Calgary Health Foundation is partnered with Carewest to bring home-like environments and therapeutic programs to residents and clients in ways that increase quality of life through the Close to Home. Many Carewest facilities are in the heart of the community. At any one of Carewest’s 12 centres, donors were able to impact programming, quality of life services and physical environments for residents and clients.
These programs and items make an incredible difference to the people who live at Carewest. Those living at Carewest are often our friends, neighbors and family.
Examples of how this program has impacted residents:
- The Carewest Sarcee LED Lighting Project: This was a high priority project for Carewest Sarcee for several reasons, the most important of which was its ability to offer residents comfort and an increased quality of life, thanks to the ability of LED technology to mimic natural light. Quality of light provides visual comfort, creating a much more relaxing and welcoming environment.
- Music Therapy: The Quality of Life Program brought music therapy to various Carewest sites both in group sessions and individually for those who could not leave their rooms.
- Enhancing Care for Age Related Diseases at Carewest George Boyak: Donor support helped to provide equipment to enhance the care for those suffering from age-related diseases at George Boyak. Often these diseases require people to cope with a variety of symptoms that make it difficult to engage in activities with other people. Donor support helped to provide 30 Carewest George Boyack residents with the opportunity to participate in a gardening program and also helped to provide comfortable seating that encouraging longer visits from loved ones.
- Carewest Glenmore Park was able to take additional steps to address geriatric mental health, and to ensure that their residents have the best environment possible thanks to donor support. This included hanging artwork on previously bare walls in client rooms, and enhancing the shower room to offer more privacy. In addition to this a traditional stove was purchased bringing a sense of familiarity and comfort.