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T HE VA N C O U V E R C O U R I E R F R I D AY, A U G U S T 1 3 , 2 0 1 0

ADVERTORIAL

Changes in your elders' social routine: could pride be stopping them from living life to the fullest?

It’s Time for a Refreshing Change! Can Retirement be care-free? Yes it can! Take another look at Amica at Arbutus Manor Imagine, no house maintenance to take care of, no cooking or housework, no worries about your possessions or your security, and all the time in the world to enjoy what truly pleases you! This is the retirement lifestyle of Amica at Arbutus Manor. Newly renovated and ready for immediate occupancy, we are pleased to offer bright, sunny suites at an inclusive low monthly fee. In addition to the use of all amenities and a calendar full of Wellness & Vitality™ activities, we offer delicious breakfast, à-la-carte lunch and dinner menus. What are you waiting for? Call today! ~ Open House ~ Friday, August 13th to Thursday August 19th, 2010 10:00 am to 4:00 pm daily

Amica at Arbutus Manor A Wellness & Vitality™ Residence 2125 Eddington Drive Vancouver, BC V6L 3A9

10-1063

604.736.8936

Luxury Independent Rental Retirement Living All Inclusive • Full Service Fine Dining Wellness & Vitality™ Programs Amica VITALIS™ Assisted Living Suites & Services

www.amica.ca

Weddings are a wonderful time for all generations in a family to spend time together and get caught up on each others lives. But sometimes what is discovered can be very distressing. Joan had been a widow for 15 years. She had a loving family of two sons and a daughter and eight grandchildren she adored. Joan’s children always knew their mother to be a very independent woman for her time. She had entered the professional world when it was largely dominated by men, had become a very successful accountant. She had had a loving and happy marriage for 48 years and appeared to her children to still enjoy getting together with her friends once a week for Bridge and coffee, go shopping and cooking her own meals. During the weekend celebrations the family thought it best Joan stay at her daughter’s house. That way she didn’t have to turn out in the evening to go home when she was tired. To the family’s surprise Joan resisted the invitation quite adamantly. She said she was very comfortable in her own place and would be fine. She felt the “young ones” should enjoy their time together and not worry about her. The more the family insisted, the more upset Joan became. Finally Joan’s family uncovered the real reason behind their Mother’s resistance. And as loving and caring children, they were both shocked by what they learned and ashamed they had not understood the situation earlier. Joan, like most seniors of her era, was too proud to let her family know that many of the activities of daily living we take for granted had now become very difficult for her. Joan had gone to great lengths to keep her lack of mobility and agility to herself and to her family’s defense, had done so remarkably well. They had no idea that taking a bath was taking Joan and hour or longer after which she would have to rest for another hour before regaining her energy enough to get dressed. Between family visits with extra groceries Joan had asked them to bring, unknown to her children friendly neighbours were dropping off essentials and meals if they didn’t see Joan out and about for a day or two. The friends that Joan told her family she visited regularly for Bridge no longer lived in her building and those games, when

they did take place, instead of being enjoyable were very stressful for Joan because getting there and back on the bus took so much out of her. The ultimate result was that Joan had become more and more reclusive. She was reluctant to leave the security of her own four walls, was not eating properly, was not exercising to help keep her aging joints supple and was getting little to no social or mental stimulation spending hours between family visits in front of the television. Joan’s family immediately jumped into action. Besides the increasing frailties that naturally accompany aging, Joan was otherwise healthy and did not require long term care. Too proud to ever become what Joan believed would be dependent on her children if she moved in with any one of them, was also not an option. If Joan remained living at home but with daily caregiver services, that would offer her the physical help she required, but her children worried that her social life, other than for their visits, would eventually become non-existent. Independent retirement community living with Assisted Living Suites and Services proved to be the perfect solution to all Joan’s and her family’s concerns. Today, Joan retains full independence in her one-bedroom private suite, and with the discreet services of trained professionals has the daily help she requires with her personal grooming. Joan’s health and well-being noticeably improved as she began enjoying the vast variety of nutritionally-balanced meals served three times a day in a beautifully appointed dining room and, very importantly, looks forward every day to sharing them with great company and stimulating conversation. Weekly housekeeping services that keep Joan’s suite sparkling, leave Joan plenty of time to enjoy Bridge again, held right in her own building, keep her body healthy and supple in the gentle keep fit classes and time to enjoy one or all of the many activities organized daily. Today Joan feels more vibrant, well and happy than she has for a long time. And her family is very thankful that the wedding their Mother didn’t want to be a part of also initiated finding a perfect match for Joan as well.