MomentsBROADMEAD CARE

LATEST NEWS FROM BROADMEAD CARE

www.broadmeadcare.com

FALL 2013, ISSUE 3

IN THIS ISSUE

Resident Profile: Veteran, Gordon Hall . . . . . . . . . . 2

Beth Bennett Concert . . 3

New Board of Directors for 2013/2014 . . . . . . . . . 3

The Scarf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Volunteer Feature – Chase Porter . . . . . . . . . . 5

A Bouquet of Kindness Every Year . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Golf Tournament 2013 Huge Success for Beds . . 6

Memorial Service for Tom Cove . . . . . . . . . 7

60th Anniversary of the Korean War . . . . 7

TELUS Day of Giving . . . . 7

RBC Day of Service . . . . . 7

Memorial Donations . . . 8

If you would like to help the veterans, seniors and adults with disabilities served by Broadmead Care, please call us at 250-658-3274. Thanks!

Thank a Veteran Campaign

You may have seen the posters up and about the Lodge at Broadmead. We have just launched our Thank a Veteran Campaign which asks you to think

about your freedom and then thank those who fought for it. Free thank you cards are available at the Lodge and at any Greater Victoria Thrifty Foods store. People are encouraged to write their note of thanks to our veterans at the Lodge and then send a donation in to support our residents by purchasing much needed care equipment and funding programs like Creative Arts. The campaign runs through until November 11th and with any donation over $1000, that donor becomes one of a Hundred Heroes and will be recognized with their photo or company logo on our recognition display in the Lodge reception area. Thanks to our Thank a Veteran campaign supporters: Thrifty Foods, CTV Vancouver Island, CFAX 1070 Radio, and the Times Colonist. Visit our website www.broadmeadcare.com for more details about the Thank a Veteran campaign.

Thanks to veteran and current Broadmead resident Gordon Hall and his family for agreeing to tell his story for the campaign! (read about Gordon’s story on page 2)

How could you live without freedom?

When you think of living freely in this beautiful

country of ours – remember those who bravely fought

for it. Then send them a note to say thank you.

T hank a VeteranSee inside for more details.

My address is:

O u r Vi s i O n

A caring society where people of all ages and abilities achieve their full potential.

O u r M i s s i O n

To help build a caring society by providing excellent health, social and housing services for veterans, seniors and other adults.

This year’s Thank a Veteran Campaign thank you card.

Resident Profile: Veteran, Gordon Hall

It was a pitch black night and rough seas in the middle of

the North Atlantic on board HMCS Assiniboine. The year was 1943 and WWII was in full swing. An enemy U-boat had just destroyed one of our allied ships and there were survivors struggling in the frigid waters waiting for

pick up. Young Chief Petty Officer, Gordon F. Hall, rushed to help bring those aboard who weren’t killed by enemy fire. He had seen much during his two years in the Royal Canadian Navy and this was nothing new for the young machinist from Ontario.

Gordon’s life in the RCN began at 17 years of age. He had been working for the Canadian National Railway in Ontario fixing engines on trains, taking up the work his father had been doing. When war was declared, Gordon heard the call that many young men his age had heard, “your country needs you!” He entered the Royal Canadian Navy as an engineer and ended up being stationed on a variety of ships such as HMCS Amherst, Ste. Therese, Jonquiere, as well as minesweeper Sault Ste. Marie. Today, he recalls that dark and stormy night when he helped rescue friends from the water with a quote: “Every day is Remembrance Day because you can always remember friends.”

Gordon’s military service in the RCN continued when Canada sent troops to help Korea. A lesser known fact of Canadian military history is that the first Canadian combat units in the Korean theatre after the outbreak of war there in 1950 were Royal Canadian Navy destroyers. Gordon was on board the only C class destroyer to enter the war, HMCS Crusader. The Crusader’s job was to strike at the arterial train line which brought enemy supplies down from the north. The Canadians’ task of “train-busting” involved spotting enemy supply trains and using their ships’ main armaments to destroy trains or bridge and tunnel structures. HMCS Crusader excelled at this task, destroying a number of trains during its Korean tours.

