FOOTNOTES - Better Living Health

Cover Story: Better Living gets a MakeoverJoin us for the Better Living Community Centre Experience!We are ecstatic to unveil our new look at the BetterLiving Community Centre!We all have been patiently waiting for the opportunityto uncover our completed renovations, improvedprograms and exciting events to the community andour members.To name a few of the changes, we have created abright new entrance and lobby area, a new invitingand illuminated stairwell, new washrooms includinghands free automatic systems, along with a freshcoat of paint and new floors! Our most anticipatedstructural addition is our new Better Bistro. Locatedon the lower level, our Bistro will be open five days aweek, offering a wide variety of snacks, sandwichesand refreshments.Along with the new look, we have a variety of newactivities, programs and special events scheduledthroughout the fall. The Program Guide provides allthe essential information to get involved at the Centrein a variety of the upcoming fall programs that focuson the wellness of the body and mind. Some of the fallprograms include: Introduction to Pilates, painting anddrawing at both a beginner and intermediate level,beginner bridge classes, meditation and the latestdance exercise - Zumba!Save the dates for the most anticipatedOpen House in years! Visit us on September15, 16 and 17 to receive discounts and toqualify for amazing incentives while enjoyingall the festivities, events and special guestswe have in store!Stay tuned for more new programs in the fall andwinter as we continue to fill out our day and eveningroster. We hope that you will join us, re-acquaintyourself or continue to take part with the programs,activities and events at the Centre!“We havea variety ofnew activities,programs andspecial eventsscheduledthroughoutthe fall.”Join a Better Living Activity. Pick up your Program Guide Today!Health and Wellness Arts and Crafts Learning and EducationFor More Information Call: 416.447.7244 ext. 6183

Bill Krever and Lisa Mistelbacher of Better Living present the BuildingBridges report at the National Council on Aging in Chicago in March 2010.Boomers will Reshape the Future of Senior CentresA recent report released on senior centres in Ontariosuggests that “Boomers” will drastically reshapecentres like E. P. Taylor Place. According to BillKrever, President and CEO of Better Living Healthand Community Services, it is not surprising that the“Boomers” will change the face of senior Centres. “Ifyou look at every stage of their life, the “Boomers”have changed our society. As children, they changedour education system, as teenagers they inventedrock music and political protests, as parents theyinvented the mini van and as mature adults theygave us SUV’s and a new perspective on health andwellness. So, it is not surprising as seniors that theywould reinvent senior centres.”Better Living Health and Community Servicesrecently completed a three year research projectfor the Older Adult Centres’ Association of Ontarioentitled “Building Bridges to Tomorrow”. The finalreport, “A Profile of Older Adult Centres in Ontario”,includes an in-depth statistical analysis of more than2,700 surveys done with members of centres acrossOntario. Bill Krever and Lisa Mistelbacher, ResearchCoordinator, recently presented the findings fromthis study at the annual conference of the NationalCouncil on Aging in Chicago. Mistelbacher notedthat “senior centres throughout North America arestruggling to change their image to attract the“Boomer” population”.Krever suggested that changes to centres like E. P.Taylor Place will include both presenting a muchyounger and active image along with focusing moreon fitness programs, educational seminars and healthpromotion. “The “Boomers” will demand a differentrange of activities along with different expectationsfor program quality and content. The “Boomers”will also be very different in terms of their volunteerinterests and activities according to Krever.Better Living Health and Community Services hasbeen planning for the influx of the “Boomers” forthe last 10 years. The introduction of the OverlandClub was a leading approach to recognizing that“Boomers” would not identify with traditionalsenior programs. Both the Overland Club and E. P.Taylor Place have also introduced a number of newfitness and health programs designed for youngerparticipants.In 2012, the first “Boomers” in Canada will reachage 65. With this milestone will come a numberof changes to the traditional way we view seniorsand the landscape as we know it within services forseniors will begin to be reshaped. Get ready for it –the “Boomers” will be a major influence for the next40 years.5

