Homey atmosphere makes Village Green a great place to live, say family members
Family-like environment sets home apart from others
Tuesday September 2, 2008 -- Deron Hamel
SELBY, Ont. - Two family members of residents living at Village Green commend the Selby long-term care home for providing a homey atmosphere which adds to the excellent care staff members provide to their loved ones.

Walter Sawron and Alf Worrow cite the family-like atmosphere the home provides residents and the time families are allotted to spend with residents during meals as key factors that make Village Green a choice home for their family members to live.

Sawron, who is a regular volunteer at Village Green and at a county-run long-term care home, says Village Green’s relatively small size and the fact that he’s allowed to help feed his family member and other residents at mealtimes are components that give the home a pleasant atmosphere.

“I help out with lunch when I come in. I can feed some of the residents and I’m qualified to do that,” Sawron says. “The county home has restrictions (on feeding residents). . . . Village Green is a home, whereas the county home is more of an institution.”

Worrow, whose wife Gladys has lived at Village Green for about two years, echoes Sawron’s sentiments.

Like Sawron, Worrow also volunteers at Village Green. Allowing family members to feed their loved ones during mealtimes increases the time spent with loved ones during visits, he notes.

With 66 residents, Village Green is much smaller than the other home where Sawron volunteers which has more than 100 residents. Having a smaller home adds to the home’s cosy atmosphere, he points out.

“I’m very satisfied,” he says of the care his family member gets at Village Green. “The ambiance here is very friendly. One of the mandates is the fact that the PSWs (personal support workers) get involved with the residents. They converse with them and it’s a home here and I think the residents realize this.”

Are you a family member of a resident at an OMNI Health Care-owned long-term care home who has a story you would like to tell? If so, please contact the newsroom at 800-294-0051 ext. 23, or e-mail deron(at)axiomnews.ca.

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