By: Pat Goyeche

Abbotsford Seniors Centre continues to offer in-person and Zoom programming and clubs for seniors 55 plus this spring.  The weather is encouraging. Melting ice and snow with the spring thaw brings hope for renewal.  Spring also brings new change and we are all certainly ready for that, with the lifting of some of the measures that have kept us apart physically.

At the time this article was written, Abbotsford continues to monitor and screen all of our patrons. We are committed to keeping you confident that you will be able to enjoy programming and club activities in a safe, relaxed and fun environment.  Keep up with the latest on our public health measures by visiting our website: www.glebecentre.ca under ‘What’s Up at Abbotsford’.

The house is buzzing with busy bee volunteers who are sorting, pricing and storing flea market items, books, art, jewelry and women’s clothing for the Great Glebe Garage sale, to be held on Saturday, May 28^th this year.  We owe a great deal to our enthusiastic volunteers who help us raise much-needed dollars for our operations.  We are not fully funded and rely on the donations we are given by the greater community to help operate our not-for-profit centre.  Thank you all for your contributions, which we gladly receive Monday – Friday 8:30 am – 4:30 pm.

Abbotsford House is 150 years old this year!  We are celebrating by sharing our history as part of Doors Open Ottawa on Sunday June 5^th.  We will be bringing out archival photographs and sharing stories of days gone by when the house was a mansion that Alexander Mutchmor built in ‘cottage country’ in 1872!  If you have any history or photographs of the house to share, please get in touch with us, we would love to share those memories widely.

To help celebrate our 150^th anniversary we will be hosting a Gala on Friday, October 14^th in the Horticultural Building.   Save the date, as we promise to have an event to remember as we celebrate our history and our future as a community centre for seniors.

Fitness, dance, yoga, Spanish, French and art classes, as well lectures and clubs such as bridge, ping-pong and mah-jong are all in full swing this spring.  We have more in-person programming now and it is great to hear the laughter and the groans from the multipurpose room, as instructors encourage “one more set of 5 squats”!

We also have a full slate of virtual programming on offer using the Zoom platform.  Many of our members find it an easy way to keep fit and keep in touch without having to leave their homes.  We will continue to offer virtual programming into the future. We clearly heard that request from members in our most recent survey.

We are pleased to announce another initiative. For the first time, we are offering the option of on-line registration, starting in the summer of 2022.  We have been able to purchase a registration system due to the financial support of members and friends of Abbotsford House.  This will streamline registration, boost attendance and help us reach out to more seniors in greater Ottawa.  Staff are excited to use this tool that will help better serve our members and volunteers.

Zoom programming, MailChimp e-mail ‘missives’ and telephone calls have kept us in close contact with our members when it was not possible to open our doors or meet in person.  Keeping in contact has been so important for us all in these challenging times.  Many thanks to our members and volunteers who have supported one another over the past two years.

Hope springs eternal. We are pleased to offer more, see more of you and serve you better with our programming and our new registration system.  Abbotsford is 150 years young and growing.  Grow with us and join in our programming, fundraising and volunteering. We are always enthused to welcome new members and volunteers.

By Julie Ireton

 For Ian Calvert, whose wife Caroline has dementia, the Alzheimer’s-Dementia Day Away Program at Abbotsford House at the Glebe Centre, gives him the respite he needs every week.

“I can feel pretty alone as a caregiver, but I don’t feel alone, because people at Abbotsford are on my team,” said Calvert.

For the past three and a half years, his wife has been attending the day away program. Prior to COVID-19, she would attend one full day a week.

“For brain health we have to be physically and socially active. The variety of activities is great. The staff is terrific. They’re very caring, and they’re fun,” he said.

Due to pandemic restrictions, the program went online for months, but returned to half days in late 2021. There are plans to go back to full-days once it’s safe to do so.

While the activities and exercises keep Caroline engaged and active, he says it’s also a chance for him to take a walk or do errands on his own.

“It’s a break for me,” said Calvert who’s her primary caregiver.

The program is important for the clients with dementia, but it also means a lot to all the caregivers, notes Shirley Lee, Program Facilitator at Abbotsford.

They concentrate on three types of activities: physical, mental and social.

“We try to incorporate an exercise class. It could be a game where they have to lift, bend, sit and stand quite often. We do a lot of quizzes and reminiscing. And the  social component is connecting with others,” said Lee,

Before the pandemic, the program ran four days a week with 12 clients a day.

