With age comes change, often change that is unwelcome particularly when it affects our health and our ability to live our life fully.

In the Comox Valley, work is underway to pay special attention to older adults and their unique healthcare needs. The Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation is part of this work, investing in efforts that improve quality of life for local seniors requiring care in the hospital, in the community, or in long-term care.

Examples from long-term care include unique recreational activities that blend compassion, creativity, and community spirit, enriching the lives of residents and facilitating connection among their family and fellow residents. The Foundation wants to continue to fund these important care enhancements and other initiatives that bolster support for seniors.

At Cumberland Lodge, the soothing power of music takes center stage. Through over 300 hours of music programming each year, residents with advanced cognitive decline experience enhanced brain stimulation, social interaction, and emotional relief. Music therapy bridges the gap left by cognitive decline, offering meaningful engagement that reduces anxiety and loneliness. The results are tangible —residents display improved verbal skills, reduced agitation, and periods of relaxation, even those who typically do not engage in other activities.

“Music therapy lifts my spirits,” shared one resident. A family member expressed their gratitude: “Knowing my loved one is experiencing joy and connection through music brings me so much peace.” Staff members, too, recognize the program’s value, noting how it transforms the environment for both residents and caregivers alike.

Across the Valley, funding for a second duet bicycle at Providence Living at The Views has expanded access to adventure and sense of freedom. This specially designed bike allows residents to enjoy guided rides through the neighborhood, reconnecting them with the broader community.

The donor who provided the newest duet bicycle shared her reasons for focusing her philanthropy this way:

“35 years of bicycling together gave my husband and I so much enjoyment. We eventually moved up to a tandem bicycle and then to electric-assisted bikes. We travelled Canada, the northwest United States, and even England and Belgium on a tandem and it brought so much joy to our lives. Once my husband moved into The Views I knew I needed to purchase a new Duet Bike for the residents so that they could experience the same joy that we experienced.”

Wendy Prothero, one of the original duet bike donors, shares a similar story adding, “I’ve seen the joy in their faces—this isn’t just exercise; it’s freedom and connection.”

Innovation continues at Glacier View Lodge with the Tovertafel, an interactive console funded by the Foundation through the federal New Horizons for Seniors Program.

The equipment supports connection with friends and family, intergenerational understanding, and community involvement—all of which help promote inclusion and mental health for our loved ones in care homes.

By projecting games onto a surface, the Tovertafel promotes cognitive engagement, movement, and social interaction, breaking through barriers of apathy.

Healthcare providers have witnessed the laughter and camaraderie the special console fosters, reaffirming the universal human need to connect and play.

As one occupational therapist aptly said,

“Activities like these remind us that age and ability don’t diminish the need for joy and connection.”

Double your impact on local healthcare this holiday season

The Comox Valley Healthcare Foundation is encouraging the community to join them in supporting seniors’ health. Thanks to Coastal Community Credit Union, every donation up to $50,000 will be matched and have double the impact. You can donate through their website (button below) or by calling 250-331-5957.

Originally published in the Comox Valley Record on November 27, 2024