Category Archives: News

Benefits of Outdoor Activity at Sharon Village Care Homes

We all know that spending time outside is beneficial to our health. After all, people were created in the realms of nature, and therefore should reap some rewards from returning to our roots. But why is it that human beings are healthier when they spend more time outside? And is this belief really true? At Sharon Village Care Homes, we believe that outdoor activity is an essential part of maintaining health after entering a long-term care home or retirement village. Outdoor time can seriously affect – positively! – a resident’s quality of life, health, and mental well being. Not convinced? Read on for reasons why outdoor activities will benefit you before and after entering a London long-term care home.

Increased happiness

People who spend a considerable amount of time outdoors are actually happier than those who don’t. Light, and sunlight in particular, inspires a happier mood than darkness, while the physical exercise of walking around triggers endorphins. Going for just an hour a day of walking around your retirement village property can exponentially raise your sense of satisfaction and contentment.

Boost physical health

It’s well known that sunlight is an invaluable source of vitamin D. Increasing your vitamin D intake can prevent and fight off osteoporosis, cancer, heart attacks, and depression. Walking around or even just resting in the sun can beautifully supplement the care you receive in a London long-term care home.

It has also been proven that natural light can help patients who are recovering from surgery or other ailments heal more rapidly. The natural light and vistas around Sharon Village Care Homes can help reduce the number of medications required, while also dramatically decreasing stress caused by recovery.

Improve your concentration

Natural surroundings encourage more concentrated focus. For whatever reason, the great outdoors enhance a person’s ability to concentrate and focus on single tasks. If you’re having a tough time focusing, try working on the project or hobby in your long-term care home courtyard, or spending time outdoors before attempting to work on that project again.

Reasons behind this increased concentration are not entirely know, but it could have to do with decreased restlessness. Think of long, harsh winters when you’re trapped inside for extended periods of time. Focus and concentration becomes difficult because you feel restless from the confinement. When you leave your home and join a retirement village or long-term care home, spend time outside to prevent a feeling of restlessness due to the transition.

Live an active life

At Sharon Village Care Homes, we understand the importance of an active lifestyle for both retirement village and long-term care home residents. Outdoor activity is a key way to gain an active lifestyle. People who spend more time outdoors are more likely to get exercise. When you leave the building, you leave behind the temptation to sit the day away.

The best years are still to come with Sharon Village Care Homes. Find out how your lifestyle will change and improve with our London long-term care home indoor and outdoor amenities.

Benefits of a Private Earls Court Room

When it comes to debating between private versus standard rooms in long-term care or retirement communities, there are a lot of factors to debate. As with most other things, whether or not you desire a private room is going to depend on your own needs and preferences. Sharon Village Care Homes wants to make sure each resident gets exactly the care that he or she needs. Our Earls Court Village offers a number of private rooms so that you have options when you’re making this important transition. But before you pick, you’ll want to know the pros and cons. Read on to find out more about private vs. standard room accommodation at Earls Court Village in Sharon Village Care Homes.

Removed from infection

One of the largest problems with shared rooms and dormitory style accommodations is that once one resident gets an infection or contagious illness, it spreads like wildfire over the entire dormitory. When you have a private room, you’re much less likely to contract the contagious illness.

Increased Confidentiality

It goes without saying that a private room is simply more private. When you don’t need to share a room, all of your visits with your family have a larger degree of intimacy. Family and friends feel more comfortable, more welcome, and are more likely to visit regularly when there isn’t the curious eyes and ears of a roommate. Your loved ones also have an easier time of planning visits, because you won’t need to go through the hassle of trying to organize family visits with your roommate to avoid overlap.

Confidentiality is important in the medical field, and is something that we value at Sharon Village Care Homes. Private rooms allow you the opportunity to consult with your doctors and nurses one on one, exclusive of any outside ears. This space offers you the chance to divulge your information to whom you want, when you want, in the manner you want without worrying about anyone listening while you’re discussing your health.