With the assistance of three or four volunteers, clients are able to gather in smaller groups based on interests and functionality. Games and activities are adapted and geared towards a person’s cognitive level.

“So they can succeed in whatever programming we’re trying to do,” said Lee.

The program adapted quickly as the pandemic took hold in 2020, introducing “senior centre without walls”, a teleconference program in which clients could dial in and participate in trivia or music challenges.

Since the program has a waitlist, the virtual program allowed potential clients who weren’t in the regular day program to start participating in the zoom activities.

“People were isolated. They didn’t have support services. So we opened up the zoom activities to anyone on the waitlist. It allowed us to get to know them,” said Lee.

“When we reopened and they arrived in person, we were familiar faces and voices.”

Given the isolation during the COVID lockdowns, especially in the winter, caregivers have been anxious for the schedule to go back to normal.

“My wife was always reserved, but now she’s more so. She has less confidence and doesn’t take initiative. But at Abbotsford, she really responds and she’s engaged. She’s clearly enjoying it,” said Calvert.

Clients for the Alzheimer’s-Dementia Day Away Program need a referral from Ontario Health and there continues to be a waiting list. The cost is $20 for a half day and $35 for a full day. Round trip transportation is also available for $12, for those in the Abbotsford catchment area.

Abbotsford is your community support centre for adults 55+. We are the community programs of The Glebe Centre Inc., a charitable, not-for-profit, organization which includes a 254-bed long-term care home. Find out more about our services by telephoning us: Mon.-Fri .9 a.m.– 4 p.m. at 613-230-5730 or by checking out all of The Glebe Centre facilities and Abbotsford Community Programs on our website www.glebecentre.ca .

By: Pat Goyeche

Abbotsford House (Seniors Active Living Community Centre, the old stone house across from Lansdowne Park) remains open during this current wave of COVID, but things are not as they were in December.

Many of our in-person activities have been postponed until we can open up safely again in person.  At this time, our Day Programing for those enrolled in either Luncheon Club or Day Away has shifted to virtual programming.

Some clubs are in house and the Tuesday foot care appointments continue as usual for those members who show proof of vaccination.

Looking for Donations

We are currently open to and accepting donations of books, elegant treasures, jewelry, women’s clothing, art, and flea market items from the community.  Please drop by with your donated goods. We appreciate your contributions.  As a not for profit that is not fully-funded, we need to fundraise in order to keep our seniors programing and services vital and engaging.  Your contributions are also good for the environment, as we recycle, re-use, and help keep Abbotsford’s Active Living Centre ‘open and inviting’ for seniors in Ottawa; all at the same time!

In-Person and Virtual Programs

We are looking forward to starting up our Aerobics and Line Dancing classes in the spacious Horticultural Building at Lansdowne Park as soon as it feasible to do so.   This setting is ideal, as it is a very large venue with high ceilings and lots of space to keep fit and/or dance away your winter blues.  Keep abreast of any changes to our plans or schedule by accessing our website www.glebecentre.ca under Abbotsford Programs and Services and ‘What’s Up at Abbotsford’ for the most up-to-date information or by calling us at 613-230-5730.

Much of our programing, which includes Art, Fitness, Dance, Memoir, Book Club, Device Training, Yoga and Language classes, is continuing to be offered on line via Zoom.  We have different levels of fitness classes for different levels of ability.  Everyone can find the right level with our highly qualified and friendly older adult instructors.  If you are wondering what level is best for you, please contact us and we will help you find the right fit to keep you fit!  It is never too late to join in.

One of initiatives in these COVID times is the loan of individual tablets to our members so that they can connect virtually.  At this time our Day Programing has moved to virtual programming either over Zoom or Mercuri teleconferencing.  Members are encouraged to contact us and we will help connect you.

All of our programs are open to our members.  Membership costs $50 per person annually, beginning in January and running for the calendar year.  You must be 55 + to

join in!    You can join a class without a membership but you would pay an additional $25 for each class.  Your $50 membership fee gives you access to services, information and camaraderie.  If there is one thing we have learned in this pandemic, it is the importance of community and connection.  Helping to create and maintain community for our membership has been a key to combatting social isolation for many of our members.

Snow Go

 ‘Snow Go’ refers seniors and adults with disabilities to snow removal contractors who have passed a screening test, are properly registered and insured.

The Snow Go Assist program is for people over 60 years old or those with disabilities who are defined as low income. The program will reimburse up to $250 of the cost of their snow removal for the season.

Low income is defined by the city as a single person who lives on $31,500 a year or $39,200 for a household of two or more.  Contact us if this would be helpful.

