By Julie Ireton

More than a year into the pandemic, the team at Abbotsford at the Glebe Centre has become creative with technology, music and distanced visiting when it comes to keeping its Day Away program clients engaged and active.

The Day Away program is for clients between 60 and 90 years old who are currently in the early to middle stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

Pre-COVID-19, the program ran out of Abbotsford House, the seniors’ centre across from Lansdowne Park.

The clients and staff would gather regularly to play games, do exercises, sing songs, chat and have lunch. But over the past year, the sessions have become virtual, on Zoom or through telephone conferencing.

“This week we did scavenger hunt,” said Jen Dare, Program Facilitator Abbotsford at the Glebe Centre who has been working with seniors for 30 years. “They were running around and finding things, having fun with what’s around them. Some clients interact very well, while others are not sure where the voices are coming from.”

The online programming has also included music trivia and reading short stories.

A few times, Dare and her team have created individualized activity kits with puzzles and games to drop off at the clients’ homes.

For those who aren’t able to join via Zoom, a teleconference, “party-line” has been set up to gather 7-8 clients by phone.

While switching to the virtual platform has meant a steep technology learning curve for both the organizers and the caregivers, many quickly figured out how to get-together online, said Dare.

Quite often the care-givers are spouses who also depend on the Day Away program to bring some respite, allowing them to do something on their own.

“Keeping in touch with caregivers is also important,” she said. “We find out if they need other outreach services or if they need more help in the home. It’s a difficult time for all of us, but if you’re caring for someone 24/7 it’s more challenging.”

Throughout the pandemic isolation, some have struggled with keeping their loved-ones active, said Dare.

“It certainly is a struggle at times, finding things to do. Boredom sets in and then you can see other behaviours,” she said.  “But even on our Zoom calls, it’s wonderful to see them engaging with each other. They just miss that togetherness,” said Dare.

As the weather warms up, the Day Away organizers will plan porch visits with their Day Away clients so they can catch up in person.

This spring, expanding vaccination programs across the city are bringing hope that regular programming will eventually resume.

“It’s the game changer. Once people have vaccines we can look at gathering again,” said Dare. “We can’t figure it out just yet, but there is hope we’ll get some sort of normal back again.”

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: Pat Goyeche                                                    March 2021

Here we are one year after COVID-19 changed our day to day way of life.

Abbotsford Seniors Centre is no exception. We were planning our usual spring registration when, like everyone else, we came to understand the need to shut down with little or no warning.  We all had to deal with the growing reality of the severity of the virus and its effects on society and, in our case, on seniors in community.

The verb ‘pivot’ has become the mantra of almost all businesses and organizations over the past year. And pivot we did!  The priority for Abbotsford became both the personal and physical wellbeing of our clients, members and volunteers. Are you living alone?  Can someone bring your groceries?  Do you have a support network?

To pursue these questions we mobilized staff and our wonderful volunteers who made phone contact with our members and clients.  That initial ‘check in’ grew into a phone tree of volunteers and staff to reach our clientele that has been maintained throughout this past year.   Volunteers, clients and members have made new friends, shared resources and tapped into the tremendous network of resources that Abbotsford staff have at their disposal.  Friendly chats have alerted us to the needs of seniors regarding food security, health, wellness and need for connectivity.

As we began to realize that we would have to ‘live with’ COVID-19 for quite some time, it became apparent that we had to reach our members where they were…at home!

The telephone was and is still a very effective means of communication with our clientele but we needed to connect in a new way, a way in which we could continue offering engaging programming that takes account of the realities of COVID-19.

Our clients, members and instructors were patient and imaginative in experimenting with virtual programming in those early months when for most of us the word ‘zoom’ was still a sound we associated with a speeding car!

What started with and continues to be a wish to ‘see’ family and friends we were not allowed to visit due either to distance or restrictions quickly morphed into a way of continuing to engage in treasured pastimes and keep up with fitness regimes.

Isabel Gonzalez is one of Abbotsford’s many instructors who initiated a way to keep our members engaged and fit.  It started with a Zumba Gold workout video by Isabel that we could share on our website.  While it was a new format it was also so familiar for our patrons to have Isabel take them through familiar routines.  This became the bedrock of keeping engaged and connected when nothing was normal.

