Our Difference

We understand the decision to transition to long-term care is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. We want to ensure your decision is a positive one. Below are some of our home’s points of difference:

The calendar is always full. You can be as active as you like.

For some people, the key to living better is filling every day with meaningful activities that bring people together, build bonds and create shared experiences.

Whether it’s tapping the power of music to engage a resident with dementia, attending worship services, participating in exercise classes, or reminiscing with a friendly volunteer, there’s always something going on at Extendicare Athabasca.

Here, residents lead active and engaged lives.

This is home. Your home.

We want you to feel at home. We’ll support you in becoming an active and engaged member of your new community and enjoy life to the best of your ability.

We have a welcoming and inclusive environment.

Not only do we work very hard to integrate residents into our community and feel at home, we’re also committed to making families feel at home here too. The following are some of the measures we take to help our residents settle in and also help family members feel comfortable and get involved:

On their first day, new residents and their family members are greeted by a single staff member who introduces them to their primary caregiver and other staff members. This staff member also guides them through the admission process, answers their questions and helps them through the very busy day.

• Resident Care Plan: Family members, along with their loved one, participate actively in all aspects of the development of the resident’s Care Plan.
• Family/Resident Council: We tell family members and residents about our Family/Resident Council and invite them to join.
• Personalize Your Stay: Residents are encouraged to bring some personal items and furnishings from home to make their rooms feel more familiar and comfortable.
• Monthly Newsletter: To keep residents and family members informed about our home, we produce and circulate a monthly newsletter.
• Father’s Day Barbeque and a Mother’s Day Tea : We host a Father’s Day Barbeque and a Mother’s Day Tea for residents and their family members.
• Christmas Open House and Silent Auction : We also host an annual Christmas Open House and Silent Auction for residents and their families. Guests get dressed up and enjoy live entertainment, wine, hors d’oeuvres and bid on over 100 items that have been donated to our home.
• Private Dining Area: We have a private dining area that residents and family members can reserve for special occasions and celebrations.
• Monthly Memorial Service : We invite family members to join us at our monthly Memorial Service when we celebrate residents and loved ones who have passed away.
• Family Participation: Family members are encouraged and welcomed to participate in activities with their loved one.
• Open Doors Policy: We have an Open Door policy so that if a family member or resident wants to talk, we’re here to listen.

We connect you to the community.

Maintaining strong connections to others is essential to keeping people active and involved.

Getting you out into the community and bringing the community into our home is important to your quality of life. Here are some of the ways in which the residents and staff get involved with the community, and how the community connects with us:

• Monthly Outings: We have outings once a month for residents and they can include everything from taking in a local baseball game and attending the Canada Day parade to picnics in the park and watching trained dogs perform at the dog show.
• Christmas Lights Tour: During the holiday season, we arrange a Christmas Lights tour of the community.
• Walk for the Alzheimer’s Society : Each year, we partner with a local coffee shop for our annual fund raising Walk for the Alzheimer’s Society. In the morning, our residents who are able and staff members walk down to the coffee shop for coffee and breakfast while members of the community cheer us on and make donations. We then walk back to our home where we enjoy lunch outdoors. The coffee shop donates all proceeds from coffee sales that morning to the Alzheimer’s Society.
• Western Canada Extendicare Ethics Committee : Our Administrator is chairperson of the Western Canada Extendicare Ethics Committee and ethics practice leader.
• Alberta Health Services North Zone Ethics Committee: Our Administrator volunteers her time and expertise as a member of the Alberta Health Services North Zone Ethics Committee.