Interview with The Village of Erin Meadows family member, Rick McDonnell

Every staff member that we see and greet when we're out walking, they all truly care about what they're doing… They respond with a friendly hello… knowing people by name, although they don't interact with them on a regular basis. ‘Good morning, Helen. How are you?’ ‘Don, how's your day going?’ Everybody is caring. It’s evident in the overall operation.

The building itself is impressive. They have an open courtyard in the center of the building that the residents can go to, a beautiful pond, big fish in the pond, waterfall, flowers. The landscaping is impeccable…Everything is clean.

My father-in-law was a chef [and he] loves to cook, loves to bake. So a full kitchen was important for him. So he's in that and [has] beautiful apartment style living… If he wants to go down and eat in the common eating area, in the restaurant, where meals are served, he can. He chooses not to because he always cooks and prepares what he likes. 

He's got a beautiful view. He's on the south side of the building, so he can see Lake Ontario on a clear day… The apartment is bright. It is spacious all the way through. It's just a nice place to live.

It's a really good atmosphere for them. They’re out for walks every day, fresh air every day, getting out to the courtyard or out front, or just going down and sitting in the visiting area. [That] and the fact that they're no longer having to deal with homeownership and all of the things that go along with that. They're in good condition, and that leads to self-improvement.

The residents are cared for and looked after…  There’s been so many times where you'll see someone just calling for somebody to come and help them and… the people that work there will stop and go to that resident… It doesn't matter which shift you're on or the time of day, morning, noon, night. They're attentive to the needs of residents…. They’re there to help people. That just improves the quality of life. 

It’s relieved [my] stress to know that they're cared for… They have the support staff there. If they need something, they're cared for. [That] results in just overall general peace of mind for me…You're not worrying about a fall, not having the care they need. They lived in a home that had stairs [and] they're always in the back of your mind as to are they okay? Now there's a relief to all of that. It's improved my quality of life. I'm no longer worried every day. 

They have emergency call buttons in every room in the independent living retirement apartments. The washrooms have emergency pull cords…They're making sure the people are safe and okay.

It was a challenge to move out of their home and the independent lifestyle that they had, to go into an apartment. But overall, it was clean and smooth. The staff made it simple and easy… [With] a move of that magnitude, you're not just moving out of your own home. You're doing a total lifestyle change. You're giving up what you think are freedoms, but you're getting freedoms as well. They didn't realize it at first but they [gained] freedoms.