Gordon left the RCN and was discharged in 1953. He decided that he wanted to give back by teaching

others. Gordon received his Bachelor of Education from UBC as well as UVIC after he moved to Victoria in the early 1960’s. He and his wife had eight children of their own but Gordon often brought troubled children home from his work as a school councillor. His daughter Andrea always felt her dad was very positive and caring. “He was a good writer, philosopher and mediator. He enjoyed the Arts and the outdoors and as kids we always laughed. My Dad gave us a fairy tale upbringing! For the girls in the family, it was pretty hard to find a man with his loyalty, good humor, and zest for life!”

“Broadmead Lodge is my dad’s home now. He loves it here, he loves his garden and the staff are so supportive. Our family is impressed with his care,” Andrea said of her dad’s stay at Broadmead. Today, Gordon, lives with mild dementia but still enjoys creating masterpieces in the Creative Arts program and thoroughly enjoys the camaraderie at the Lodge.

Gordon, today, with daughter Andrea.

Young Gordon Hall, pictured bottom row, third from left.

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New Board of Directors for 2013/2014

At the Broadmead Care Annual General Meeting on June 26, 2013, the society welcomed two

new Board members and said good-bye to two long-serving directors. New members to the Board are:

Major-General Wendy Clay is a retired Surgeon General whose military career began in 1965 as a medical student under the Medical Officer Training Plan. She was promoted to major in 1970, to lieutenant-colonel in 1977, to brigadier-general in July 1989 and in September 1994 to her present rank as Major-General. In October 1994 she was appointed Surgeon General. She was the first woman to become a Canadian Forces flight surgeon and has worked as a physician all over the world including posts in the Middle East. Since her retirement she has served on the Board of Victoria Hospice Society, Board of Governors of the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires and on the St. John Ambulance Branch Executive Committee. She is currently the Secretary of the Vancouver Island Aircrew Association, a position she has held since 2003, and is an active member of Christ Church Cathedral.

Bob Pearce studied Architecture at the University of Alberta and has extensive experience in Project Development and Project Management. During his career he has been the Vice President/Director of Princeton Development Ltd and currently is a self-employed Developer and Project Manager for Pelorus Development Corp. He has dedicated his career to urban development and has overseen many important community developments including The Falls condominium project in downtown Victoria. He is a Board member of the Capital Region Urban Development Institute and the Greater Victoria Development Agency. In his spare time, he enjoys boating.

The Society thanked directors Marian Knock and Heather Fisher for their years of contributions and presented them with parting gifts. Returning to the Board are Sharlene Smith (Chair), Chris Carter (Treasurer), Paul Morgan (Vice Chair), Bob Cronin, Helen Evans, Daphne Goode, Cheryl Moir-van Iersel, Russell Moore, and Michael Morres.

Beth Bennett Concert

It was her dream to sing on the stage. It was an even bigger dream for her to help raise money for a good

cause. That dream came true this past summer for Beth Bennett when she broke out of her comfort zone to perform A Concert for Nigel House at St. Dunstan’s Church on June 2nd. Beth wanted to do something significant for her 70th birthday and decided that a public concert to raise funds would be the milestone event she was looking for. Her son Michael, due to head trauma from a car accident, is a resident at Nigel House, a home for adults with disabilities. Beth wanted to highlight the good work done there with a good work of her own. She sent friends and family a note and hung posters at Nigel House to promote the concert. Beth produced and performed a wonderful concert featuring classical, folk, sacred, and musical theatre pieces. She raised over $400 for the Nigel program which will be used to help purchase Christmas and birthday gifts for the residents who would otherwise receive very little.

“I really enjoyed the entire experience – all the lessons, learning, practice and the concert itself. I wanted to get right back and do it all over again. And was delighted with the money raised too.”

Beth’s fundraising effort covers a portion of what is needed to help the Nigel program residents this Christmas. If you would like to help give the Nigel residents a brighter Christmas, please call with your gift today at 250-658-3274.

Beth Bennett’s Concert raised over $400 for the Nigel program.

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The ScarfThe following is a true story written by Ann Perodeau about her father who was a resident at the Lodge at Broadmead. Sadly, Ann’s father passed away after the article was written.