Isabel who is originally from Chile has also been facilitating Conversational Spanish classes for Abbotsford for many years.  She and her students were keen to continue practicing their language skills. That interest and willingness paved the way for our first set of virtual programming using Zoom.

Zoom, like Google, has become its own very particular verb.  We ‘Zoom’ with our family and friends and now we Zoom to practice Spanish, write memoirs, take art courses, dance, perfect our yoga positions and engage in a myriad of fitness classes.

Virtual programming is far from perfect and cannot entirely replace the connection, socialization and spontaneity of in person interaction, but it certainly does help keep us connected and motivated.

We still have a ways to go, as seniors living independently in the community await their turn to receive the vaccination against COVID-19.  The challenges of the past year for individual seniors has been immense and at times overwhelming, but many have ‘pivoted’, flexed and changed their ways enough to keep both safe and engaged.

Much gratitude goes to the instructors, facilitators, members, clients and volunteers who have kept the faith and continue to find, partake in and create meaningful activities.  Abbotsford will continue to do its part to keep up with you!

Our March/April programming schedule boasts of over 30 different classes to choose from.  Registration for members will began on February 18^th and will be ongoing, with most classes starting the week of March 8^th.  Anyone 55+ is encouraged to become a member and join in.  You can join in and do four weeks of class if class size allow.  Call Abbotsford to connect. 613-230-5730

 Jan/Feb 2021

 By: Julie Ireton

Joan Norvid, 100, always looks forward to the mini-bus picking her up on Tuesdays and seeing her friends at Abbotsford House’s luncheon club.

Since the pandemic arrived last spring, the club now meets via teleconference, and while it’s not quite the same, Joan still enjoys catching up with the luncheon friends she initially met at the senior’s centre across from Lansdowne Park.

“They’re a nice bunch of people. I wouldn’t want to give it up,” said Joan, who still lives in her own home, but has family nearby.

Joan’s daughter, Nicole Norvid, visits and helps her mother daily. The luncheon club, even if it’s over the phone, gives Nicole, the caregiver, a bit of respite.

“They maintain a connection, it’s a tight knit group,” said Nicole. “It’s nice to know every Tuesday we have that call.”

Every week, at the end of the teleconference, Joan sings her friends a well-known tune before signing off.

I always sing Vera Lynn’s ‘We’ll meet again’,” said Joan.

For Barb Neilson the calls help beat the boredom that’s come with being in a lockdown for so much of the winter.

“When I get with people I talk and talk and talk,” said Neilson. “I love the conference call and enjoy the people. There are about ten or twelve of us, including two men, but they don’t have too much to say.”

This telephone connection is just one of the programs that Abbotsford at the Glebe Centre has adapted throughout the pandemic.

This winter, 27 programs were offered to the general membership and 13 sold out. Realizing that both inclement weather and lockdown conditions have made it difficult for seniors to exercise, the centre has offered several fitness classes via zoom.  Art, Language and dance classes seem to have struck a particular chord with the members this winter.

Meditation, conversational French and Spanish, memoir writing, yoga, book club and several art classes are also offered online with new eight-week sessions opening up for March and April.

Registration will be mid-February, with classes open to all members of Abbotsford House.  It is the perfect time to join as the membership runs on a calendar year.

Marion Haunton usually travels the world every winter, but since that’s not an option this year, she’s trying out programs at Abbotsford for the first time, in fact, she has a packed schedule.

“I’m taking four art classes per week: watercolour, sketching, collage & mixed media, and one on colour,” said Haunton. “It’s very well organized and very flexible when it comes to the materials you use. I like to have something to do four days a week.”

Haunton, who is also recovering from hip surgery earlier this winter says the classes have kept her busy at a time when her choice of activities has been very limited.

While she looks forward to getting back to her travels when the pandemic is over, Haunton says she’s so pleased with the selection of classes she’s found at the seniors’ centre.

“It’s a very nice recreational thing to do and Abbotsford does a wonderful job,” she said.

Seniors and Students Connecting

December 2020 

Rosemary MacKinnon has made a new friend during the pandemic and spends hours each month chatting with her on the phone. Decades separate these new pals by age, they’ve never met face to face, but they have no problem finding things to talk about.

This fall, some Carleton University sports teams have been matched up with isolated seniors like MacKinnon, and they socialize with them by phone.

