It’s certainly hard to believe that April flew by as fast as it did!  We had a fabulous month here at Wild Rose and we are certainly looking forward to the month ahead. Things have been very busy here at Wild Rose, with family visits increasing, people going out more, and lots of activities as always. It certainly makes things lively and animated throughout our community! 

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the many family and friends that come to visit for their continued support of our mask mandate and screening protocols. Your cooperation makes things safer for everyone! 

We hope you have had a lovely May so far and are enjoying the warmer weather!

Wild Rose Team

By Louis Bloom, Community Leasing Coordinator

Earlier this month, we celebrated Cinco de Mayo. It was also the day recognized by Holland as their Liberation Day after the Second World War; the date of the German Army’s defeat in 1945. The Netherlands was mostly liberated by Canadian forces. Canada's Lt.-Gen. Charles Foulkes accepted the surrender of German forces in the Netherlands on May 5th, 1945.

May 5th marked the 77th anniversary of the Liberation of Holland.

One of our Residents, Fenny Buitenbos (98), who recently moved into Wild Rose, was there on the day the Canadians moved in to liberate her town at Enschede in April. The Brits followed shortly afterward.

I recognized and acknowledged the day to Fenny in front of her new neighbours and she then voiced her gratitude to all the Canadians present at Wild Rose for that day of Liberty in her home country. It was a beautiful moment.

On Wednesday, May 18th, Fenny was swiftly taken from us and her beloved family and friends.

Although Fenny resided at Wild Rose for only a short time, she made a powerful impact on residents and the team alike, a luminous spirit that touched all those close to her.

Fenny Buitenbos will be dearly missed.

Our spring and summer menu is out and residents are liking the changes! Lighter, fresher foods are always nicer this time of year, incorporating fresh fruits and vegetables more often. For Cinco De Mayo (Mexican Independence Day) we had traditional Mexican foods that the residents enjoyed during the party festivities, and we had a fabulous Mother’s Day, celebrating all of the incredible moms and mother figures in our community!

We also had a very special celebration for a resident’s 100th birthday, creating a private dining experience for the resident and her family. Chef Scott prepared her favourite meal (Chinese) and served all the residents a made-from-scratch Chinese buffet.

May is a busy month here at Wild Rose! We kicked off the month with our Cinco De Mayo celebrations that included a photo booth, sombreros, pinatas, mariachi music, nachos, Mexican-themed food all day, and even some margaritas. We also had a lovely Mother’s Day celebration, honouring the women in our community. 

On May 12th, we celebrated the 100th birthday of one of our most treasured residents, and at her request, we kept things relatively low-key, with the event being just her Wild Rose family attending. 

This month, we plan to get our flowers planted outside and the courtyard all ready for outdoor entertaining. As usual, our month also includes our weekly bingo sessions, Artfull Enrichment projects, readers’ theatre, and social gatherings. There’s never a dull moment at Wild Rose!

We held the 4th COVID-19 Booster Clinic on April 20th and it was a resounding success. Thank you to the families that helped support this by getting in the consent in a timely manner. We continue to practice masking at all times by staff and visitors at the site, and screening protocols remain in place for those entering the site. 

Health care staff have been attending training this month and will continue to do so throughout the upcoming years as we remain committed to ensuring that our LPNs and HCAs are trained and equipped to provide the best care possible to your loved ones. 

Spring cleaning is here! We are busy sprucing up the exterior and interior of our building as we welcome the spring season! We love the smell of fresh air and wind blowing in through the open windows. 

We plan to have the grounds maintenance crew out soon to clean up all the gravel and debris from the winter maintenance and we hope to see the grass start to get green soon! April showers certainly bring May flowers!