Quality care is our top priority.

February is Black History Month. It is an important time to celebrate and honour the outstanding legacy and rich contributions that Black Canadians have made in our communities across the country.

This year, the Canada-wide theme for Black History Month is, “Black excellence: a heritage to celebrate, a future to build”, which reflects on past and present accomplishments of Black people in Canada as well as embracing new possibilities and creating a brighter future.

Black excellence is taking centre stage at our Bay Ridges home as residents and team members gather to celebrate.

Karen Simpson, Manager of Behavioural Supports and Dementia Care expert at Extendicare, speaks with CTV News about the Behavioural Support Transitional Unit (BSTU) at Extendicare Rouge Valley.

When you walk around the Behavioural Support Transitional Unit, or BSTU, at Extendicare Rouge Valley in Scarborough, Ontario, beautifully painted murals of nature landscapes and cityscapes mark the hallways.

Sensory boards offer sounds and textures. There are TTC bus stops that serve as resting places.

The artwork goes far beyond aesthetics. It is thoughtful, intentional, and helps to engineer the environment for residents with advanced Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.

Visiting a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia during the holidays is an important time for family and friends to connect. While celebrations together are meaningful, they can also be challenging for the person who has dementia, as well as caregivers.

CTV Kitchener featured a recent celebration at Extendicare Columbia Forest filled with holiday cheer!

Residents, families, and team members came together to “Light Up the Season” with festive displays, which included thousands of mini bulbs and decorations, and fun activities, including a visit from Santa.

Elouise Cunningham is the president of Extendicare Hillcrest’s Residents’ Council, in Alberta. She says residents’ councils help give residents an even stronger voice in their long-term care homes.

“All of the residents feel it’s their home and want to be able to express their feelings, concerns, and thoughts about living in a long-term care home,” says Elouise, who has been the home’s president for five years.

A group of residents at Extendicare Leduc in Alberta have been featured in their local newspaper for spreading kindness.

The article in The Leduc Representative highlights the “Cultivating Kindness” group at the long-term care home. The group meets each month to find ways to give back to their communities inside and outside of Extendicare.

Amy, a social worker from one of our Greater Toronto Area (GTA) homes, recently spoke with us about what it means to be a strong advocate for inclusion and diversity (all year long) in her community.

The evidence of her impact is visible across our Extendicare homes in the GTA.

Each Seniors’ Month, we celebrate those who have built our communities, shaped our families and who continue to share their wisdom with those around them.

We're happy to announce that 22 nurses at our Ontario long-term care homes have graduated from a specialized training program for skin and wound care, ostomy, and continence management, expanding our advanced practice capacity in this critical area of seniors’ health care.