at 4:45 PM with dinner to follow. The dinner menu will have an option of either BBQ Beef Tenderloin or BBQ Chicken Thighs, then on the side there will be baked potatoes with sour cream, zucchini & tomato bake with Parmesan & basil, and corn on the cob. Then ending with a delicious dessert of peach pie & French vanilla ice cream with tea & coffee.

The Bay Haven recreation team decorates each table with a beautiful centre piece, autumn leaves, and so much more. If you are interested in seeing photos of our third annual summer hoedown, like Bay Haven’s Facebook page and you will be able to see all the photos taken during the festivities. We will make sure to post the pictures as soon as possible.

We are incredibly excited to be able to host this party for our residents!

Marco Sanfilippo – Marketing Specialist/Recreation Assistant

Happy Canada D-Eh!

Posted on by Reagan Morgan
  • Residents at the Bay Haven Canada Day Social.

On July 1st, 1867, Canada officially became its own country when three colonies (Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick) united into a single Dominion called Canada. 152 years later, we continue to celebrate this beautiful country for its rights, freedoms, expressions, and laws that make Canada such a great country. At Bay Haven Care Community, staff, residents and volunteers celebrated Canada Day with a Canada Day Social. Wearing as much red as possible, residents from the Retirement Home side and from the Nursing Home side came together to mingle with their neighbours and friends in the Bay Haven courtyard.

The recreation and dietary team put together a very fun event for Bay Haven’s residents. Some of the recreation assistants put on Canadian themed games for the residents, these games included a Canadian fun facts and trivia, and a Canadian themed bean bag toss. The recreation team also put up Canadian flags and other decorations throughout the entire building. Additionally, the dietary team provided some cold punch, and the members at the Collingwood Royal Canadian Legion were kind enough to donate a large Canada Day cake for our residents! We would like to take this opportunity to thank the members at the Legion for their kindness and generosity. According to the residents, this years Canada Day Social was very fun, warm, and delicious! We cannot wait to do it again next year!

Marco Sanfilippo – Marketing Specialist/Recreation Assistant

Bay Haven Care Community Celebrates Staff Appreciation Week

Posted on by Reagan Morgan
A resident mingles with some Bay Haven staff members during Staff Appreciation Week.

This year, Bay Haven Care Community celebrated Staff Appreciation Week from Friday, May 3rd to Friday, May 10th. Our staff provide activities of daily living in a professional and dignified manner. Bay Haven recognizes all of the tremendous hard work that come from the nurses, volunteers, dietary staff, recreation team, office workers, maintenance staff, and cleaners. Bay Haven wanted to celebrate Staff Appreciation Week by providing all staff members with Tim Hortons coffee, Timbits, fresh baked cookies and bagels from the dietary team, and a key chain!

The entire staff at Bay Haven Care Community works hard to make sure the entire home runs smoothly, properly, and safely. “Your hard work and dedication is appreciated and does not go unnoticed.” Scott says as he talks about Staff Appreciation Week, “Bay Haven recognizes staff throughout the year with BBQ’s, snacks, and other treats.” Later this year, Bay Haven will be hosting a Staff Appreciation barbeque lunch held by our dietary manager Donna. Donna prepares a variety of food for our Staff Appreciation barbeque, including hamburgers, sausages, salads, fruit, and more. The barbeque is normally from 11:00 AM — 1:00 PM to accommodate all staff members shifts. We will let you know more information closer to our selective date.

Once again, Bay Haven Care Community would like to thank all of their hard-working staff members for doing such an incredible job at making Bay Haven Care Community the best retirement and nursing home in Collingwood. It takes teamwork, dedication, and loyalty from staff members to come together to produce excellent results. Bay Haven does this, and we are proud.

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” — Helen Keller.

Marco Sanfilippo — Marketing Specialist/Recreation Assistant.

The 4 Things That I Learned On My First Week As A Recreation Assistant

Posted on by Reagan Morgan
A Recreation Assistant interacting with a resident.

I am always astonished to see how influential recreation activities can keep residents engaged. As someone who has recently joined the recreation team at Bay Haven Care Community, I am already beginning to see how activities such as Bingo, happy hour, musical performances, outings, and trivia games can enhance a resident’s overall experience at their retirement home. As a Recreation Assistant, it is my job to make residents happy and to enhance their quality of life as much as possible.

Here are 4 things I learned on my first week as a Recreation Assistant.

1. Interaction.

It is always important to keep this in mind as you provide your recreation activity. If you are providing a program for a group of 20 residents, it is important to always interact with each person individually as much as possible. You always want the residents to know that they are a crucial part of the activity that you are providing for them. The more interactive you are, the better.

2. Follow the 7 Dimensions of Well-being.

The seven dimensions of well-being is a holistic approach to programming that Bay Haven ensures to provide for their residents. The seven steps are:

  1. Emotional: Coping with challenges and behaving in a trustworthy and respectful way. This creates emotional wellness and helps counsel stress, management, humour/laughter and personal stories.
  2. Intellectual: Providing creative pursuits and intellectually stimulating activities is proven to keep minds alert and interested and it can slow down the process of Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
  3. Physical: If you provide a physical program throughout the day, residents will feel better emotionally, as they will be releasing “feel good” endorphins from their body.
  4. Vocational: It is important for everyone to have a purpose and feel needed with a specific goal in mind. This step is a great way for residents to be connected with the community!
  5. Social: Social interactions with family, friends, and co-residents can be valuable to maintain good health for the residents.
  6. Spiritual: Residents at Bay Haven can practice their own religious morals and faith. Living with a meaning and purpose of life is key to feeling a connection to the larger world.
  7. Environmental: It is important for everyone to get outside whenever possible. If the weather is bad, we will bring the environmental programs inside.

These seven steps are a crucial part of being a Recreation Assistant. In order to provide life enrichment to all of our residents, a Recreation Assistant must always keep these seven steps in mind.

3. Create a variety of programs.

It is important to provide a variety of programs for the retirement home you are working for. Repetitive programs will make the residents lose interest. A variety of creative and interactive programs will be beneficial for the overall experience as a Recreation Assistant. Doing this will also alter the experience for your residents, making them happier and more interested in their daily activities. Always remember, keep an open-mind, use your creativity, and have fun!

4. Have fun and be patient.

Two of the most important steps of becoming a great Recreation Assistant is to make sure you always have fun, and to be patient. The beautiful part of this job is that you get to have fun with the residents! The variety of games, performances, activities and events that you will be hosting for the residents are enjoyable! However, you must be patient as well. The number one rule that every Recreation Assistant must know is that the residents always come first. If they need to do something urgent in the middle of your program, simply allow them to go. This is their home and their life; always understand that.

These are 4 things that I learned on my first week as a Recreation Assistant.

Marco Sanfilippo — Recreation Assistant/Marketing Specialist