C A R L T O N H O U S E N E W Swinter 2014

Life at Carlton House is rich with opportunity – feel like loosening up with a yoga class? How about developing your knowledge in an area that’s always interested you? Or just catching up with some friends over tea? All of it is possible here with our varied leisure pro-grams tailored to meet the physical, social and intellectual needs of our residents.

Our leisure ser-vices director Rowena has been with Carlton House for the last six years, and considers herself fortunate to have a job that is so varied and enjoyable.

Rowena runs a resident-driven program and is always receptive to residents’ sugges-tions for what they’d like to do and where they’d like to go.

Whether it’s a new book club, an outing to see a local the-atre production, an ice cream social or a tour of Victoria in an amphibious vehicle (yes, we did that!) there’s always something to look forward to on the Carlton

House activity calendar.Health and wellness is a key

component of the leisure ser-vices program, with eight fitness classes on offer each week.

Residents can also take ad-vantage of our fitness room and weekly guided walks in and around Victoria.

We also strongly believe in the value of life-long learning, and as such, Carlton House of-

fers ongoing intellec-tual opportunities, including lectures and presentations by local profes-sors and educators. There’s also an ex-tensive collection of books in our library and computers with high-speed Internet access to keep our residents up-to-date with friends, family and the goings-on

of the world.Remember, we’ll be taking

care of all the household chores, so forget about the dusting and do something fun instead!

Valentine’s Day tea and tourFind out why so many are making Carlton House their home…

Please join us Saturday February 15th at 2:00pm for Valentine’s tea and treats in our conservatory. All are welcome to indulge in afternoon tea fol-lowed by a guided tour of our residence and suites. There are limited spots available so be sure to call and book yours as soon as possible. RSVP: 250-595-1914

robbie burns dinnerTrue Scots or not, we’ll be don-ning our kilts, toasting our hag-gis and practicing our poetry in celebration of the legendary Scottish bard’s birthday.

history lecturesFollowing a break from our program in December, our knowledgeable lecturers return in January to discuss such top-ics as the causes of the First World War and early trading on the West Coast.

coco’s fashionsShopping right here in Carl-ton House! Residents will have the opportunity to browse the racks of Coco’s Fashions and make sure they’re well-outfit-ted for the new year.

wildlife photographyWe will be visiting the Royal BC Museum to view this year’s col-lection of the world’s best wild-life and nature images -- a strik-ing exhibition from the Natural History Museum in London.

CONNECT WITH C ARLTON HOUSE!

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our leisure services programWhat’s happening at Carlton House this winter

Carlton House of Oak Bay | 2080 Oak Bay Avenue | Victoria BC | 250-595-1914 | www.carltonhouse.ca

The Carlton House walking group takes to the streets and paths of Greater Victoria every Thursday morning.

Try a new physical activity

Keeping active doesn’t have to mean joining a gym or religiously trudging to the pool twice a week – it can be as simple as a daily morning walk with a neighbour or friend. If the winter weather has you wanting to stay indoors, try the local community centre and see what types of yoga, tai chi or aerobics classes are on offer.

Exercise your brainMental sharpness is just as

important as physical fitness as we age, but unfortunately, it is an aspect of health that is often overlooked. Keep your mind active and engaged by complet-ing crossword puzzles, playing cards, joining a book club or attending some public lectures at a university, library or se-nior’s centre.

Eat more fresh foodsJust because it’s winter

doesn’t mean that you can’t eat fresh. Markets stock all kinds of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables right through the colder months, so dedi-cate yourself to eating fresh and notice the difference in the way you look and feel.

Schedule regular check-ups

With age comes an in-creased risk of illness and other health complications. Making sure that you’re up-to-date with your appointments can improve your chances of early detection and prevention, meaning a lon-ger, healthier, happier life.

carlton fall/winter recapThe final few months of

2013 were busy ones at Carl-ton House – our calendar filled with outings and entertainment and all sorts of fun.