Abbotsford is your community support centre for Adults 55+.  We are the community programs of The Glebe Centre Inc., a charitable, not-for-profit, organization which includes a 254 bed long-term care home.  Find out more about our services by dropping by 950 Bank Street (the old stone house) Mon- Fri 8:30 am-4:30 pm, telephoning 613-230-5730 or by checking out all of The Glebe Centre facilities and community programs on our website www.glebecentre.ca

By: Julie Ireton

Some seniors who have made Abbotsford House at the Glebe Centre part of their lives, for years, didn’t realize what the senior’s centre across from Lansdowne Park really meant to them until the forced COVID lock-downs and isolation began.

Before the pandemic hit in March of 2020, Judith Hoye took three exercise classes a week at Abbotsford at the Glebe Centre across from Lansdowne Park. Then she’d stay after class for social time, coffee, treats and laughs. “All that ended as COVID took over,” said Hoye.  But just because she couldn’t go to Abbotsford, didn’t mean her interaction with other members needed to end.

Hoye was one of the volunteers who started to make regular phone calls to half a dozen other seniors, keeping them up to date on how the centre and its staff might help them out, such as lending out tablets. She encouraged those isolated from friends and family to get involved in some of the “zoom” programming including online art classes. The phone calls and interactions benefited her too.  “Some of those people have become friends and although I have never met them, we will meet when the world rights itself and we can meet face-to-face,” said Hoye.

With vaccine mandates now in place, she plans to safely get back to some of the centre’s activities being offered.

“Abbotsford is a place where people meet and laugh,” said Hoye. “It provides a place where interesting people gather, do something useful, and keep our minds and our bodies stretched and resilient.”

The fitness classes are one of the reasons Merilyn Neilson is glad to be back at Abbotsford after several months away.   As a member of the functional fitness class, she says it helps with strength, mobility, balance and muscle tone. “I love it,” said Neilson who is also looking forward to the further easing of restrictions, possibly in the new year, so the Abbotsford bridge group can also get back to playing cards. “I think it’s an excellent facility. There should be more ‘Abbotsfords’.  I think it saves a lot of senior people in many ways with the friendships and the exercise.” Even though she’s not a “techie” Neilson said she did adjust to taking zoom art classes using watercolors and acrylics. “I was glad I did, it was better than nothing,” she said.  But being able to go back to the centre this fall has lifted her spirits. “Abbotsford is something we truly appreciate,” said Neilson. “It helps us stay in the community rather than finding other ways of living.”

Abbotsford member, Muriel Scott Smith is another member who recently got back to the centre to join her Mahjong club, an activity she’s been part of for the past 10 years. While Scott Smith didn’t take part in the zoom classes, she was able to access medical drives through Community Support Services.  She’s glad her Mahjong group is now back to meeting in person and is looking forward to the day the coffee and the lunches are back on track.

Pat Goyeche, the coordinator of Community Programming is pleased to see the folks back in the house and hopes that by the new year most of the favourite classes, clubs and social gatherings will be ‘in the house’ and at capacity.

The November and December programming of on-line and in-person classes and clubs are listed on the Glebe Centre website (www.glebecentre.ca) under ‘current program guide’.

Abbotsford is your Seniors Active Living Centre for Adults 55+.  It houses the community programs of The Glebe Centre Inc., a charitable, not-for-profit, organization which includes a 254 bed long term care home.  Find out more about our services by telephoning 613-230-5730 during regular business hours or by checking out all of The Glebe Centre facilities and community programs on our website www.glebecentre.ca

By: Julie Ireton

 After too many months of isolation from friends and family, shutdowns, lockdowns and trying to figure out “zoom”, Ottawa seniors are more than ready to be back socializing at their senior’s centre across from Lansdowne Park.

“They’re ecstatic, some are almost moved to tears to be back and see people again,”

said Kirsten O’Brien, in the community support services department of Abbotsford at the Glebe Centre.

“There’s happiness just to be able to see friends, even at a distance and with masks, there’s a reconnecting and a real sense of community again.”

Visitors to Abbotsford must show that they’ve been double vaccinated and fitness classes have fewer people. Weather permitting, they’ve been able to move some activities outside this fall.

But the doors are open and people are returning.

“They are really enjoying contact and interaction. The Sing ‘N Jam club is singing and playing their hearts out on our patio and the two ping pong tables are getting a good workout on Friday mornings,” said Pat Goyeche, coordinator of community programs.  “We’ve even been able to rent larger spaces off site though a special grant which has allowed us to serve more folks safely.  These ‘pop-up’ fitness classes have been very popular!”