Greater feeling of comfort

It can be difficult to create a home out of your long-term care room when someone else has already made it his or her own home before you got there. Having a private room means that you get to decorate and customize the room to your own preferences. Just as it would be with moving into a new apartment, moving into a new room offers you the opportunities to create a home in Earls Court.

Find your economic balance

Unfortunately, the major con of private rooms for most residents of retirement communities is the price. Like any form of accommodation, one person living alone is going to have to pay more than two people sharing a space. Some residents find the price to be daunting.

When you’re making the decision to move into your Sharon Village Care Homes accommodation, you need to weigh the pros and cons of a single room. At Earls Court, we recommend choosing what will make you happy in your long-term care home over the cost considerations.

Talk to a health care professional at Earls Court in Sharon Village Care Homes to help make this transition smoother and simple. With Earls Court, the best years are still to come.

How to Adjust to Life After Retirement

Getting used to retirement is a huge adjustment, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. Often, new retirees have the hardest time adjusting when they haven’t planned properly or when they don’t make appropriate alterations in their lifestyle to maintain health and happiness.

If you’re looking into retirement homes, or even if you’re planning on spending a few more years in your own home, you’ll want to make sure your life has a good foundation before retiring. Sharon Village Care Homes has tips for you to smoothly transition into your new life and into a London retirement community.

Create new hobbies

Before you enter retirement, start looking into new activities and hobbies in which you can take part. What have you always wanted to learn or try, but haven’t had the time for? Maybe you want to learn how to cook, or how to make pottery. Retirement is the perfect time to adopt these new skills.

Look around for classes before the big day comes when you finally transition into retirement. Sign up for a few – don’t be afraid to dive right in as soon as retirement starts. These hobbies will keep you active, busy, and happy.

If you’re looking into retirement homes, a good London retirement community will plan classes and activities for residents, so that all you have to do is show up. For instance, at Sharon Village Care Homes we offer a wide variety of activities such as bingo, BBQs, trivia nights, movie afternoons, Brush to Canvas, No Falls Fun & Fit, and many more.

Find purpose

For many working people, their purpose has always been their careers or their jobs. Following retirement, these workers have a hard time finding purpose in life. If you feel like this is you, it’s time to find purpose again. Work isn’t the only vocation that can provide you with a feeling of self worth, satisfaction, and value.

Maybe your new purpose is one of the hobbies you’ve picked up. Maybe it’s volunteering, or writing a book, or being that superhero grandparent who always wants to spend time with the grandkids. You’ll know when you find it – it will be a passion, and will make each day seem that much brighter. You’ll be happy you’ve retired so that you can spend time with those activities and people you truly love.

Meet new people

In the past, you may have relied on work friends for your social life but with retirement, these friends may not be reliable as your only form of entertainment. Retirement brings shifting schedules. While it’s possible that you may keep some of these close friends, why not get out and meet new people? With retirement comes much more time that your other friends may not be able to fill up.

Joining classes or a London retirement community will offer you that opportunity to meet new people going through the same stage in life that you are. If you’re thinking of retirement homes, don’t be afraid to attend the socials that are offered.

Learn how to love life and feel invigorated at any age. Join the London retirement community that cares about your health and happiness. Take a tour of Sharon Village Care Homes today!

Strawberry Socials

Dear Residents and Families:

With the warm weather finally upon us, it’s time for a little celebration! Get ready to mix and mingle. At Kensington Village’s Retirement and Nursing Homes, we can’t think of a better way to celebrate our community than by sharing fresh sweet treats at a Strawberry Social.

Kensington Nursing Home will be enjoying an afternoon social for residents and families on Wednesday, June 25th at 2 pm. Wally Maggs, a musician from Tillsonburg, will spice up the social with his country tunes.

Kensington Retirement Home will be hosting their event on Wednesday, June 25th at 7 pm. This evening social will feature local singer, Randy Gray, who will be entertaining guests with his repertoire of Crooners music. Enjoy the songs of Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, and others.

