Cerwydden Care Centre is as much like home as a complex care centre can be. A jewel surrounded by park-like grounds in the Vancouver Island community of Duncan, B.C., Cerwydden gives physically challenged, frail elderly residents and those with dementia a safe and supportive home.

Quality Care

	At this boutique-sized, 56 bed complex care home, residents enjoy the same high standard of care as in all Park Place Care Homes. Cerwydden is divided into two smaller communities, the second floor and the ground floor, which each have 28 beds. Each area has its own dining room and lounges, in addition to private and semi-private resident bedrooms.
Cerwydden administrator Pamela Webster with photos of Cerwydden's Centenarians.

Every bedroom has windows with outside views, a private, wheelchair-accessible washroom with shower, and individual thermostat controls. Call bells in every bedroom and washroom give residents immediate access to round-the-clock assistance.

Staff levels are high enough to ensure residents receive individualized attention, with up to four caregivers and one nurse assigned to each floor. Registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and resident care attendants all assist residents with their day-to-day personal care, medical care and medications. Available support services also include foot care from a registered nurse; annual check-ups by a registered dental hygienist; and an on-site hairdresser.

From each floor, residents can easily access the large outdoor, second-floor balcony or the extensive ground floor patio garden, with its gazebos and benches. Enclosed within an attractive wrought-iron fence, the wheelchair-accessible garden provides a secure oasis for all residents, including those with dementia.

Susan enjoys one of the garden gazebos. (Click for larger photo)	Wide paths are wheelchair accessible. (Click for larger photo)

Cerwydden has 52 government funded beds, accessed through the Vancouver Island Health Authority Continuing Care office in Duncan (250-709-3060) and four private pay beds, accessed through Cerwydden's This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it (250-746-4432, local 223).

A Voice and a Choice

Residents come to Cerwydden for a variety of reasons: age, dementia or Alzheimers, strokes, accidents, chronic illness, generally frail health, disease or disability. Among the residents is Rosie, who is counting the months until her 100th birthday.

Given the diversity of care, the staff at Cerwydden use each resident's personal outline of needs and wants to create an individualized "Resident's Day" schedule for each person. Although recognizing the unique needs of each resident requires more time, the extra effort enriches each life.

"We really try to honour the "Resident's Day" document, which gives them a voice in how they live their lives," said Cerwydden administrator Pam Webster. "We try to go with that instead of making it too institutionalized. This is a real home."

This approach matches the Park Place mission statement, which is to "provide enriched life experiences to seniors by pursuing stategies for innovation, creativity, and long term growth ion a manner that is sustainable."

Residents praise the food, which is prepared by a professional chef. In addition to tasting good, the meals and snacks are nutritious, thanks to the registered dietician who oversees menu planning.

Activities

Cerwydden strives to enhance each resident's life with daily activities and frequent special events. The Baking Buddies groups take over the activity room kitchen every week, drawing on a lifetime of baking experience to produce an explosion of goodies. All residents enjoy the tasty results. Another active group, Happy Hands, apply a lifetime of gardening experience to beautify the Cerwydden gardens.

Baking Buddies whip up goodies.	Happy Hands cultivate beauty.

Some activities occur within each community. For example, there is a Baking Buddies group and separate Bingo game for each floor. However other activities are open to all residents, especially special events and entertainment.

The packed Cerwydden calendar includes:

• numerous birthday celebrations;
• social teas;
• Bingo games;
• men's group meetings;
• daily exercise programs;
• van trips;
• arts and crafts;
• songs;
• church services;
• discussion groups;
• pet therapy visits;
• entertainment, especially music groups;
• in-house manicures and/or massages; and more.

All birthdays are celebrated with a cake, card and gift for each resident, an extra effort which is especially important for residents without nearby families. For those with family nearby, there are many opportunities to visit and join in Cerwydden activities or stay for meals. Cerwydden staff also keep in touch with residents' families and hold annual conferences with each family to optimize the care for each resident.

Personal Concert Centres

Each floor is equipped with four i-Pod stations, which each resident can use to enjoy a private concent of his or her choice. The sound is very clear and can be adjusted for individual hearing levels, making this one of our most popular features. The music sessions are especially beneficial for residents with dementia, since it helps them relax.

Please visit us

If you are interested in learning more about life at Cerwydden Care Centre, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to arrange a tour. We are proud of our beautiful, west coast style care home and gardens and equally proud of our compassionate staff and the care they give our residents.

Cerwydden Care Center

3243 Cowichan Lake Road
Duncan, B.C.

250-746-4432

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