Our father has Alzheimer’s Disease. It has been creeping up on him for the last ten years like a

slowly rising tide, and finally my mother realized that duty and 66 years together were not enough, she had to put him in residential care and in the process, save herself. That realization came almost too late; a few days after I found a bed for him, my mother spent 9 days in hospital with a sudden but stubborn bout of pneumonia and heart arrhythmia.

The first place that took in Dad was a hospital that accepted dementia patients. Despite that custom, it seemed that they never quite knew what to do with him. Every week there was a complaint about his behaviour and he lost weight so rapidly that the social worker there suspected they were forgetting to take him to the dining room to eat. Within two months, he too, had pneumonia and was obviously deeply disoriented and unhappy.

Fortunately, a bed became available at The Lodge at Broadmead, the veterans’ residence in Victoria. The contrast was immediately apparent. While both locations had small rooms and hospital beds and private gardens and activities for residents, the atmosphere at Broadmead was cheerful and homey, with families encouraged to decorate their father or mother’s room. The staff are obviously hired for their skill, compassion and patience and thoroughly trained in handling Alzheimer’s patients and from the beginning, I noticed that the culture was that of kindness, not bureaucracy or efficiency.

What I find particularly wonderful are the events that break the monotony of their lives. While there are a number of activities throughout the day, once a week, each unit in Broadmead gets a visit from Ania, the Art Therapist, who brings everyone who is able or willing, up to the large, bright art room and gets them going on their projects. Cheerful and having invested in hours of preparation in advance, she has projects for each resident, which they have a say in choosing. One of the nice touches of the program is that the crafts that they make are sold in the gift shop, which defrays the cost of supplies.

Dad had been a truly talented amateur artist, taking up pastels in his retirement with the same attention to order and detail that he had brought to his life-long career in the military. Once Alzheimer’s stole much of his capability, I tried to get him interested in taking up his pastels again; but now did not remember ever doing it and resisted any invitation to try… from me. Ania has him painting not only on his designated day, but when I told her that he used to love to paint, she made a point of going to get him every morning for the art class, even if it wasn’t his unit’s turn.

Slowly Dad has transformed. Now at 89, he is no longer restless and grumpy or visibly frightened. While he still doesn’t recognize his surroundings, when we visit him, he looks around and says, “this is a nice place – where are we?” and seems quietly content. And while his mind doesn’t remember anything that is new, I believe his body knows that he is well-treated there and that he has moments of happiness, such as when he is painting, or when the volunteers and physiotherapists come to “exercise” the residents by putting on music from WWII and getting them up singing and dancing, or clapping or wheeling them around in their chairs.

About the scarf. On one visit, Dad was in the art room, concentrating on a length of silk, stretched over a board, on which there were three evenly spaced knobs, with the silk tied tightly over the knobs.

“My mother bought the scarf from the gift shop and gave it to me for my

birthday. I wore it the last time I visited Dad. He admired it.”

The prize-winning tie-die scarf made by one of Broadmead Care’s residents.

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Volunteer Feature – Chase Porter

Broadmead Care is fortunate to have a roster of approximately 200 active volunteers. 25%

of those volunteers are under 25 years of age. One of these remarkable young volunteers has spent almost every Friday evening from 3:30-7:30pm volunteering as an Activity Assistant in the Veterans Health Centre since April 2010.

Chase Porter started volunteering in the VHC when he was a 16 year old Claremont Secondary Student. Now he is in 2nd year at UVic and considering a career in Biomedical Engineering. A couple of years ago, Chase began working in Food Services at The Lodge at Broadmead. In spite of his busy school and work schedule, Chase has continued to volunteer his Friday evenings with the VHC.

Chase says he researched other organizations and decided on the VHC for several reasons. “The work seemed to do the most good of any of the positions, and I felt like I was making the most direct contribution. It also gave me an opportunity to be around a group of people I had previously had very little experience with.”

Chase has a natural talent for connecting with the VHC clients, he asks them questions about themselves and makes time to meet their needs in

small ways with a handshake. The clients notice and miss him when he is not able to come in.