In September, at the sug-gestion of some itchy-footed residents, we took to the open road on a two-night trip that took us from Victoria to Port Renfrew, Cowichan Lake and Duncan via the stunning Pa-cific Marine Circle Route.

October saw Carlton House converted into a creepy castle draped in orange and black, in-habited by witches and demons and infested with spiders. We had more trick-or-treaters than ever before, and we delighted in seeing the little ones dressed up in their creative costumes, pillow cases heavy with loot.

In November, we hosted two annual events: a commu-nity Remembrance Day service and a fall fashion show in col-laboration with the Monterey Merry Widows and Country Life Fashions.

For those that couldn’t make it to the cenotaph, Carl-ton House offered a warmer alternative, with a reception afterwards where veterans shared their wartime memora-bilia and stories.

Our fashion show Novem-ber 16 was once again a big hit – tickets sold out in less than two weeks! It was a lovely after-noon of food, fashions and fun, thanks to our beautiful volun-teer models, Country Life Fash-ions in the Oak Bay Village, and our very talented Carlton

House chefs.We rounded out the year in

style with a number of Christ-mas events throughout the month of December. Carlton House owners, staff and friends spent hours decking the halls in green, red and gold for the holiday season. Residents lent a hand trimming the tree, and we welcomed the community to sing carols and indulge in some special holiday treats. At our Christmas gala, residents were treated to an evening of so-cializing, eating, drinking and dancing by the Carlton House owners.

Thank you to all of our residents, staff and community members who made 2013 such a success – we can’t wait to see what 2014 has in store!

Healthy habits for seniors in 2014

Top five reasons seniors prefer living in retirement communities to living alone

Resident Testimonial: dora arneilOak Bay is home for Dora

Arneil, though her thick Scot-tish accent might lead you to believe otherwise.

Born in Northern Scotland, Dora married a young doctor and moved to Canada follow-ing the Second World War. The first few years were char-acterized by a series of cross-country moves – her husband’s career in public health landed them first in Prince Rupert, then Halifax, Nelson, Chilli-wack and Victoria.

The Arneil’s first home in Oak Bay was just off Beach Drive and had stunning views of the Olympic Mountains and Trial Islands. They raised three children there, all of whom at-tended Oak Bay High and went on to study at UVic.

Always an avid walker, Dora recalls many walks to Willow’s Beach, the Marina and Oak Bay Village. She can tell you the past life of almost every business on the Avenue, from the long-gone green gro-cer to the still-thriving Penny-farthing Pub.

Of course, she can also tell you the history of Carlton House, from its early days bat-tling for approval at City Hall, to its construction and even-tual opening in 2005.

She knew several peo-ple who moved in then, but it wasn’t until her husband passed away in 2011, and she came down with a nasty flu sometime later, that she re-ally started to consider Carlton House for herself.

“Looking after a garden, looking after a house, just be-came too much,” she says of the home on Monterey Avenue where she and her husband lived for 25 years.

So when a south-facing one-bedroom suite came available last January, Dora knew the timing was right, and with the help of her chil-dren, she made the move to Carlton House.

“It does take a bit of get-ting used to – going from liv-ing alone or with a partner to being one of 90,” she admits, but now that she’s settled, Dora has nothing but praise

for Carlton House, its manage-ment and staff.

“If there was ever a saint – it’s Beverley,” she laughs, re-ferring to our daytime recep-tionist. “I’ve never seen such a willingness to listen, such an ability to help.”

She’s met new people over dinner, tried new things and been new places with our lei-sure services director Rowena, and gained peace-of-mind she didn’t have before by being part of a community where someone is always aware of how she is doing.

As much as life has changed since Dora moved to Carlton House a year ago, some things remain the same: she still enjoys meals with her family, she still enjoys a good book, and she still enjoys her daily walks around Oak Bay – a place that has no doubt changed since she first arrived 60 years ago, but a place that will always be her home.

