A change is in store for the Centre d’hébergement du comté de Huntingdon (CHSLD) to help residents with Alzheimer’s and dementia to feel more at home.
Les Aidants du Haut-Saint-Laurent and the Société Alzheimer du Suroît (SAS) are partnering with the Huntingdon residential and long-term care centre, as well as the Table de concertation des aînés du Haut-Saint-Laurent and the leadership program at École Arthur-Pigeon high school, to create a “village” in the secured unit on the CHSLD’s first floor.
This will be the third project of this type to be spearheaded by the SAS in the region. The first My Village, My Community initiative took place at the Centre d’hébergement Ormstown in 2019, when the third-floor unit was painted to resemble a village. A second project soon followed at the Résidence le Château Romanoffe in Salaberry-de-Valleyfield.
SAS director Tonya Thibodeau says the project in Huntingdon is similar. A series of murals will be produced to improve the living conditions of the 30 residents living in the long-term care facility’s secured unit.
The project is being financed by the Montreal-based Grace Dart Foundation, which funds innovative projects that support the elder community.
Around 30 high school students from Arthur-Pigeon and community volunteers will help to paint the murals, which will feature elements of normal daily life in the Haut-Saint-Laurent such as street signs, houses, and stores. They will also depict familiar landscapes and landmarks to create a more stimulating environment for residents, their families, and CHSLD staff.
“The more sterile environment of the hallways will be transformed into a village so it looks more like what they left behind,” says Thibodeau, while explaining that this type of evnvironment can help residents to feel like they are part of a community.
“It is also a reminder for community members who are visiting that they are in someone’s living space,” she adds, emphasizing that visiting a loved one in a CHSLD is not the same as visiting a sick person in a hospital. “They are our neighbors, just living in a different place,” she continues. “It’s their home.”
The organizers are looking for volunteers to help with the project, which will take place on September 18, 19, and 20. No artistic experience is necessary, though artists are welcome to volunteer and will be given special tasks to enhance the project.
Those interested can contact Anyze Goyette at 514-793-7483, or by e-mail: anyze.goyette.cssshsl16@ssss.gouv.qc.ca.