When Chase is asked what has been the greatest gain for him in his VHC experience, he says “perspective”. “Being around Veterans in the VHC has exposed me to ideas and thoughts that I never would have been around otherwise. I’ve also learned that past generations were really no different from mine, and it leads to interesting ideas about how my age group will mature.” For more information about becoming a Broadmead Care volunteer, visit our website at www.broadmeadcare.com

“Ahhh…” I said to myself, “Dad’s going to do tie-die, and how very much like him to do something with military precision.”

I thought no more of it until, on one of my daily long distance phone chats with my mother she said, “Your father painted a scarf and they entered it in the Saanich Fair… it won first prize”.

So I wept… wept for knowing that he would not remember painting it, even if he saw it – would not remember winning, no matter how many times we was told… wept with deep gratitude for this wonderful place and the people who understand about love and fun and capability and dignity, long past remembering

My mother bought the scarf from the gift shop and gave it to me for my birthday. I wore it the last time I visited Dad. He admired it.

Broadmead volunteer, Chase Porter.

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The Creative Arts Department is a daily activity for many of the residents at the Lodge. Most create one-of-a-kind keepsake items for their loved ones that are treasured long after the resident has passed. $20,000 is urgently needed to continue to make every moment matter for our residents. Please call 250-658-3274 today with your gift. Thank you for your kindness, generosity and compassion.

A Bouquet of Kindness Every Year

Sitting in a lovely garden on a sunny summer’s day enjoying a cool drink is a wonderful respite from

the day to day bustle of life. Thanks to the Victoria Foundation and a very kind (and anonymous) donor, the residents of Harriet House will now be able to enjoy that same feeling.

In the last issue of Moments, we talked about the need for a new garden for Harriet House. Tree roots had uprooted the concrete pathways, making the garden inaccessible to most residents who have mobility issues. The planter boxes were too low for residents to use and the layout made it impossible to have group BBQs or activities outside. The cost to take down trees, scrape the garden clean, put in new electrical & irrigation systems, build new planter boxes, pour a stamped concrete patio and create a lawn bowling green was $45,000.

So imagine our delight and surprise when we heard that our kind donor read the article, approached her financial advisor and said, “I would like to do this.” Using the pass-through fund capabilities of the Victoria Foundation whereby donors can give their money to the Victoria Foundation who then manage the interactions with the recipient charities, this wonderful donor fully funded a new garden at Harriet House.

The official opening & ribbon cutting happened at a celebratory BBQ on Sept. 6th at Harriet House. Residents, staff, members of the Board & volunteers thanked the donor for her generosity, compassion & thoughtfulness. As the donor noted: “This is a gift I was happy to give. Every year when the garden blooms, I will feel as if I have given another bouquet to the residents of Harriet House.”

They say that the scent of a rose always lingers on the hand that gives it away. Dear donor, you will linger in our hearts and we will celebrate each time your garden comes back to life. Thank you!

Golf Tournament 2013 Huge Success for Beds

It was a picture perfect day for this year’s Broadmead Care golf tournament; the sun was shining, the greens were smooth and there was a smile on every person’s face playing in the tournament May 3rd! Everyone was in good spirits and the golf gods were looking down in favour upon our group of generous players who came out to support the veterans and seniors at the Lodge at Broadmead and Veterans Health Centre. It’s safe to say a good time was had by all! $80,000 was raised to purchase much needed beds, mattresses and other equipment for Broadmead Care. Over 30 specialty beds and mattresses were purchased to provide comfort to our residents. Special thanks to our sponsors, prize donors, volunteer committee and “day of” volunteers for all the hard work. A special thanks to emcee Jack Knox who kept the dinner and awards ceremony guests rolling in the aisles! Finally, we extend our thanks to Rudi Hoenson. Rudi made a special donation to the golf tournament to help put us over the $80,000 mark and enabled us to buy more of the urgently needed beds and mattresses. Thank you, Rudi, your generosity is remarkable!

The date for our next golf tournament is Friday May 2, 2014 at Uplands Golf Course. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor, please let us know! Contact Kathy Baan, Director of Development, at 250-658-3274, for details on how to get involved in this year’s tournament!

