Oceanview Retirement Village

We are lucky enough to have a spring fed pond right off of our back door. Last fall two Mallard ducks, a male and a female, landed and stayed. They were soon joined by three more Mallards, this time two males and a female. They stayed through Christmas and into January. About the middle of February I looked out the window and there were 18 ducks on our lawn.  What a treat for our residents. They even spotted one with a lame leg and named him Hop-Along. Well of course I had to buy duck food for them. When I arrive each morning at 7:00am they are waiting for me on the lawn. This last week the residents counted 24 ducks. We all wonder how they communicate to others that Oceanview serves a good breakfast. We are all hoping that the ducks stay till late spring and show us their babies. Can you imagine how exciting that would be – a bunch of baby ducks learning how to swim. What a sight!

We will be offering workshops this coming spring in the barn located in our Foxglove Community Gardens.

Beth of Dragonfly Dreaming will be offering a workshop featuring LAVENDAR with it’s many uses both culinary and medicinally. Beth has taught workshops in Cowichan Valley for many years and is a recognized expert on all things herbal. Her work shop is scheduled for March 27, 2010.Check this blog for exact time and costs her workshop.

April will feature reknown cook book author, Maria Elena who will be offering 2 book signings and tasting demonstrations.She has taught classes in Mexican cooking in the Comox Valley and Victoria. Her cookbooks include “Mexican Cuisine” & Mexican Culinary Treasures”. The recipes handed down from her mother and grandmother include both old favourites and the contemporary and cosmopolitan. The award-winning Julia Child book “Cocina de la Familia” featured some of her recipes. Chef Marilyn Tausend acclaims that “Culinary Treasures” contains the best Mexican dishes from home kitchens through out Canada and the U.S. The dates for her 2 workshops are April 10th and 17th.and costs $75.00 each.

We have had a very exciting year as many of you know. The study conducted by Natalie Gauthier, a post gratuate student completing her Masters Degree from the University of Bath in Bath, England. She was comparing institutional like settings with smaller home-like settings in contributing to or hindering the health, personhood and culture of the people living with dementia in these settings. Her future goal is to bring awareness allowing for new policies in end-o-life caare to come to fruition.
She spent three days and nights at each of the homes she studied, all of which were in BC. We were the last home. I quote her in her dissertation, “this retirement facility (Oceanview) is the most socially, physically, psychologically and culturally alive space where seniors with dementia reside that was observed in this study.” She was greatly impressed by our staff and their interaction with the residents, and especially the socializing between the residents as they all dine together at our family dining table. She wrote that the peaceful views of Osborne Bay and the warm, inviting home-like atmosphere were also contributing factors in the overall good mental and physical health of our residents.

As this year comes to a close we reflect back on our accomplishments and how we started 10 years ago. Our goal was to always be the finest nursing home in BC if not in all of Canada and we are excited that we have been discovered.

To all of you, the families and friends of our residents, we thank you for entrusting the care of your loved one with us. We will always honour that trust.

Merry Christmas and a Fullfilling New Year!