Better Living Green Team:Summer Green Tips for Keeping CoolSummer... when the air is fullof the sound of whining air conditioners, all seriously suckingkilowatts. Yet much of that air conditioning load could bereduced or the air conditioning season shortened if we didsimple things, many of them common before air conditioningbecame widespread in North America. Here are some low-techtips for keeping cool.The best ideas are those that keep the heat out of your home inthe first place, rather than paying to pump it out after it gets in.1. Use AwningsAwnings can reduce solar heat gain by as much as 65 per cent on windows with southern exposures and77 per cent on those with western exposures. Your furniture will last longer too.2. Plant a TreePlant a maple tree on the south side of your house. In the winter you get a lot of sun in your window andin summer you’re always in shade. It lets the sun through in winter and grows leaves in the summer toblock it.3. Plant VinesIt is surprising how effective vines are at keeping a house cool. Climbers can dramatically reduce themaximum temperatures of a building by shading walls from the sun.4. Get a Ceiling FanThey come in all kinds of designs and work on the same principle, that moving air evaporates moisturefrom your skin and keeps you cooler. They operate at a fraction of the output of central and window airconditioningunits (and they can work great in tandem with your A/C if global warming has you sweatingit out). As Energy Star reminds us, ceiling fans help keep you cool, rather than cooling the entire room.6

Better Living: Travelling Snapshots!Over the last few months Footnotes travelled to France, Italy, Vietnam and Hong Kong!Be sure to send in a photo of you during your next trip holding Footnotes or a Program Guide. You can drop the photo off at theE.P. Taylor Place front desk or e-mail the photo to editor@betterlivinghealth.org.Colin West, Vice-Chair of the Better Living Boardof Directors holds Footnotes at the Innovationsin Health Care Expo 2009.Jen Gilson, Manager of Marketing andDevelopment takes Footnotes to MoulinRouge in Paris in October 2009.Virginia Hurst, member ofBetter Living Community Centretakes Footnotes to Pisa, Italy inOctober 2009.Janice Ho, Volunteer Coordinator takes Footnotes to Hong Kong in August 2009.Emily Waddington, Supervisor of Four Seasons Connections,takes Footnotes to Mui Ne in Vietnam in March 2010.Better Living staff take Footnotes to Mount St. LouieMoonstone in February 2010.7

Better Living @ Thompson HouseThompson House Olympics 2010It’s All About TechnologyWhat’s next an ipad? Last year the residentsdecided they wanted to be part of the WorldWide Web, so we set up a computer for residentuse. A few residents have come to rely on e-mailas an important way of communicating. Now theresidents even have Skype! Installing Skype waseasy - you can download it for free and if youcommunicate to others who have Skype, you canuse it for no charge. You use your internet justlike a telephone and make a call online. There arespecial telephones you can purchase as well.Oh, how the excitementgrew, as the worldanticipated the Vancouver2010 Winter Games,our Thompson HouseOlympians were preparingfor their own winter games.Qualifying for our OlympicHockey and Olympic Curlingwas hard fought, right to the end. We had severalcountries represented including Great Britain, China,Romania and Estonia. Of course the majority of theathletes were from Canada. Not surprisingly, hockeywas the most popular event as we had players on thebench itching to get in the game and we had severalgoalies. A special treat had both the men and womenplaying together (new event for 2014) and the womenheld their own! All in all the event brought everyonetogether, the way the Olympics do. The final score, bythe way: Canada 16, the World 12. Another gold forCanada!We have purchased a headset and even have awebcam for those who wish to chat with familieswho are overseas. This new technology willenable residents and their families an inexpensiveand more personal way to keep in touch.Just Clean Your HandsHow often do you wash your hands or use analcohol-based rub? An awareness program called“Just Clean Your Hands” reminds us of the “righttime” and the “right way” to wash our hands.We all know how important infection control isand how we are all responsible for limiting thespread of colds and flu, especially this time ofyear. The 15 second rule applies to both washingyour hands or using an alcohol-based rub, andremember an alcohol-based rub is better thansoap and water unless your hands are visiblysoiled. Thompson House residents, staff, familyand volunteers do an excellent job with infectioncontrol; let’s keep up the good work for goodhealth.8

