SILVERA TIMES Silvera’s Community Newsletter - Summer 2016
GILCHRIST GARDENS OPENING AND REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY
On June 3, Silvera invited partners and stakeholders to celebrate the official opening of the new Gilchrist Gardens Community. It was also an opportunity to provide a Report to the Community, share our successes from the past year and communicate our vision for the future.
Silvera CEO Arlene Adamson, Silvera Board Chair Kirk Morrison, Minister of Seniors and Housing Lori Sigurdson and Gilchrist Manor resident Mary Kapitan cut the ribbon for Gilchrist Gardens Community.
The Lester B. Pearson High School Choir sings for guests at the event.
SILVERA CARE DAYS
Gilchrist Manor residents Gurcharan Singh, Nirmal Singh and Gloria Cortes at the Gilchrist Gardens opening reception.
Lester B. Pearson High School students help clean up around Gilchrist Manor and Gilchrist Gardens Communities before the big day.
Pembina Pipeline Corporation volunteers help with gardening and clean up at Silvera’s Bridgeland communities on June 2. This was one of seven Silvera Care Days volunteer projects this spring.
SENIORS’ WEEK AT SILVERA
Silvera’s Active Aging Manager, Marianne Rogerson, presents on strategies to increase resident participation in walking programs at a Seniors’ Week Active Aging Think Tank.
Arlene Adamson, with her father, Trevor, delivers the Seniors’ Week CEO message for Silvera’s residents.
Shawnessy residents Roger Velne and Esther Galloway work on a Seniors’ Week word game, competing against residents from across Silvera.
Confederation Park resident Anthony Barnes with his Seniors’ Week gardening day project.
PROVINCIAL HOUSING STRATEGY The province plans to formulate a Provincial Affordable Housing Strategy to address the growing need for the type of housing provided by organizations such as Silvera. The initiative was announced on June 3 by Minister of Seniors and Housing, Lori Sigurdson, at the opening of Gilchrist Gardens Community.
ASK US!
Silvera Times is happy to receive your questions. Use the Comment Cards in your community or send an email to: contact@silvera.ca (attention: Silvera Times) silvera.ca | 403.276.5541
CALGARY TRANSIT REVIEW
SAVE THE DATE!
This spring, Silvera for Seniors facilitated sessions with Calgary Transit during which representatives discussed proposed route changes in northwest and downtown Calgary and heard any concerns from Silvera residents. These sessions were useful for Transit staff to hear how extensively Silvera residents use public transportation, many travelling long distances that require two or more bus changes to get to their destinations, and how it supports independence, dignity and connections to the broader community. After getting feedback from Silvera residents and other residents around the affected communities, Calgary Transit has announced the new routes, effective Sept. 5, 2016, and the main concerns of Silvera residents have been addressed. As of Sept. 5: • Route 404 will continue to connect Confederation Park Community with North Hill Mall. • Route 90 will continue to service the bus stops around our Bridgeland communities. To learn more about the new routes, visit calgarytransit.com or call 403.262.1000.
WED. SEPT. 16, 2016
OOPS! In last edition of Silvera Times, we incorrectly printed Rena Parker’s name instead of Lorraine McLaren in the caption for the Dream Haven Community Happy Birthday! photo. Our apologies for the error.
SILVERA’S GOT TALENT: BILL MCPHEETERS While he has been taking pictures since he was 15, Bill doesn’t stop exploring different aspects of photography, and says his ambition is to learn how to use Photoshop (a popular piece of photo-editing computer software). A lung condition from an exotic bug picked up during a vacation in Thailand has made Bill delve into macrophotography — extreme close-ups, typically of small objects — which he can do in the comfort of his suite.
Bill McPheeters behind the camera
Since he moved into Aspen Community about two and a half years ago, Bill McPheeters has established himself as the community photographer, capturing everything from birthday parties to residents’ family gatherings. Bill says his experience is really taking pictures of situations, animals and architecture. “It’s an expression, I think, of yourself,” says Bill, 79. “I only take pictures of certain things, and I don’t take a great deal of pictures of people. I do here, but, when I’m out taking pictures, I very seldom take a picture of a person.”
A Christmas cactus is the subject of one of Bill’s experiments with macrophotography.
“It’s something I can still do, even with my lung condition, because it doesn’t demand going out and climbing places to find somewhere to take pictures,” he says. “I can do that right in my room with my tripod, cameras, lights and stuff, so I do that on cold winter days where you can’t go anywhere.” Photography is only one of the retired aeronautical engineer’s many interests. Bill calls himself a “dinosaur buff” and has fossil hunted for years. “I’ve always got lots to do,” he says.
“I took that from my window last May. I sent that picture to Air Canada, and they got back to me and said, ‘cool picture, we’re going to put it in the seatback magazine, En Route.’ It was kind of cool.“
2 silvera.ca | If you know someone who needs a Silvera home, please contact us at 403.276.5541
CABLE BASICS You may have heard about the new CRTC rules requiring cable providers to offer a basic cable package for $25. At Silvera, we regularly renegotiate our cable contracts across the organization to ensure we get the best deal possible. We have been following the development of the “skinny” basic cable packages with interest, and
have found the new offering to include fewer of our favourite channels. This may lead to higher costs for all of us. To include the most popular channels, upgrades are required, which brings the basic cable plan to a higher price level. As a result, the current cable prices will remain the same until Silvera’s cable contract is renegotiated, which will take place over the next year.
DINING SERVICES SURVEY Silvera is always looking for ways to evaluate food quality and make sure our residents have a positive dining experience. This year, Dining Services conducted mini surveys in our Supportive Living communities to get an overview of resident satisfaction with their dining experience.
According to the survey:
87% agree their meals and snacks generally taste good.
85% agree their meals and snacks generally look good.