Some young women on the university’s rugby team are making calls to residents of the Glebe Centre and members of Abbotsford House seniors centre.

“With COVID I don’t get out to socialize much so it’s really nice to talk to someone about what they’re doing,” said MacKinnon. “Getting to know someone young brings more to our lives.”

University teams are still training and practicing, but varsity competitions are on-hold right now, giving athletes much more spare time than usual.

Some teams decided to spend that extra time giving back to the community.

“It’s really cool to make connections outside the school and it gives an opportunity for the seniors to keep in touch, keep busy, especially with COVID, because they aren’t able to do other activities,” said Zoe Coulter, a third year Carleton student and varsity rugby player.

Coulter, who is studying anthropology and sign language, is also hoping to put her signing skills to practice with other seniors in the community.

“It’s great practice for me,” said Coulter, “As a student, it’s nice to have a break and not think about any school work and just listen to them. It makes everyone feel good on both sides.”

Sometimes the phone calls last an hour or two, according to Coulter. They talk about anything and everything during these conversations, including politics.

Coulter says she looks forward to the end of COVID when they can meet each other in person, and maybe set up a “paint evening or story night.”

Kirsten O’Brien, program facilitator at Abbotsford House, makes the match between students and seniors and shares information about the clients so it’s not a “cold call”.

“They form friendships and look forward to the calls. They can all use a phone, so they don’t have to be techy with a computer for these chats,” said O’Brien. “The seniors are interested in that real connection, a voice at the end of the line.”

By: Julie Ireton

As COVID-19 continues to force everyone to adapt to new and safer ways of doing things, Christine Nassrallah thinks seniors should embrace new forms of technology to allow them to socialize, learn and enhance their lives.

At Abbotsford House at the Glebe Centre on Bank St., programs moved over to online platforms in the spring and continue to attract active seniors, including Nassrallah.

“Some of us are very conscious of the need to stay home and not mingle, but the Zoom classes connect us to the outside world without having to leave home. It’s a good way to diversify daily activities,” said Nassrallah, a member of Abbotsford House.

Every Monday morning, Nassrallah and half a dozen other members grab a tea or coffee, click on their Zoom app and greet each other in Abbotsford’s virtual Spanish class.

While the classes would normally be held at the senior’s centre across from Lansdowne Park, moving the program online still allows for lively conversations and direction from the instructor, in their own homes, according to Nassrallah.

But she says the zoom classes may inspire some to do a little house cleaning before class.

“Everybody comments on what they can see in the background, maybe a painting or something in your home. One person joined from her patio in Nova Scotia,” she said.

While the language classes help exercise the mind, Nassrallah and other seniors also take part in Abbotsford’s Zumba, aerobics and stretch classes to keep the body limber.

Over at Judith Yemen’s house, she shifts the dining room table so she can take part in her “functional fitness” classes on Tuesday afternoons in the air conditioned comfort of her Glebe home.

For Yemen, the Zoom class gives her the motivation to stay active.

“We’re still communicating with the instructor and the exercises are good, said Yemen, who plans to continue her twice weekly online exercise routine into the fall.

She, like Nassrallah, says she’s had no problem figuring out the technology, but notes that helpful staff at Abbotsford are eager to help those who have trouble getting connected.

“Once you have the app on your tablet or computer the link goes into your calendar. You go to that and tap it and it takes you right to the Zoom program, said Yemen.

Look for new interactive programming this fall to keep connected, challenged and fit.  A paper copy of the fall program guide is available on the front porch of Abbotsford House and on the website, www.glebecentre.ca

“Zoom, Whatsapp, FaceTime are all essential, a lifeline throughout COVID to stay in touch and stay active and keep up with family,” said Nassrallah. “All community centres should continue to look at innovations that can engage people in the community to keep them active.”

Abbotsford’s 45^th Annual Bazaar has a twist this year…it is taking place on three consecutive Saturday’s in September…12, 19 & 26!  Patrons will come in through the patio/parking lot in small groups and move through the hallway and multipurpose room (with new windows that open), purchasing touchless as they go and exiting onto Monk Street.

Come out to support your local seniors centre and find an Art, Jewels or other treasures.  Hand made teddy bears, knit wear and ornaments will be available for sale.