Charitable Foundation: Transformational Year in 2010This year is most definitely a year oftransition and transformation for allof us. The Charitable Foundation isvery busy aligning our financial goalswith the needs of all three divisionsof Better Living: Thompson House,Community Services and MembershipServices.We welcomeMaria Tiburtinias the new Chairof the CharitableBoard. As Chair,Maria will workwith the Board toinspire continuedgrowth and success in all that we doto support Better Living Health andCommunity Services.We extend our sincere gratitude toRoland Browning-Watt for his pastdedication as Chair of the Board. Rolyremains committed to our cause asofficial Past Chair of the Board. OurBoard is further strengthened with theadditions of Scott Durling, and CarolynWatson.On behalf of our Board, we wish tosincerely thank our generous donorsfor their continued support of ourfundraising efforts. As we moveforward into 2010, we are committedto supporting the ever growing needsof our residents in Thompson House,the building needs of our 40 year oldfacility, the needs of seniors livingat home relying on our programsand services to sustain them, andthose who look to us for education,wellness and social opportunities.With all of these increasing financialneeds, we find it necessary to raiseour fundraising financial goals. We canonly do it with your continued loyalty.Charitable Foundation Supports Better Living:Putting your Donations to WorkWith your help, in the last two years, wewere able to donate $357,589 to support:Thompson House @ $212,021• Specialized mechanical hospital beds• Mechanical lifts assisting inresident transfers• Resident patio areaenhancements• New furniture forcommon areasCommunity Services @$33,412• Better Rides transportation program• New Toyota Prius Hybrid• New Toyota Sienna Van• Meals on Wheels• Specialized equipment for Day Programs• Subsidies for clients who need assistanceMembership Services @ $112,156• Specialized wellness programs• Equipment for membership programs• Support for centre renovations9

15th Annual Golf Tournament: Monday June 7, 2010Angus Glen Golf ClubThe plans for this year’s 15th annual tournament are wellunder way to making it the best in our history. This yearwe will be hitting the greens at the Angus Glen Golf andCountry Club for an award winning day of golf. Mark yourcalendar for a wonderful day of golf and an opportunity towin at our Hole in One Event.The proceeds from this fundraising event will be usedto support the programs and services provided throughThompson House long-term care facility. Last year’s eventraised over $58,000 in support of seniors.The Angus Glen Club’s management and staff and oureager team of volunteers are looking forward to makingsure you have a memorable day of golf. The day beginswith BBQ lunch on the Terrace, followed by a shotgunstart at 1:00 p.m., course competitions and an evening ofsumptuous buffet dining and exciting bidding at our liveand silent auctions.A special thank you is extended to our generous sponsors.We continue to be grateful to both our corporatehole sponsors and the many golfers who come outannually in support of this event. See you on the greens!Contact Patricia at 416-447-7244 ext 631 or pwilson@betterlivinghealth.org to reserve your spot.Thank you to all our 2009 sponsors for your continued support:Presenting Sponsors:Lunch Sponsor:PHARMACYLongest Drive Men’s and Ladies’ Sponsors:Corporate Sponsors:Raywin IndustriesHole Sponsors:Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLPFuturemed Health Care Products LPKeybase Investments Inc.Canada Brokerlink (Ontario) Inc.The Investors Group11

PRESENTING SPONSOR:FEATURING THE FASHIONS OF:SPONSORS:6 th Annual Fashion Show Luncheon a Success!The stage was set and our models strutted their stuffon the catwalk at our 6th Annual Fashion Show, whichtook place on Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at SpiráleBanquet and Conference Centre.This year we featured the fashions of Shopsat Don Mills. Women’s fashions were providedby Spanner Inspired Style, Olsen Europe andMelanie Lyne and the men’s fashions wereprovided by Eddie Bauer, the original outdooroutfitter. Our special celebrity guests from CTVNightly News Team added stardom to the day:Pauline Chan, Bill Hutchison, Dave Devall, Joe Tilleyand Tom Brown. Pauline was our charming Master ofCeremonies, while the men strutted their way down therunway with style and passion.The event raised almost $23,000 with a net revenueof $17,400, our best ever. Special thanks go to TDWaterhouse as our presenting sponsor and to all of oursponsors and guests who made the day the success itwas. On behalf of the Charitable Foundation, I wish toexpress our sincere appreciation for your continuedsupport.If you would like to participate or assistwith the planning of this event for2010, please contact Patricia Wilson at416-447-7244 ext. 631.