Long-term care homes grant wishes of residents
Wednesday October 24, 2007 -- Michelle Strutzenberger
Several member homes of the Ontario Long-Term Care Association (OLTCA) have established programs to help residents realize their dreams.

Similar to the Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada, which offers children with high-risk, life-threatening illnesses a chance to do something they’ve always wanted to do, these programs grant the wishes of the elderly.

“Just seeing the expression on their faces when their wishes come true is worth it,” says Maureen Sonser, volunteer coordinator at Villa Care Centre, which has a Make A Wish Program. “Even with the small wishes, you can see how much it means to a resident.”

Recently Villa Care Centre in Midland granted the wish of resident George Mounsteven who is a retired OPP officer.

Mounsteven, now in his 80s, had heard that police cruisers are now black and white again.

“He was very excited about this because when he worked, he drove the black and white cruisers,” says Sonser. “He told staff-members he wished he could see them.”

Three nursing staff, Linda Redforth, Nancy Proulx, and Carol Ealey, submitted a wish in the home’s wishing well for George and arrangements were made to have the local community service officer, Constable Peter
Leon, visit the home.

He spent a few minutes showing Mounsteven around the black and white cruiser and reminiscing with him. At the end of the visit he gave the resident his hat as a souvenir.

Sonser says the constable mentioned the visit was an honour for him and that it is people like Mounsteven who inspired him to become an OPP officer.

“George was very touched by the whole event,” she says, noting he had tears in his eyes.

Villa Care Centre has a wish committee that includes Sonser and several activation staff-members. About once a month the committee reviews wishes that have been submitted by the residents, or staff or family on their behalf. They generally grant three larger wishes a year, which is about what they receive, according to Sonser.

Smaller wishes, such as visiting a local museum, are often incorporated into the programming for the activity department.

The activity department budgets in funding for the Make A Wish Program.

Pleasant Meadow Manor of Omni Healthcare is another home with a wish program, started in 2002.

The home has granted a wide range of wishes in the past five years, most recently arranging for a resident to ride in a red convertible.

They’ve also submitted a request to the Oprah Winfrey show for a resident who wanted to meet Oprah. When an Omni-wide letter-writing campaign brought no response from the icon, the activity staff decided to bring their own versions of Oprah to the resident through a look-alike contest. As an added bonus, the resident was crowned princess for the day.

Other wishes such as taking in dinner and a movie and visiting the local pioneer museum have also been granted.

Pleasant Meadow employees fundraise for the wish program with raffles, an annual walk-a-thon, and other activities.