For clients who live alone or don’t have family nearby, Abbotsford and its activities, support groups, fitness classes and clubs can be a lifeline for some seniors, according to O’Brien.

“They are so willing to comply with all the safety measures, because the draw to see each other is so special and important,” she said.

Programs such as transportation to medical appointments didn’t stop throughout the pandemic and when the snow starts to fly, another service will also be available.

Snow Go

For seniors who aren’t looking forward to digging out the snow shovels, some city of Ottawa programs may be able to help.

‘Snow Go’ refers seniors and adults with disabilities to contractors who have passed a screening test, are properly registered and insured.

The Snow Go Assist program is for people over 60 years old or those with disabilities who are defined as low income. The program will reimburse up to $250 on the cost of their snow removal for the season.

Low income is defined by the city as a single person who lives on $31,500 a year or $39,200 for a household of two or more.

“If the person meets eligibility and provides documentation they can qualify,” said O’Brien.

Abbotsford is also continuing to support clients at home with phone and virtual programs, including many fitness classes that continue to be available online through Zoom.

But still, many members yearn for the day when there are even more activities available inside the centre.

“We get asked: when can we loiter again? When can we play bridge again?” said Goyeche.  “Our goal is to expand as it is safe to do so and add more in-person programming.”

Abbotsford is your Seniors Active Living Centre for Adults 55+.  It houses the community programs of The Glebe Centre Inc., a charitable, not-for-profit, organization which includes a 254 bed long term care home.  Find out more about our services by dropping by 950 Bank Street (the old stone house) Mon- Fri 9-4 pm, telephoning 613-230-5730 or by checking out all of The Glebe Centre facilities and community programs on our website www.glebecentre.ca

Food Hamper Project

By

Kirsten O’Brien, Program Facilitator

At Abbotsford House, we connected by telephone and email with seniors remaining at home throughout the pandemic. During some wellness checks done by staff and volunteers, food security was mentioned as an ongoing issue for some seniors that we serve. We considered how we could support these seniors in the community during the pandemic.   For many it was the struggle to get to a store, not having a credit card for online shopping, the fear of going into a store, and for others it was having to shift finances to cover increased costs of all things associated with the pandemic.

Director of Community Programs, Karen Anne Blakely, applied for a grant through the Ontario Community Support Association to assist seniors who were struggling with food security. We received funds to be able to provide up to 50 food hampers. Staff reached out to the many seniors with whom we had spoken to in the early days of the pandemic who had identified the need. We made of list of clients, recruited volunteers, developed a delivery route and began to shop! Staff and volunteers took the time to personalize the food boxes, ensuring that what was in each box would meet the needs and preferences of each of the seniors. Deliveries of the food boxes were done by staff.

As our resources dwindled, we were fearful we would not be able to impact as many seniors as we had hoped. Then, Abbotsford House was fortunate to receive a $500.00 donation from the Glebe Metro! Owner Rebecca McKeen and her team never hesitated when they were approached to assist with this project. The team at Glebe Metro provided us with the resources to not only meet our target, but exceed our target. So far Abbotsford House has delivered 48 food boxes and the target is now increased to a total of 60 food boxes.

In addition to the donation, Glebe Metro provided Abbotsford House with a 5% discount on the grocery bills. A huge shout out to Rebecca McKeen and her team at Glebe Metro for helping with this Food Hamper project.

Clients stated their appreciation for the food hampers in their feedback to staff at Abbotsford House. We received comments such as: “Only a few people are full of compassion like you”; “You are truly an angel”; “… (the food box) was so generous, now I don’t have to arrange for someone to go get my groceries for at least a week”; and “Thank you for the food hampers. Bless you all for being part of this”.

Rebecca McKeen presents check for $500.00 for Food Box Project. Pictured are: (front row) Rebecca McKeen and Kirsten O’Brien, (back row) Nick Bermudez, Jane Stallabrass, Student Rahima Abdillahi. Missing from photo: volunteer Clara Luck. Photo credit: Pat Goyeche.

Abbotsford is your community support centre for Adults 55+.  We are the community programs of The Glebe Centre Inc., a charitable, not-for-profit, organization which includes a 254 bed long term care home.  Find out more about our services by dropping by 950 Bank Street (the old stone house) Mon- Fri 9-4 pm, telephoning 613-230-5730 or by checking out all of The Glebe Centre facilities and community programs on our website www.glebecentre.ca