Interview with Berwick Parksville management, Corrina Ludovici

I could tell you a lot of things I love about my job, but really, I’m a people person, so the people, the engagement, and really the fact that I’m a part of making a difference in people’s lives.

I have to give some kudos of where it all started and where the difference began, and that’s with the founder, Gordon Denford. It was his vision to do more, and his son Chris, and his vision with the extension of family. We hear Berwick family and the Berwick way a lot, and it really overflows to our staff, which just seeps into the residents. It’s wonderful.

The engagement that I get to have with new residents, looking people, their families, is just something I’m so grateful to be able to be a part of and support. And not to mention, not just the people, the families and the new residents, but the community, the community of Parksville, where Berwick Parksville definitely looks to embrace the community where they choose to build.

The engagements with businesses and the residents that currently live in beautiful Parksville, it’s a very active community and we’re excited to be here. I love that engagement that I can still have all the pieces.

In the senior living field, I feel that I can make a difference. With this next half of life, that next adventure and chapter, it was Berwick that really sold me and got me into this field because their reputation, their vision, it’s amazing.

I am still fairly new in this industry. I’ve been almost a year, and it’s amazing. It’s life-changing, really, for me at Berwick Parksville.

What’s surprising to me is that there’s definitely a shift for the people who are expressing interest in Berwick Parksville. It’s an older-younger adult, and we’re seeing that early 70s to mid-70s really express interest here to call Berwick Parksville home. 

The Denfords have done their homework when it comes to this new community in this area, because Parksville's oceanside area is a very active community. And we have all the signatures of Berwick quality, plus we have some extras: extra recreation like pickleball, lawn bowling, putting greens, and a full separate art studio, which is just amazing, and it’s really drawing with that. 

That older-younger demographic is really surprising, and it’s exciting because there’s a new direction at Berwick Parksville. It’s about celebrating your age and taking the day-to-day chores away: cooking, cleaning and all of that.

Our hospitality is going to take care of that for you so you can engage in some great things. So whether it’s Nine and Wine or Sun Salutations in the art pavilion, or lots of good stuff, it’s exciting.

Berwick Parksville is unique in just that, having again all the signatures of Berwick plus the extras, extra recreation that this area and Berwick itself has never seen before makes us very unique. And the fact that we care all the way through at Berwick Parksville. 

I like to describe Berwick like a cruise ship, to be able to take it to the next level.

It is a home, and it’s a place to have engagements. We encourage family and friends to come and partake and be a part of the community within Berwick Parksville. I think that openness and that willingness to just have everybody in, and even the community, whether it’s a community event, bringing in the local schools, choirs, plays, and doing something in the performance theatre.

We celebrate their age here.

Staff at Berwick Parksville is like family, 100%. As mentioned right in the very beginning, it really does overflow. They’re very supportive right from the top to upper management, middle management, right down to people who are housekeeping, in the kitchen. All of it.

They’re very, very engaged at Berwick Parksville. The maintenance guy is willing to come dressed up as Santa Claus if that needs to be, and everybody’s there willing to support.

The lifestyle for Berwick Parksville is very vibrant, very active. Our Active Living teams are very excited to bring some enhanced engagements to this community, with an art pavilion, extra recreation there, full performance theatre.

Berwick is really looking at ways to support the older adult to live active longer.

Even meals we prepare in all three of our different dining experience venues, we definitely feed off the residents and what’s important to them. If they like to see their dining out until eight o’clock at night, that’s okay. We’ll feed off of what direction they like to see it. 

For Berwick Retirement Communities, we hire Red Seal executive chefs, and nothing less than, and they’re amazing when it comes to looking at variety and options.

There are no set dining times, and we really look at it like a dining experience. Residents can dine at their leisure and choose their environment, whether it’s in the bistro, where it’s a little bit more casual and grab-and-go, or in our dining room, which is going to be more where our hospitality is going to serve you. Our wonderful Berwick staff are going to be able to provide you with a variety of options and plated options to bring you.

Berwick Parksville also has the Knight and Castle Pub. We’ll be able to bring in some good warm food there, whether it’s chicken fingers or burger or what have you, and look out for things to be able to support maybe if a vegan option or something along those lines, not steering necessarily to full dietary restrictions. We’ll have lots of options and choices in each of the dining venues for a great experience.

We make everything in-house, and being on Vancouver Island, we are able to source out locally as often as possible. The crusted sole has always been my favorite with some beautiful roasted vegetables. Love it. That’s one of my favorites at Berwick Parksville.

We’re family, so we encourage feedback. Bring it in, to bring it to us! If it’s something that you’re not comfortable saying face-to-face, we do find a lot of people are very comfortable with coming in and talking with our staff. We do have comment boxes, but we are so open-door at Berwick Parksville. 

Being a community relations manager, that first point of contact, I try to share with people all about Berwick and really hear, first and foremost, all about them, and where they are. I approach that with kindness and compassion and understanding. Listen to the concerns that they have or any hurdles that they’re going to have to get over. Support and guide them and share stories too.

I share stories of other people who have had maybe the same fears or different fears, similar, and worked through them. Maybe show them and provide them with some options and to be able to invite them into Berwick Parksville beforehand to see what’s around and what’s available. It really starts at the very beginning and authentically. That kindness and compassion goes a long way, and when it’s real.

In Berwick Retirement Communities, we have what’s called an ambassador, and they are people who just love to be in a Berwick. They show them around and invite them to go down to have a meal with them.

 Again, our staff is very engaged. We spread the news of a new resident coming out to make them feel warm and welcome in their new community at Berwick Parksville.

For Berwick Parksville, we are independent living. We do not have levels of care. However, we do have three communities on Vancouver Island that do offer further care. 

All the residents. When I spent some time at one of our other communities that were in operation, and it was the Christmas season, and unfortunately where we’ve all found ourselves through COVID this past year, Berwick did things right in regard to keeping our residents and staff safe, yet still had life, lived life on the inside.

People were still engaged, but pulled back and done safely. So it was at Christmas time where we had a dinner, and the residents were gleaming under their masks from ear to ear and dressed to the nines, and it was so warm.

To have dinner and see everybody just glowing, and then celebrate after with stories. Some people, we sang, and I had tears underneath my mask, and I went, this is home for me. This is family. This is really cool.

My advice for those looking for a retirement community is, first of all, to follow your heart, but know we understand that it’s an emotional decision and lots to consider. Embrace the journey because life can bring lots of new adventures if you’re open to learning more.