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 Lakefield.

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:

• Resident Information: Prior to admission, relevant information concerning each new resident is circulated to staff so they are prepared to welcome him or her immediately upon arrival.
• Meet Your Coordinator: We have a dedicated coordinator who handles all admissions and meets each new resident and family members to answer questions, conduct a tour and discuss any concerns.
• Meet Your Primary Care Team: New residents and their family members meet their Primary Care Team right away as a way to begin establishing a relationship of trust. Furthermore, family members, along with their loved one, participate actively in the Care Conference and are involved in in all aspects of the development of the resident’s Care Plan.
• Meet Your Social Worker: Our Social Worker meets the family and is available for counseling and acts as a liaison and resource for community programs.
• Welcome Arrival: Each new resident receives a welcome card and a rose when they arrive and they are also introduced to their table-mates and current residents as soon as possible.
• Admission Day Lunch: Family members are encouraged to stay and join their loved one for lunch on admission day.
• Family Involvement: Family members are encouraged and welcomed to participate in activities with their loved one.
• Family Welcome: Our Family Council actively engages families to welcome them and to encourage them to attend and participate in information and education sessions where they can meet other family members and feel welcomed.
• Open Door Policy: We adhere to an open door policy. Whenever a family member wants to talk, we’re here to listen, and our social worker is always available to talk privately about coping with the stress and emotions of caregiving.
• Butterfly Remembrance Notes: When a resident passes away, all the staff sign and post “butterfly” personal notes to family members that are posted on our bulletin board and then given to the family.

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 regular monthly outings for residents. They can include everything from attending regular diner’s club dinners hosted by our local churches and taking in a movie to trips to the boat locks and coffee at Tim’s. During the summer months outings include boat cruises, barbecues and outdoor picnics.
• Fall Colours Tour: In the fall, we organize a tour out into the countryside to enjoy the breathtaking colours of autumn.
• Christmas Lights Tour: Every Christmas, our residents are taken on a tour of the city to enjoy the bright festive lights.
• Student Placement Opportunities: We provide placement opportunities for students in the RN, RPN and PSW and Social Work programs, as well as business students at Trent University, Sir Sanford Fleming and Loyalist and Trillium Colleges. We also provide co-op placements for local high school students as well as opportunities to earn their 40-hour community service credit.
• Christmas Bazaar: Our Christmas Bazaar features vendors from the community as well as resident tables who sell knitting, crafts, baking, and more. Residents and community attendees look forward to this event every year.
• Antique Car Show: We usually host 2 antique car shows every summer where residents and community members mingle and admire all the classic vehicles.