By: Pat Goyeche

Fall 2020

It’s hard to fathom how many months have passed since Abbotsford was forced to close our doors to the general public.  At the time we would never have imagined the doors would still be closed in November. Our doors may be closed, but we are not closed to you; and you have certainly not been idle.

I have been so impressed with the good sense and grace with which our members and clients have adapted to the reality of restrictions and change that have come with COVID-19.  Things we never thought we would have to do are being done, and our virtual worlds have expanded as our one-to-one in-person interactions have decreased.

Even those who might not fully embrace technology are using landline telephones, cell phones, tablets and computers in ways they had not imagined.  Banking, grocery shopping and medical appointments are often done with the aid of technology. Helpful friends, families and virtual strangers have played a role in this as well.  A shoutout to our volunteers who ‘check in and chat’ with our folks and for perfect strangers who are lending a hand, keeping an eye on each other in our community.

I think everyone would agree that the point is to stay connected as we weather the pandemic storm which rises and falls, but still we sail on.  We feel a breath of fresh air and renewed hope one month, but then we have to scale back and our anxiety grows the next month.

November might prove to be one such month, where we have to hang on, hang in, hold tight and reach out.  Join a virtual something or other, call a friend, have a meal with a friend or family member, virtually or in person, and carry on making connections.  Be safe but be ever mindful of our need to connect.  Keep sparking your imaginations, and find moments to celebrate the mundane along with the regular holidays.  A walk on a sunny day is worthy of celebration!

Abbotsford will continue to offer virtual programming for seniors throughout November and December, check out the website www.glebecentre.ca under Abbotsford Programming and What is up at Abbotsford for the latest information.  We also offer free meditation over the telephone, a book/puzzle exchange and sale on our front porch (as long as the snow doesn’t fly) and numerous Community Support Services for caregivers and clients.

Members and Friends are asked to renew their yearly membership or join Abbotsford for the first time, starting mid-November, to help bolster Abbotsford Programming and Services.  If you have made use of our services, you know how we strive to serve you and will continue to do so with your interests and needs at the centre of our mandate.  We have been working at a reduced staffing level and coping with new challenges, and we truly appreciate how you have supported us.  Your financial support will ensure that when the tide subsides and we are on post-pandemic safe shores, you will find our doors open and inviting, and all of us a bit humbled with gratitude for our mutual fortitude.

I would like to publicly thank the volunteers who made our 45^th Annual Bazaar Days possible.  We had keen young students and community members as well as tried and true Abbotsford volunteers who made beautiful displays and kept smiling and selling for two brilliant Saturdays in September.  Let’s hope the 46^th will be indoors and in November!?

Unfortunately, we are unable to take in donations of goods at this time but will let you know when we can.  Your donations for the bazaar are part of what makes our fundraising and our functioning as a seniors centre work so well.

We continue to share our beautiful gardens with our neighbours and friends who pass by and appreciate what each month brings to the garden palette.  Recently, ‘Carol and her Crew’ helped put the gardens to bed for the winter. That said friends of Abbotsford, resist the urge to ‘hibernate’ in the months to come, join in and keep connected with and through Abbotsford.

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 am – 4 pm at 613-230-5730 or by checking out all of The Glebe Centre facilities and Abbotsford Community Programs on our website www.glebecentre.ca

October 2020

By Julie Ireton

After months of exercising in the isolation of their own homes, via zoom, several Abbotsford members were eager to meet up at Lansdowne Park to work out in the bright, safe expanse of the Horticulture Building with legendary exercise instructor, Joseph Cull.

“He’s everyone’s favorite and we’re so lucky to have him,” said Pat Smart.

She and many members have missed their regular drop-ins to Abbotsford at the Glebe Centre, across from Lansdowne.

In fact, Smart admits she’s been avoiding exercise since the pandemic was declared in March, but now she’s pleased to have the option of an in-person class.

“It made me feel so much stronger and straighter. Everybody was so glad to be there.”

Forced isolation due to concerns over COVID-19 has been particularly difficult for seniors who’ve been told to take precautions to avoid contracting the virus.

For many, that’s meant avoiding any kind of group activities.

“It’s relaxing and social and I think we need that. It’s good for the soul,” said Smart.

“Joseph was wearing a skirt and using a pool noodle to illustrate the 2 m distance between participants. It was brilliant.”

