Food is so much more than fuel for our bodies. The smell of fresh coffee brewing, a roast in the oven, fresh bread baking, and garlic and spices in a good homemade soup, evoke memories of good times and family, guests and friends at your table.
Meal assistance is one of the most intimate activities in which caregivers engage in long term care. For this reason, training and education are vitally important, so that assistants can provide a dignified and pleasurable experience. Residents who cannot eat independently are never rushed
at mealtime.
Ambiance is important to any dining experience and we work hard to create an atmosphere that stimulates appetite. At Sherbrooke, all food is served family-style, and wherever possible, Residents help make meals.
Residents eat in small dining rooms in their houses or in their neighbourhoods with about 10 people, providing opportunities for conversation and a more normal experience. Colourful tablecloths and cloth napkins, and seasonal and daily centerpieces are all part of the experience.
We also offer space for private family or group gatherings where families can join their loved one for celebrations, and our Sherbrooke Vintners’ Club gives Residents a chance to learn how to make beer and wine, and enjoy the fruits of their labour!
Over 200 Residents and volunteer gardeners work in spring, summer, and fall to grow vegetables and flowers in the garden boxes scattered like seeds around the Sherbrooke property.
Like the vast majority of people in long term care, Sherbrooke Residents live with a variety of physical and cognitive disabilities, but these limitations are not a barrier to gardening. Pills and treatment for these Residents are sealed in a package of nasturtiums.
Residents grow a large selection of small fruits and vegetables in their garden boxes, and in the outdoor garden Residents grow potatoes, carrots, beets, onions, and pumpkins. Their harvest is shared at mealtimes, or as snacks. This important work instills pride and offers opportunities for
Residents to give back to their neighbourhood.
Many of our Community Day Program Participants and even some of the children are involved in watering and tending the plants both inside and outside the building. We have designed many paths through the gardens to encourage easy access for Residents, and scamper routes so the kids
can get from one area to another and enjoy the birds, flowers, butterflies, and bugs.
At Sherbrooke, our pets, whether they live or work at the centre, are ambassadors of love and acceptance. Each neighbourhood decides if they will have a pet, and what kind, and they develop a care plan for their pet. To date, we have pets in all areas of the Marleau/Wyant Residence and in the Veterans and Kinsmen villages. There are 16 birds, eight cats, three dogs, and 10 aquariums, in addition to the working dogs that visit on a regular basis.
Training and selecting pets for a home like Sherbrooke is challenging, so in the case of cats and dogs, we choose pets that are at least a year old, and they visit before they move into the neighbourhood so staff can determine suitability and temperament. As much as possible, we try to adopt pets from the local SPCA, and a visit to the vet ensures that their immunizations are up to date.
Shannon’s Birds Aviary is dedicated to the memory of 14-year-old Shannon Fitz-Gerald, who died on Oct. 27, 2000. Shannon trained birds so that they could live successfully in the Sherbrooke community, and after her death, her family made a decision to move her birds from their home to Sherbrooke so more people could enjoy them.
Through their generous support, and with the support of the many donors who contributed to the project, we have been able to open the first aviary of its kind in long term care in Saskatchewan. The aviary is an incredible opportunity for our Residents and families to be able to see the bird
world up close.
Shannon’s Birds Aviary is located in the village at the corner of Telemiracle Way and Poppy Lane. The aviary features many varieties of birds in an amazing array of colours; we encourage you to read the information cards available to help you identify the birds.
