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 St. Paul.

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:

• Welcome Home: On their first day, new residents and family members are greeted by a single staff member who introduces them to their primary caregiver and staff members. This staff member also guides them through the admission process, answers their questions and helps them through the very busy day.
• Family Advisory Group: We tell family members about our Family Advisory Group and invite them to join.
• Resident Council: New residents are greeted by the President of our Residents Council. We tell our new residents about Residents Council and encourage them to join and participate in the monthly meetings.
• Personalize Your Room: Residents are encouraged to bring some personal items and furnishings from home to make their rooms feel more familiar and comfortable.
• Quarterly Memorial Service: We invite family members to join us at our quarterly Memorial Service when we celebrate residents and loved ones who have passed away.
• Palliative Care Program: We have an excellent Palliative Care Program that provides caring, dedicated support to residents nearing the end of life as well as grieving family members.
• Family Pet Friendly: Family pets are welcomed in our home.
• Private Dining Area: We have a private dining area that residents and family members can reserve for special occasions and celebrations.
• Christmas Party and Meal: We host an annual formal Christmas Party and Meal for residents and family members. Everyone gets dressed up and we serve a delicious meal at noon followed by live entertainment, a raffle, draws for door prizes and dancing. Family members often travel significant distances to attend because they don’t want to miss it.
• Culturally Diverse: Our staff is culturally diverse and reflects the multicultural diversity of our resident population so residents can always feel comfortable that they can speak to a staff member in their native language. We also try to match residents with similar backgrounds together as roommates and tablemates so they have things in common.
• Diet Requests: We are very responsive to menu requests made by residents through Residents Council for more ethnically diverse choices.
• Family Participation: Family members are encouraged and welcomed to participate in activities with their loved one.
• 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 Support: If a family member or resident wants to talk, we’re always 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 two weekly outings for residents. These excursions include everything from shopping at Wal-Mart and a weekly drive through the countryside to picnics at Cold Lake, trips to the farm petting zoo and lunch at a local restaurant.
• Student Placement Opportunities: We provide placement opportunities for students in the LPN and HCA, programs at Portage College. We also work with the local high school to provide work experience opportunities for high school students interested in a career in the health care industry.
• Dementia Support Group: One staff member started a Dementia Support Group for caregivers in the community.
• Wheels-to-Meals Program: We operate a Wheels-to-Meals program in which we drive our residents to the local Seniors’ Centre so they can get together with friends in the community for a meal.
• Palliative Care Committee: Staff members are actively involved with the Palliative Care Committee to provide training and education to community members.
• Community Donations: Our home often donates nutritional supplements to palliative individuals in the community who can’t afford to buy it.
• Elder Safety and Rights Committee: Our Administrator is on the Elder Safety and Rights Committee to help raise awareness of elder abuse in the community.
• Christmas Craft Sale: We hold an annual Christmas Craft Sale with outside vendors and residents selling crafts and baked goods and it is very popular in the community.
• Volunteer Appreciation Dinner: Every year, we hold a Volunteer Appreciation Dinner off site in the community that is attended by as many as 110 community members.
• Community Initiative Support: We are active supporters of local charity fundraisers such as the Terry Fox Run, Alzheimer’s Society and others.