| Jim Huinink
Editor, Comfort Life
February 2022 |
With the pandemic seeming to be a two-steps-forward, two-steps-back story, I want to go back to our Inspiring Leaders series and other interviews we’ve gathered in recent months, to remind everyone of our most important long-term goal. In replying to our question regarding what is the future of senior living, Tanya Snow, Director of Bria Communities, looked beyond things like technological or societal changes, with an answer that hit the heart of what will always matter most: “Quality relationships are everything!”
She’s right. That is the future—and, of course, the present—of this industry. In the same interview series, Marie-Josee Lafontaine of Scarborough Retirement Residence, said it clearly: “I want a resident [who], when I hold their hand and I look at them they say thank you. That's everything. There’s nothing else.”
Mirandah Sinden, GM at Gilmore Gardens in Richmond, BC, speaks for many directors when she says that talking about what she loves about her job is easy. “Number one, the residents,” she replies, in a heartbeat. “To me, they’re special.” That was a message seen in many managers’ videos, one we’re proud to present on our third-party platform.
A perpetually renewed focus on the humanity we share with those in our care is what will keep this industry vibrant in the coming years. Now, more than ever, I think, this is the story that’s going to be most important for us to share: care and connection. It's what prospects need to hear and see when considering a community. Even better, they benefit most from hearing it from a third-party trusted source in Comfort Life.
We’ve also seen that foregrounded in recent reviews and testimonials added to Comfort Life. For one example, Laura, daughter of a resident at Hazelton Place in Toronto, tells how her mom came to love life there. Unable to travel from her American winter home due to COVID-19, she then suffered a medical emergency, needing to be transported home by medical flight. “Hazelton was the only [community] that would take her in,” says Laura, “and they were amazing.” Her “mom is thriving due to the care and attention she has received. Staff have all been incredibly friendly, energetic, and compassionate.”
Patricia Cromie, senior at Delmanor Elgin Mills in Richmond Hill, says that throughout the pandemic, “Staff have been wonderful, going beyond the call of duty when looking after us during this trying time.”
Jan Renee, daughter of a senior at Arbourside Court in Surrey, says, “In these difficult times, with ever-changing rules and guidelines, Arbourside has done a great job in communicating protocols and keeping the residents safe.”
Those are just a few examples of so many more reviews and testimonials coming out of the pandemic. This is something we’ve witnessed repeatedly in stories added through our Family Insight series on Comfort Life profiles. If we remain focused on personal care and respect for seniors, keeping that as our “north star,” as Optima Living’s Karim Kassam calls it, that’s the way we’ll create an amazing future for senior living in Canada.
