Having a large home in a small village creates familiarity for residents
CCC says sense of community is Woodland’s greatest strength
Friday September 5, 2008 -- Deron Hamel
The culture of familiarity and community has made the transition into long-term care easier for residents at Woodland Villa, says the home’s clinical care co-ordinator Debbie Harding.

Although Woodland Villa is a large, 111-bed long-term care home, its location in the small village of Long Sault provides the home with residents and staff members who mostly know each other.

This sense of community is Woodland Villa’s greatest strength, says Harding.

Having an environment where many people — both staff members and residents — already know each other makes the transition into long-term care easier for people, notes Harding.

“I think it all comes down to the fact that we’re in a very rural setting, and most of the residents who come live with us tend to have a farming background and an agricultural background — that kind of small village feeling,” says Harding.

This culture of community resounds throughout all aspects of the home, she says, adding that the three major things the home has to offer is a welcoming atmosphere, caring staff members and the effort Woodland makes to keep husbands and wives together.

Despite the home’s large size, Harding says there aren’t any challenges that come with maintaining a community atmosphere for residents in the home.

“Our residents and our staff tend to be very laid back and (have a) more comfortable level of intimacy,” she says. “If we were a 111-bed home (in a large city) we would have problems. Here, there are so many connections between the staff and the residents.”

Harding says that because of the home’s rural location, the residents and staff members tend to naturally create this environment.

There’s a famous adage stating that there are six degrees of separation between all people. As a testament to strong sense of community existing at Woodland Villa, Harding says that number is even tighter.

“Here, you’re probably only looking at two degrees of separation,” she says.

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