More programming is being planned for inside the vast Horticultural building space including an indoor walking program that the city of Ottawa is set to start in October.

Virtual programming continues

Abbotsford continues to offer virtual exercise programs for older adults with access to tablets, smartphones and the internet.

Those classes include aerobics, dance, stretch, strength training and yoga.

Beyond physical fitness programs, many seniors are embracing the virtual watercolour and sketching classes, conversational Spanish, device training and book club chats.

“This will bode well for them as winter approaches,” said Karen Anne Blakely, director of community programs at Abbotsford.

Blakely notes that the closure of in-person, adult day programs has been difficult for both clients and caregivers, but some are participating in zoom programs throughout the week.

These one-hour programs include seated exercise, trivia questions, music, themed activities and discussions.

“As well program facilitators are visiting clients on driveways and porches, walking in the neighbourhood being socially distanced and wearing masks and delivering individualized activity kits to the clients homes to help keep clients active and engaged,” said Blakely.

A telephone meditation program helps seniors remain calm and focus on relaxation and more than 40 volunteers continue to regularly call 330 seniors for wellness checks, to help those suffering from the loneliness brought on by isolation.

Abbotsford staff follow up to make sure seniors have access to the help they need, according to Blakely.

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.

Some senior clients with disabilities and or low income may also quality for the city’s Snow Go Assist program that will reimburse up to $250 on the cost of their snow removal.

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 Karen Anne Blakely, Director of Community Programming for the Glebe Centre

The services and programs delivered today at and from Abbotsford House are much different than March 13, 2020, the day we closed our doors and began our pandemic response. Our doors remain closed however the staff are busy serving clients and members daily.  We are following guidance from Ottawa Public Health, Ministry of Health and Ministry of Seniors and Accessibility. Regulations of the Emergency Measures Act caused some staff to be deployed to work in Long Term Care and some staff started a leave of absence. Our government funders have committed funds for 2020 while we offer new and different types of programs and services in Community Support Services and the Seniors Active Living Centre. We have focused our efforts on essential deliveries, drives to medical appointments, virtual programming, telephone conferencing, helping everyone navigate to get what they need, and sharing important information on how to stay safe.

We have a telephone reassurance program that has engaged 40 volunteers and students to check-in on over three hundred older adults, daily, weekly or occasionally. If more than a friendly visit is needed, the seniors is referred to staff for follow up. Everyone is dealing with the pandemic in different ways. We are assisting seniors who are struggling by referring to appropriate places and getting them what they may need to cope better.

As always we have been referring seniors for house cleaning, home maintenance, yard work and other services completed at home. We referred members and clients to foot care nurses who come to seniors’ homes.

Our virtual programming on the Zoom platform has been a grand success for those able to navigate their ipads and tablets to connect to instructors offering aerobics, dance, stretch/balance, yoga, language lessons and art classes. We have brought together small groups of people who wish to socialize together but from home.

We also have embraced telephone conferencing with a platform called Mercuri to offer Seniors Centre Without Walls so people can use their phone to connect to small groups of people for groups like that would normally meet in person like the Craft and Teddy Bear Groups, the Aerobic Gang, Luncheon Club, Dementia Day Program and for a weekly meditation class.

We started a book and puzzle sale on the front porch to help members be engaged with activities they are able to do at home and have provided a destination for a daily walk. While here, walkers can take in the lovely garden in full bloom surrounding the house.

We are planning on selling our already priced high end items during Bazaar Days on three Saturdays in September. (September 12, 19 & 26 10:00 am – 2:00 pm)We are taking pandemic measures seriously to ensure members can safely enter into part of the house to shop for treasures.  We will have some art displayed for sale on our patio (Bank Street Parking lot) and more in our multipurpose room, which will also house vintage and elegant treasures, handmade crafts, knit wear, teddy bears and high end jewelry, with new items each week.  We have limited capacity to fundraise in our traditional ways at the moment and we continue to rely on community support to make the seniors’ centre the best it can be.

Having received many cards, calls and emails throughout the shutdown, we are very grateful to all our members and clients for their care and concern. We are looking forward to the day we can open our doors, greet everyone in person and enjoy the company of friends in the multipurpose room, art room, pottery room, dining room, second floor and the boutique. Until then, and we do not know when, myself and the staff at Abbotsford House wish you all good health and happy moments during these challenging times.