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 Hillcrest Place.

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:

• Upon arrival, new residents receive a Welcome Basket, a bouquet of flowers and a card from the staff. They also meet their Primary caregiver.
• The President of our Residents Council meets and greets each new resident.
• We tell family members about our Family Advisory Group and invite them to join.
• Family members, along with their loved one, participate actively in all aspects of the development of the resident’s Care Plan.
• Every September, we host a family barbeque where family members and residents can meet staff, managers and each other in a relaxed and informal setting.
• We host two family meetings per year – one in May and one in September – where family members are able to gather information on a range of topics, ask questions, voice concerns and discuss important issues.
• On their first day, we provide lunch for the new resident and family members.
• Every Christmas, we host an informal holiday celebration for family members.
• Residents are encouraged to bring some personal items and furnishings from home to make their rooms feel more familiar and confortable.
• Staff members focus on including new residents in programs as soon as possible and introducing them to other residents.
• Family members are encouraged and welcomed to participate in activities with their loved one.

We’re always here to listen should a family member have a question or just simply wants to talk.

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:

• Weather permitting, we have regular monthly outings. These trips can include everything from shopping excursions and going to the Winter Fair to lunches, a trip to the local nursery to buy plants and an afternoon at the Tea Room.
• We provide placement opportunities for students in the RN, RPN and Health Care Aide programs at Brandon University and Assiniboine Community College.
• We provide local high school students with opportunities to earn the 40 hour community service credit.
• We partner with the Alzheimer’s Society in the community to raise awareness on a variety of issues and actively support their fund raising efforts.
• Each year, we enter the Brandon Chili Cook Off and encourage our residents to come out and support us. The panel of judges consists of local politicians and city officials and every year our chili is a crowd favourite.
• Members of our management staff sit on committees of the Regional health Authority volunteering their time and expertise on issues affecting long-term care.
• We also sit on the Practical Nurse Licensing Advisory Committee.
• We are privileged to have a strong volunteer base of between 80 and 100 people from the community. Each May we host our volunteer Appreciation Day where we recognize their contributions to our home and present each volunteer with a small gift.
• Our Annual Christmas Bazaar and Tea is a popular and long-standing tradition in our community. It features baked goods, crafts, knitting and more all done by residents and/or donated by family members.