It has been quite some time since we have shared news about Hill View Manor and our residents.
It has been a challenging year but we are seeing a glimmer of hope with the recent lifting of restrictions and decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases. Our residents have been so brave and I am very proud of the way they have managed this crisis. Months on end of not being able to see or hug their families has definitely taken its toll but they are moving forward with a positive attitude as this generation of the elderly always does.
We had one positive case of COVID and we are thankful to God that the resident recovered well and no one else became ill. We want to thank Public Health as well for their support and input through this time.
I glance out of the window and see the beautiful green lawns and the kaleidoscope of colours from the flowers blooming in the window boxes and am thankful for the beauty of nature, the hard work of staff to get things planted and God's beautiful gift of rain that we have been receiving.
Our gardens are up and as usual they are being tended to by our resident Gordon Loustel who does an amazing job.
Once again we thank the United Way Estevan Day of Caring for organizing a group to help in the yard. They painted our gazebo and pulled a million weeds off of our back hills. They did a terrific job.
Activities are slowly resuming and we recently had a husband and wife from Moose Jaw who both played guitar and she sang beautifully. The residents were feeling nostalgic as they listened to some of the old songs. One of my staff members is a professional choreographer and dancer and she danced through a lot of the songs and got some of the residents up dancing as well.
She did a beautiful job and the residents loved it. We are looking forward to more entertainment, family gatherings and being able to hug our grandchildren.
Will things ever return to the way they were? I doubt it, but we are hoping for some sense of normalcy.
Susan Moser and her friend came and played the accordion and Susan Shepherd and Ross Leblanc livened up the place with the keyboard, guitar and excellent singing for our monthly birthday party. Our residents who celebrated another birthday were Rose Zander, Peter Wiens and Ed Fischer. We congratulate them and wish them more years of good health and happiness.
Many of these entertainers volunteer their time and talents to bring joy to our residents and we want them to know we appreciate them greatly.
We are sorry to announce that our little Mary Bachynski passed away on June 16 with staff at her side to guide her through that journey. She would have been 100 years old in February and we had hoped she would have reached that milestone. Mary had lived here since 2011, became a very important part of our Hill View family and she was well loved. She enjoyed interacting with fellow residents and staff and would go to all activities. Mary loved to tell us about her trips to Norway and her great love of the country where she was born.
Mary had been a nurse for many years and even though she helped deliver hundreds of babies she would tell us that each new birth was an amazing miracle. She loved the old hymns and knew the words to them all, and even when failing health caused her body to betray her, you could hear her singing them. We offer our condolences to her family and thank them for their great support over the years and for trusting us with Mary's care.
Mary was precious to us and we will miss her dearly but we take comfort in knowing that she is now with the Lord and if we listen closely, we may hear her singing in His heavenly choir.
I am hoping that our farmers are feeling positive about the crops that they diligently planted and that we will receive the rain when we need it, the heat when we need it and the energy to harvest when we need it. Let’s keep looking up and trusting that our world will revert back to one of safety for our children and a hope of a future where one can visit with family and friends without fear, and have a peace that makes our hearts content.
Hill View Manor is opening up a few rooms for assisted living. We would be more than happy to take inquiries about what this consists of and what we offer. Please feel free to call for information. Every day is a chance at a new day, and we would love to share that day with you. Living in an environment like Hill View where you come first and you can socialize, make new friends and not have the many responsibilities of cooking and cleaning may be just what you have been thinking about, so give us a call.