The Aitchison team from CIBC Wood Gundy, one of our generous tournament sponsors.

The new garden at Harriet House.

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TELUS Day of Giving

Sixteen TELUS volunteers accompanied the Nigel House residents to enjoy a day at the Selkirk

Waterfront Festival on Saturday May 25th. The residents enjoyed shopping, ice cream, hot dogs and entertainment thanks to our TELUS friends. The outing would NOT have been possible without the TELUS volunteers – thank you, TELUS, for your amazing Day of Giving. You really do Give Where You Live.

RBC Day of Service

On Sunday, May 26th, nine staff from the Royal Bank of Canada - Broadmead branch

arrived at the Lodge at Broadmead, spades and trowels in hand. Led by their manager, Pat Hannah, the group descended on one of the perimeter gardens that was covered in crab grass. With strong backs, good humour and a lot of hard work, the group pulled weeds, chopped low-hanging branches that were obscuring residents’ views, and planted a wildflower garden. Thank you, RBC – this lovely area would not have been possible within the scope of Broadmead Care’s budget. As the flowers bloom, you will bring joy and beauty to residents and their families.

Memorial Service for Tom Cove July 12, 2013

A memorial service was held for Tom Cove, founding member of the Lodge at Broadmead here in the Oak Room. Tom was

known best for organizing the City of Victoria’s Poppy Fund for twenty-five years. He also joined a group of citizens who wanted to improve health care for aging veterans and other seniors in Victoria. This visionary group of volunteers brought together three levels of government, the private sector and raised millions of dollars to open The Lodge at Broadmead in 1995. Many of the volunteers and community groups Tom helped were in attendance at the service. Each group was asked to honour Tom by placing a symbolic poppy on his memorial wreath.

60th Anniversary of the Korean War

This summer marked the 60th anniversary of the ceasefire of the Korean War. Broadmead Lodge was

the site of a commemorative gathering of Korea War Veterans Unit #27 as well as other Korean War vets. Broadmead Care veterans joined in to remember the 26,000 other Canadians who served alongside them, including those who lost their lives during active duty. The Korean War veterans received a special letter from Her Honour Judith Guichon, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia which was read at the event by Master Seaman Jon Timmons representing CFB Esquimalt. Her Honour wrote, “These brave Canadians are an inspiration to all of us and it is important for future generations to understand the essential role these veterans played in our history so that their strength and sacrifice can truly be appreciated.”

A symbolic poppy was placed on a wreath in honour of Tom by Greater Victoria and Island Legions representatives.

RBC employees in the Broadmead Care Gardens.

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When you have finished reading this newsletter, please pass it on. If you would like to share your resident’s story or have other story ideas or would like us to send a copy to someone else, please contact Kathy Baan, Director of Development, at 250-658-3274 or by email to Kathy.baan@broadmeadcare.com. Thank you.

4579 Chatterton Way, Victoria BC V8X 4Y7250-658-3274, info@broadmeadcare.com

www.broadmeadcare.com

Memorial Donations

From April 2013 to October 2013, Broadmead Care received donations in memory of those listed

below. Our condolences are extended to the families. Thank you for remembering the residents we continue to help by asking that memorial donations be made to Broadmead Care:

I am a thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glint on snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn rain.

– Mary Elizabeth Frye

The Broadmead Care newsletter is printed on FSC approved paper using environmentally friendly toner.

Samuel Bell

Cecil Carrol

Tom Cove

Harry Disbrow

Verne Fillman

Joseph Thomas Fink

Donald Frey

Jim Fulton

Mary Griffiths

Albert “Reg” Harrison

Todd Hutton

Teena Mann

Ted Percival

Roderick Prewett

Isabel and David Robison

Douglas Ross

Reginald Roy

Andrew Smith

Raymond Smith

Thomas Sparling

Betty and Jim Steel

Earl Taylor

Walter Thomson

Andy Valis

Douglas Weir

The Creative Arts department at Broadmead Lodge gives our residents the opportunity to create art successfully despite any cognitive impairments they may have.

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