Blog

“How do we change the world? One random act of kindness at a time” — Unknown

Regards,
— Doreen

Self Care through Healthy Eating

October is Healthy Workplace Month – an annual celebration designed to promote workplace health. As a mother of two teenagers, I have always been talking to them about the benefits of eating a healthy well-balanced diet, exercising and getting enough sleep. However, I realized that I often didn’t listen to my own advice. So, over the past six months, I have been intentionally focusing on my own self-care and feeling so much better as a result – both physically and mentally.

Diet, exercise and sleep are directly related to how we feel throughout the day and how we interact with those people around us. They can also help to relieve some of the stress we are feeling. Good food is fuel for energy and immunity, but eating healthy is hard work. It takes planning and preparation! Here are a few hints that may help you eat nutritious foods.

Eat Breakfast – Breakfast kick starts the metabolism and stops us from being so hungry we grab whatever is available-doughnuts, muffins, chips. Breakfast should include protein, carbohydrate and some fat. Add some protein powder to a frozen fruit and almond milk smoothie. Hard boil some eggs in the evening and you have a few for the week, add a piece of fresh fruit and you are on your way.

Stock up on Healthier Snacks – Have a stash of non-perishable snacks for guilt-free snacking or to round out your lunch. Dried fruit, nuts, canned fruit in water or unsweetened applesauce, whole wheat crackers, mini boxes of whole-grain cereal, rice cakes, peanut butter, granola, protein bars and tuna.

Don’t skip Lunch – Eating regularly helps to stabilize your blood sugar and will help you from being tired and cranky and will keep you away from the vending machine.

Drink Water – Fatigue is one of the first signs of dehydration.

Keep in Mind!

• Consider the supermarket as your fast food restaurant-many have pre-washed fruits and veggies as well as yogurt, low-fat cheese, sushi, wraps and salads.
• Chicken and fish from the drive thru are not always healthy! Breaded, fried and on white bread, some chicken or fish sandwiches have as many or more calories and fat than the “burger”.
• Order a sub or sandwich on whole wheat bread and skip the sauces.
• Order a side salad instead of fries and use a small amount of the dressing.

If you have any questions, or would simply like to share your ideas, please contact me directly at lisa.watson@bethanyseniors.com.

Kind regards,
– Lisa

Intergenerational Programming

Guided by Vision 2020 and our commitment to working with partners to advance our Mission, Bethany has partnered with Summit Kids to operate a daycare facility at our Bethany Riverview location. The daycare, known as Summit Start, is scheduled to open on September 30, 2019 and will serve up to 84 children ranging in age from 1 – 5 years. Not only is this a wonderful amenity to have on site, it also provides our respective organizations with an opportunity to provide intergenerational programming; a unique approach that allows for people of all ages and backgrounds to socialize, learn and grow together. At Bethany, this intergenerational approach will allow children and seniors to come together to share and engage with each other. This can take a variety of shapes and forms – from a single event to weekly scheduled activities.

Intergenerational programs have been shown to yield many benefits to participants such as learning opportunities and collaboration. These programs give children the opportunity to form solid relationships with older individuals and receive the benefit of their wisdom and insight and they tend to foster a happier, healthier environment for everyone – children, seniors and staff alike! Studies show that seniors who participate in these programs often get more activity and exercise; even residents with cognitive or mobility issues benefit from the added activity and stimulation.

While intergenerational programs have clear benefits for children and seniors, they also have a strong benefit for society-at-large as cultural traditions and values are passed down and preserved for future generations. They can also help dispel negative stereotypes and help promote tolerance and understanding.

Summit Kids and Bethany will work in partnership to prepare an initial assessment of need and then identify programming opportunities based on mutual goals and objectives. We are looking forward to getting this important work underway and believe it will create positive and meaningful relationships that not only improve quality of life for our residents but support our campus of care model allowing residents to age in community.

As always, I welcome any ideas or suggestions you may have.  Please send them to me at nancy.hughes@bethanyseniors.com.

Regards,
Nancy

Connections That Last

A few days ago, someone came to reception at Bethany Corporate and asked for me. It was a former fundraising campaign committee member that I worked within the early 2000s. He had seen my name on something around Bethany and I’m so glad he stopped by to say hello.

We worked together on a small fundraising campaign in Calgary and lost touch after that. I asked him how he was doing these days and I learned that his wife is now a resident at Bethany Riverview. He talked to me about how difficult it was for him to make the decision to move her into care. Her dementia just became too difficult to manage on his own.

His eyes sparkled as he told me how wonderful the care team at Bethany has been to both of them, and how much that has eased his mind. His wife was an accomplished writer. Having her words and language, that have been so important to her, slip away during the course of the disease was incredibly difficult. She was angry a lot of the time. These days when my friend comes to visit her, she’s often smiling and interacting with her caregivers. They make her feel special.

Relationships can slip away, too, during the busy-ness of our lives. His visit was a good reminder to me to take the time to stay connected. Whether it’s old friends, new friends or work colleagues…we never really know what people are going through until we take the time to pause, connect, and ask “How are you doing these days?”

Hope you’re having a great week. Thanks for all you do.

— Gail

Recently, we received news that there was an opening for my parents to be admitted into a long-term care facility where they reside in BC. Although we have been preparing for this moment for some time, it did not happen without anxiety felt by both my parents and the rest of my family. The one thing that stands out to me is how much the staff have impacted my parents’ view of being in their new home. They have felt so welcomed and cared for that it has really helped with their transition. When I face time them, I can see their smiles and I am reassured that they are treated with kindness.

Due to this personal experience, I have a greater appreciation for what we do here at Bethany and wanted to extend my gratitude to all of our staff that go out of their way to make Bethany home for our residents.