71% agree their meals and snacks have the right temperature.
“We are pleased with the results,” says Dawn Alexander, Dining Services Manager. “We appreciate honest feedback from residents so we can strengthen what we offer; we strive for continuous improvement.” Alexander adds the Dining Services team is aware that food temperature is a concern for many residents, and the team is researching alternatives to using sternos—portable food-warming fuel—to protect the safety of residents and staff as sternos can’t be brought into the dining rooms where residents may be using medical oxygen. Remember, you can always provide feedback to Dining Services by filling out a Comment Card, attending a Dining Council meeting or speaking with the Dining Services Supervisor in your community.
CHECKING-IN This June, Silvera changed our procedure for the way we check in with you if you’re absent for a meal. Silvera is legislated to account for residents in Supportive Living communities each day, which is done by Silvera staff at each meal time. If a resident is absent from a meal, staff will check the resident’s suite and the community. After a 24-hour period in which a resident has been absent from three consecutive meals, Silvera will call the designated contact and police. In the past, we would notify the designated contact and police if a resident couldn’t be located after missing one meal, but we found that, in the overwhelming majority of cases, the resident had simply forgotten to sign out for the meal. Also, Calgary Police Service does not mobilize a missing person response until a resident has been missing for a 24-hour period. The goal of the change is to balance our commitment to safety and respecting your independence. Remember to sign out for meals if you’re leaving your community — it’s the best way to let us know that we don’t need to check in with you.
SMOKE-FREE:
REPURPOSING OF SMOKING LOUNGES
DEMENTIA HOTLINE
On May 2, 2016, Silvera went smokefree inside all our communities. Thank you for your cooperation during the transition and for following the new SmokeFree Policy. Now we’re looking for your ideas for repurposing the former smoking lounges in your community. We want to ensure we consider the long-term needs of each of the communities and potential cost implications. Should we consider an exercise room, a library or something completely different? Submit a Comment Card with your idea by July 29.
If you know someone living with dementia, you can now call 8-1-1 to access Health Link’s dementia hotline 24/7 all year round to be referred to extra support. silvera.ca | 403.276.5541 3
SPOTLIGHT ON:
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS?
JIM HUBBARD
Silvera for Seniors is governed by a volunteer board of directors that oversees Silvera’s strategic direction, monitors the financial health of the organization, provides advice to major decisions, and ensures that Silvera follows all required legislative regulations, applicable rules, laws and standards.
SUN SAFETY Jim and Lise Hubbard
Having served nine years on Silvera’s Board of Directors, Jim Hubbard is coming to the end of his maximum board term. Jim has been an outstanding board member and advocate for seniors, and has agreed to remain on Silvera’s Finance and Risk Committee. Jim and his wife, Lise, love to travel and we expect they will continue to explore the world. Jim retired from the oil and gas industry in 2000 and was doing consulting work, but he was looking for a more challenging volunteer role to take on and found that opportunity when what was then called the Metropolitan Calgary Foundation (MCF) put out a call for board members. Coming from a career in oil and gas marketing, Jim was entering into unknown territory, but he describes his role as a board member — and eventually Board Chair — with Silvera as a “good fit.” A big supporter of Jim’s involvement at Silvera, Lise says it has been interesting to follow his work at Silvera and visit the communities. An active volunteer herself, Lise has donated a number of quilts to Silvera’s residents over the years. One of Jim’s highlights from his time on the board was the hiring of Arlene Adamson, Silvera’s current CEO. He says Arlene and a strong board of directors have helped bring the organization to the next level. “I look at the evolution of the last nine years, it’s gone up — not because of me, but because of the people who have come on the board,” says Jim. “Silvera has expertise around the table that you probably couldn’t find in large organizations — and they’re all volunteers.” During his term on Silvera’s Board, Jim also worked with seniors’ housing on the provincial level as both a board member and president of the Alberta Seniors Communities & Housing Association (ASCHA), an umbrella organization for seniors’ housing providers in Alberta. “I think that I’ve become an advocate for seniors,” Jim says. “I can get excited or passionate — Lise would say aggressive — about it.” Now Jim is looking to explore new challenges, but will continue to advocate for seniors.
Ah! Summer is here. Before you head outside to enjoy the sun, however, take a moment to consider sun safety. Since aging makes our skin thinner and more vulnerable, sun safety is more important than ever in the silver era of our life. The sun can cause damage to the skin that can be seen or felt right away such as redness and sunburn. But damage can also occur that you cannot see, which can lead to conditions such as skin cancer. Some medications can make your skin more sensitive to sun damage — ask your pharmacist about your medications and sun safety.
Here are tips to stay sun-safe: • Avoid direct sun exposure from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., when the sun’s rays are the strongest. • Wear tightly woven clothing such as cotton or linen. • Cover exposed areas with long sleeves, pants, broad-brimmed hats and sunglasses. • Wear sunscreen with a rating of SPF 30 or more to help reduce skin damage. • Drink lots of water to stay hydrated in the sun.
SILVERA’S VALUES OUR PURPOSE To give seniors the respect they deserve and make it great to be a senior. OUR VISION Silvera will be the leading advocate and caring provider of affordable homes and services for seniors to live in place with dignity.
Editor: Katrine Sorensen
OUR VALUES Service: Supporting residents’ wellbeing and quality of life. Respect: Honouring each other. Teamwork: Working proudly to become better together. Safety: Committing to the safety of our residents and colleagues. Creating Homes… By helping residents feel welcomed and connected. Making a Difference… In a caring way.
#804, 7015 Macleod Trail SW, Calgary, AB T2H 2K6 (t) 403.276.5541 • (f) 403.276.9152 contact@silvera.ca • www.silvera.ca
4 silvera.ca | If you know someone who needs a Silvera home, please contact us at 403.276.5541