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 Fort Macleod.

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:

• Personalize Your Room: Residents are encouraged to bring some personal items and furnishings from home to make their rooms feel more familiar and comfortable.
• Residents Council: Our Residents Council President greets new residents to make them feel more welcomed.
• Resident Assessment: We complete our background history and assessment of needs within the 1st week for all new residents.
• 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 Update Letter: We send family members a letter after 6 weeks with an update on their loved one and their Care Plan.
• Family Advisory Board: We encourage family members to participate in our Family Advisory Board.
• 24/7 Visitor Hours: Visiting hours are unrestricted so family members are always welcomed.
• Palliative Care Program: We have a well-established Palliative Care program, which includes support for family members during this very difficult time.
• Family Participation: Family members are encouraged and welcomed to participate in activities with their loved one.
• Open Door 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:

• Resident Outings: We organize 2 to 3 outings a month for residents. These trips include everything from shopping, lunches, swimming at the community pool and a picnic in the park to picking berries, time at the golf course and a trip to Waterton National Park.
• Christmas Lights Tour: We also arranged an annual Christmas Lights tour during the holiday season.
• First Nations Performances: Our home serves a large First Nations community so local First Nations bands visit our home to perform a number of cultural, drum and dance and religious ceremonies.
• Alzheimer’s Society: We work with local Alzheimer’s Society on raising awareness of dementia as well as fund raising initiatives.
• Student Placement Opportunities: We provide placement opportunities for students in the RN, LPN, HCA and Recreational Therapy programs at Lethbridge College and Lethbridge University.
• Community Service Opportunities: We provide opportunities for local high school students to earn their 40 hour community service credit.
• Hospital Partnership: We work closely with our local hospital to reduce the number of emergency room visits by residents. By treating them in our home instead we can reduce the risk to them and lessen the workload at the Emergency Room.