Every year the BC Senior Living Association asks for nominee’s for the L.E.A.P (Let’s embrace aging passionately) award. These nominees must be a resident of the BCSLA community and process a number of attributes. For 2019 we nominated assisted resident living in Elim Village Fleetwood, Margaret. While she didn’t win the official award she was number one in our eyes and, therefore, deserved a celebration!

Prior to coming to Elim Village, Margaret eagerly served within her community. She explained “I always like to have something to do”. She used to volunteer with a group of women at charities and would share her cooking and baking with the less fortunate whenever she had an opportunity.

Margaret began her journey at Elim Village four years when she found herself next on the waitlist for a suite in “The Emerald at Elim Village”. She now had a decision to make, however, Margaret read something earlier that day that put her mind at ease. “Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they camped there near the water” (exodus 15:27). Upon entering Elim for the first time, she read the same verse on of the walls in the facility. She accepted this as a sign that she was meant to take this next step in her life.

Margaret will be turning 94 this year and is still full of life. She grew up in a large family with eight other siblings and being the daughter of hard working parents, Margaret acquired many skills. Two of these skills include sewing and knitting which are also her two favourite pass times. She now uses her sewing skills to help fellow residents mend clothing.

You can find Margaret walking around the community listening to her radio or sitting on a bench with her knitting while enjoying the sunshine. She also attends every fitness activity in the Emerald and encourage other residents to be active with her.

Her positive, energetic and approachable attitude along with a willingness to help others around her truly displays Margaret’s giving heart. She actively cares for her fellow residents by reading to them, mending clothes, visiting those who feel lonely and encouraging them to live their lives to the fullest. Margaret wants to convey a message of love and fait and continuously demonstrates what it means to love your neighbour and as a result inspires everyone around her.

For more wonderful pictures of this event head over to our Facebook Page.

The first snowfall of the year has arrived and according to the forecast it’s not finished yet! We encourage everyone to drive safe and bundle up. If you can, stay home and enjoy the winter land from inside.

We thank our facilities team for working extra hard to ensure the roads and pathways within the village stay as clear as possible.

One of our residents braved the snow to build the snowman above for everyone to enjoy! If you want to see more snowy pictures of our campuses head over to our Facebook Page.

Elim Village is proud to be chosen as one of the recipients for “Rick’s Heart Foundation Heart for Music funding”. Elim Village will launch the “Heart for Music” program in the Full Care buildings in Fleetwood. The wellness team will be trialing the program on the 3rd floor of the Harrison West building and if all goes well, by May 2020, this program is expected to expand to all Full Care neighborhoods.

This program will give residents the ability to listen to their favourite music, as well as give the program volunteers, wellness staff and music therapists the ability to use music with residents therapeutically and individually. Music devices will be distributed to program participants at scheduled “Heart of Music” program times.