Fairmount home residents embark on "walk around the world"

Posted Jan 26, 2012 By Hollie Pratt-Campbell

---

EMC News - Residents of Fairmount Home travelled the world Jan. 19 - without even having to venture out the doors of the long-term care facility.

The Amazing Race-style game that took residents to Japan, England, Scotland and "the Great White North" was held in support of the Alzheimer's Society's annual Walk for Memories.

"Fairmount's been participating in the Walk for Memories for about 13 years," said Volunteer and Special Events Coordinator Lynda Laird. "This year we decided to put an Amazing Race spin on the activities and let our residents experience some different cultures."

Residents circled Fairmount's auditorium, examining art and artefacts from the four cultures and participating in related games and activities, such as learning calligraphy at the Japanese station and how to identify various kinds of animal furs at the Great White North table.

"Each station has some visual stuff and some tactile stuff, just trying to stimulate some different senses," said Laird.

She noted that she was extremely pleased with the residents' responses to the exercise.

"Many of our residents have been to these countries before, so there's that whole reminiscent component as well...They're identifying objects immediately that I wouldn't have a clue about and are able to talk about the history of the object and how they saw it first when they were a kid, (etc.)."

Some even had very personal ties to certain objects. Vi Barbier's son, Peter, brought in two rug-hooked images for the Scotland display - one of a bagpiper and one of a highland dancer - which were made by Barbier's late sister, Kay Hood.

Barbier explained that she and her sister were very close, having lived together for many years following the death of Hood's husband. Seeing the images brought back a flood of emotion and memories for the Fairmount resident.

"They were down in the basement in Peter's (bagpipe room)," she said. "I haven't seen them for years because I can't walk down the stairs. This is great. I was just so surprised when I saw them (on display). I recognized them immediately because I was there when she made them."

In addition to the Amazing Race activity, residents and guests enjoyed a social hour involving cake and musical entertainment. Pretty butterfly pins, handmade by the residents themselves, were also sold in support of the Alzheimer's Society. Laird expected to raise approximately $800 through pin sales alone.

"They worked so hard on them and they're beautiful," she remarked.

Laird said that the Alzheimer's Society is an extremely important cause to those at Fairmount:

"We see every day the impact of Alzheimer's disease on our residents and their families and know only too well how important it is to have (the Alzheimer Society's) services available to provide support, education and advocacy. It's certainly an honour for us each year to be able to do a little bit to help."

Laird added that the day would not have been possible without the dedication and efforts of Fairmount volunteers, who supplied all of the items for the various stations and helped set everything up:

"We had a concept, we had a dream, and they just jumped in and got it done. It's really cool, and we're very pleased. For a first time, I think it's been immensely successful."

hpratt-campbell@theemc.ca




blog comments powered by Disqus