Just because an elderly person is placed in a "home" does not mean they have to sit around the house. Two local senior citizens are staying active in their care centres, despite their age and mobility.
Babe Bannatyne is a 97-year-old resident of Hill Top Manor, a private senior facility in Weyburn, who has decided not to let her age limit her enjoyment of exploring new things. She began painting simple drawings this winter and is now creating panoramic landscapes for her family, friends and the care home.
"I enjoy it very much," said Bannatyne. "You never know how long your hands are going to work but its fun in the meantime."
Bannatyne said that she tried her hand at oil painting when her three children were young, about 50 years ago, but has not taken it up again until she came to Hill Top.
"Canvas and oil paints used to be so expensive, but now you can get a canvas for a dollar," she explained.
Now working in acrylic paints, Bannatyne has really come along, completing nearly two dozen paintings since February.
Hill Top's resident "craft lady" Shannon Fink-Helfrick thinks that Bannatyne has truly found her calling and even submitted works by her and another resident, Mabel Evert, into the Weyburn Fair exhibit competition.
Fink-Helfrick has been doing crafts with the residents of Hill Top Manor for five years and feels that the activities are good exercise for the residents? hands and minds, as long as she can convince them to participate.
"I've had a few triumphs," said Fink-Helfrick. "I got a man to sand bird houses the other day after two years of not participating."
"Another lady mulled around for nearly four months before finally participating."
She said that the exercises have been a good confidence builder for the residents, too.
"They always say to me, 'I can't do this' but then...they try it."
Fink-Helfrick puts on her craft classes twice a week at the manor.
Weyburn Special Care Home resident Ruby Hutton doesn't think of herself as old.
"I sit here, 90 years old, and I can't believe it," said Hutton. "I don't think about it."
An aneurism and stroke put Hutton in the home five years ago; it also put her in a wheelchair.
"I can't go anywhere without a wheelchair," said Hutton. "But I love to work with plants and flowers.
Hutton has done just that at the Special Care Home. She started a container geranium garden for the enjoyment of the residents.
"Unfortunately, the majority of people think that a person who has had a stroke or an aneurism can't do anything," said Hutton "But I had a lot of enjoyment digging in that dirt."
One of Hutton's favourite sayings is, "Go look upon a flower; what that does will-lessly, that do thou willingly." This is what she tries to do at the home by spending time with other residents who need a little extra care.
Currently "under her wing" is another aneurism victim that has been at the home for nearly a year and has been demobilized like Hutton. The big difference is their age - the friend is only 50 years old.
Hutton said that she wants to encourage her fellow residents to keep active and not give up on life, despite their limitations. She also wants to make the public aware of the plights of senior citizens in nursing homes.
"We are sort of shut off from the world," said Hutton. "Everyone should consider the fact that someday they will be in a nursing home."
These two seniors are proving that life does not have to end at a nursing home; in fact, a whole new life may begin.
