May 19th, 2020
Good Day to Everyone,
I hope that you all had an amazing long weekend. I am thinking that all the avid gardeners here in Summerland have got all their flowers in and likely their vegetables as well. I always admired the gorgeous flowers folks brought in right from their own gardens here in town. It certainly is the place to be if you have a green thumb.
This week Martin will begin the flower bed program with very small select groups, and we will be respecting the social distancing while enjoying this activity.
I would like to pay a special thank you to our two ladies at the front reception desk and all of our wonderful staff that have been tasked with monitoring the front door. These folks have done such a wonderful job greeting people under such incredible circumstances. They come to work every day with a smile, ready for a new day. They have been faced with some very untoward interactions with guests attempting to enter the Community, and they have handled this with grace and dignity every time. Well done team, you are an absolute joy to work with!
Last Friday was Nurse’s week. We typically have several activities and so forth happening in common areas throughout the building to celebrate our amazing nursing team. This time, we asked them what they would like, and they were very quick to ask for something simple. They asked for Hot dogs and chips. In true amazing Summerland spirit, they didn’t want us to go to any “trouble”. We arranged social distancing pick up of hot dogs, chips, pop, watermelon and cupcakes. Every one of them walked in with a smile that could light up a room. It is with this same genuine kindness and spirit of teamwork that they serve your loved ones every day. Thank you to our Summerland Nurses. You are such an amazing team and I am blessed to work along-side you all every day. Thank you for reminding me why our jobs are so important.
The long-term care side is doing well, and some are settling into their new neighbourhoods. Even with social distancing in place, it is nice to watch some old friends come together again and socialize, laughing and genuinely being appreciative of being in one another’s company. The recreation team continues to do their best to facilitate visits, though we are now down to 2 until Kaitlin’s arrival today. She will need some time to assimilate to our team and residents, but we think she is going to be an amazing addition here at Summerland and we are so pleased to have her.
I would ask kindly that we all communicate the same message about being on the property or attempting to visit. We are taking a large volume of calls asking for exceptions. I respectfully ask folks to hold tight and as soon as we have any information about a change in restrictions, we will let you know.
Thank you all,
Christy Baker
General Manager