Senior communities today are not your grandma’s nurs-ing home. Sterile, overcrowded and institutional, the homes and hospitals of yesteryear have little in common with the luxurious, vibrant and bus-tling retirement residences of today. With so many amenities and friends all around, many seniors report that they prefer living in a community to living alone. Here are some common reasons why:

1. new friends!New friendships are at the

top of everyone’s lists when asked what they love about their new home. Seniors of-

ten become isolated after they leave the workforce – a danger-ous thing for both physical and psychological health. Retire-ment communities provide a wealth of social opportunities, and people are quick to become cherished friends.

2. no more yard & home maintenance

Maintaining a home is hard work, especially as you get older. When you move to a retirement community, chore-slike mowing the lawn, shov-elling snow, polishing floors and vacuuming all become things of the past – how nice does that sound?

3. engaging activitiesThere’s always something

going on at a senior commu-nity – whether you like to play bridge, discuss literature, ex-ercise or travel, there really is something for everyone. Most residences have a leisure ser-vices director who organizes both on-site activities and outings in the community. Some even do multi-night travel - leave the planning and logistics to them!

4. peace of mindResidents can rest easy

knowing that someone is al-ways there to help if they need it. Emergency response systems

in suites, as well as front desk security all help senior home residents (not to mention their families) feel safe and relaxed.

5. delicious, nutritious food

When people live alone, often there is little incentive to cook and eat balanced meals. In senior residences, not only do they get the nutrients they need, but the food actually tastes great. No more cheese sandwiches and canned soup! Plus, you can forget about meal planning, grocery shop-ping and clean-up - think of all the time you’ll have to do the things you truly enjoy!

“I’ve never seen such a willingness to listen, such

an ability to help.”

Dora Arneil at Halloween

Located in the heart of Oak Bay, Victoria, just steps away from local amenities, Carlton House is an ideal place for seniors looking to enrich their lives through commun-ity living, improve their general wellbeing and relax in beautiful surroundings, free from daily chores.

With 87 comfortable suites, beautifully landscaped gardens and elegant common areas, Carlton House satisfies ex-pectations for a physically-attractive, well-maintained and secure home, while also fostering a supportive community of enjoyment, camaraderie and pride.

Whether it’s the access to heath, education and commun-ity programming you seek, the peace of mind of 24-hour security and round-the-clock staffing, or the joy of being part of a thriving community, you’ll find it here. Call Alanna Hardinge-Rooney, Community Relations to learn more and book your tour. 250 - 595-1914

untreated hearing loss can hurt seniors’ social life and self-worth

A common affliction in older adults, hearing loss is actually the fastest growing chronic condition facing Ca-nadians today, and it’s one that can have a serious impact on a senior’s health and quality of life if left untreated.

In a study conducted by Statistics Canada in 2006, more than one million people reported difficulties hearing – however experts say that num-ber is likely much higher due to under-reporting.

The psychological impact of hearing loss can be devas-tating for seniors, who can be seen by others as uncommu-nicative, uncooperative, and even mentally incapacitated. Understandably, seniors often begin to withdraw from social interaction as they experience difficulty communicating, re-sulting in a heightened risk of depression.

Family members, friends and caregivers need to take proactive steps to reduce the

negative impact of hearing loss on seniors – notably by learn-ing to recognize the first signs of auditory difficulties. These can include speaking louder than is necessary, difficulty car-rying a telephone conversation and “zoning out” during group interactions.

If you think you or a loved one has a hearing problem, make an appointment with an audiologist, hearing specialist or ENT (ears nose and throat) doctor for an assessment. Tech-nological advances in hearing

aids and assistive devices in recent years have dramatically improved communication and quality of life for people living with hearing loss.

The National Council on the Aging in the U.S. recently conducted a survey of new hearing aid users and found that 56 per cent of respon-dents reported improved so-cial relations, and 50 per cent felt better about themselves than they did before they got their hearing aid.

With help available and an ever-increasing number of options on the market, there’s no reason to suffer the damag-ing physical, social and psy-chological effects of hearing loss!

“The psychological impact of hearing loss can be

devastating for seniors.”