Both events will be free for residents of the homes. Friends and families of residents enter the Strawberry Social for only $3. You’ll be able to enjoy fresh strawberries and shortcake with whipped cream and ice cream.

The Strawberry Social is a great way to get to know other residents, their families, and their friends while enjoying delicious seasonal desserts. You won’t want to miss out on this exciting event! Mark it in your calendars and come on out.

We hope to see you there!

Kensington Village Homes – Renovation Improvement Plan

This year Sharon Village Care Homes proves its commitment to care for its residents, as we begin to further improve our facilities. Renovations will include upgrades to our long-term care beds, kitchen, elevator, and common and receiving areas. During this exciting time, some residents will be relocated temporarily.  

Phase 1 of construction is ready to begin, and is projected to be completed within six months. Phase 1 will include the construction of a brand new kitchen on the ground floor, an elevator, and a receiving area. Below is an outline of what to expect during the construction process, to help you understand how these important upgrades may affect you.

 

Communication

 As a community committed to integrity and compassion, communication is an essential part of this construction process. Each morning at 9:15 am, the foreman will provide affected residents with an overview of the construction progress as well as an outline of what the residents are to expect from their temporary relocation. All safety and comfort features provided in the rooms of Sharon Village Care Homes will be maintained throughout this transitional phase. During Phase 1, 8 residents will be temporarily relocated for a period of 4 months.

To help our residents retain their regular sleep schedules, construction will be limited to the hours between 7 am to 6 pm. Daily meetings between the On Site Supervisor, Bruno Porciello, and the building administrator will take place to discuss updated safety protocol. Special activities for residents will also be noted in order to reduce possible interruptions from construction.  Monthly progress meetings will also continue to take place with the Resident’s Council and Family Council during construction. Families and stakeholders will also receive regular updates through our newsletter. Renovations will begin only once the City of London Building Department and the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office grant approval to our construction plans.

 

Safety Measures

The safety and health of our staff and residents are two matters that we take very seriously. As such, it is guaranteed that all construction zones will be marshalled off with either temporary or existing walls, and occupied areas will be kept clear of construction personnel and materials. Furthermore, there will be no possibility of a resident coming in contact with construction.

Life and fire safety equipment will remain accessible within the building at all phases of construction. In the case that exits or equipment are blocked for construction, alternative exits or equipment will be provided. All alternatives will be appropriately labelled with visible signage. In the instance of temporary alternative exits, the alarm system will be reconnected to these alternatives to ensure the safety of residents in accordance with the MOHLTC guidelines.

With each phase of construction, Emergency and Fire Safety plans will be updated and posted in occupied areas. Staff will be promptly trained on the revised measures.

To maintain the comfort of our residents, we will be sealing off ventilation ducts that pass between construction and non-construction zones, and plastic sheet material will also be placed over construction walls to prevent the transmission of dust. The project’s contractor will manage safe disposal of all construction waste.

Staff and construction personnel will be provided with regular updates on construction progress and safety protocol to ensure the well-being of our residents.

 

Emergency Plan/Life Safety Plan

In the event of an electrical failure or disconnection during construction, an emergency generator will ensure resident life continues unaffected. Interruptions in plumbing during the construction phase will be scheduled to reduce the impact on residents, who will be advised of the disturbance.

Nurse call systems, food preparation and delivery systems, and laundry service will be maintained unaffected in occupied zones throughout construction.

 

Parking

On the diagram below are parking spots outlined in purple, which are reserved for visitors. Handicap spots are in blue. If you are unable to find a visitor spot, we welcome you to use another available parking spot. If there are none available, we invite you to park in St. Albian’s Church, which can be entered through the driveway beside Archies of Huron.

We thank you for your patience during this exciting phase of improvement, renovation, and continued commitment to make Sharon Village Care Homes the best home for our residents. If you have any questions or concerns regarding construction, please do not hesitate to contact me directly.

And remember, no matter what your age or ability, tomorrow will always hold an infinite amount of promise and potential.

 

The best years are still to come.