How we help enrich lives

If we are going to help our residents live better, then it is our responsibility to offer them every opportunity to be actively engaged and involved. At Extendicare Medex, we provide social and recreational services seven days a week - including holidays. These services are designed to meet the physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual needs of our residents. All activities are developed, organized and led by qualified staff and we offer both group and individualized services to meet residents’ unique needs and circumstances. Examples of our recreational services and activities include:

• Serene Setting: Residents enjoy our beautiful and totally secure gardens and spend many leisure hours relaxing outside.
• Snozelen & Montessori Room: Our Snozelen & Montessori Room is set up as a kitchen environment full of the sights, and textures of a kitchen. There are dishes to wash, laundry to fold, utensils to sort and many other puzzles and activities designed for residents with cognitive impairment to create positive experiences.
• Music and Memory: Through our Music and Memory program, residents living with dementia can have their own personal playlist loaded on an iPod and listen with earphones to their favourite music.
• Pet Therapy: Once a month, the local Humane Society brings in cats and dogs from the shelter to spend time with our residents.
• Stitch in Time Program: Our Stitch in Time programs gets residents involved in mending and ironing clothes for other residents and gives them a sense of purpose and of being productive.
• Attic Treasures: Once a month we open our Attic Treasures trunk. We fill it with items our staff pick up in second hand or free stores such as dolls, old tools, teddy bears, linens, quilts and so on. The items stimulate response and residents reminisce about their pasts.
• Montessori Program: Our Montessori Program helps residents living with dementia connect with things and activities from their past. The Behavioural support team learns as much as they can about the residents past from friends and family and then tailors activities to their past history. It helps them to feel needed or useful and can help reduce and control responsive behaviours.
• Visiting Cart Service: The Visiting Cart Service brings magazines, books, lotion, Kleenex and other things to residents who can’t or won’t leave their rooms. It’s an opportunity for one-to-one contact and some social interaction with the residents.
• Weekly Themes: We often have themed weeks to reflect the diversity of cultures found in our home. Activities include cultural dances, music, trivia games, history lessons, travelogues and food from places like the Philippines, England, Hawaii, Italy, Jamaica and Somalia.

We also offer a wide range of physiotherapy, cognitive, speech and occupational therapies according to the needs of our residents. Currently we offer:

• Physiotherapist
• Occupational Therapist
• Speech Therapist