Frost Manor is going “cottaging”
Wednesday, August 3, 2006 -- Craig Anderson
Six residents will be joining Vi O’Leary and a restorative care aide in early September for Frost Manor’s second annual three day cottage outing.

Staff and residents from four other Lindsay area homes will also join the Frost team.

Multi-home ventures are common in the Lindsay region, explains O’Leary.

“We all get along very well,” she says. Joining Frost are Caressant Care Lindsay, Caressant Care Lindsay on McLaughlin Rd., Extendicare Kawartha Lakes, and Victoria Manor.

Residents from the five homes will be staying at Eaglewood Enterprises, a community-oriented, fully accessible family resort. Eaglewood is located in Pefferlaw, one of five communities in Georgina, a town on the shores of Lake Simcoe.

O’Leary tries to replicate the slow-paced cottage life as much as possible on the outing. Mornings start with bacon and eggs, the group goes for walks and plays board games and bingo. Lying out in the sun is also a regular option.

“It’s a beautiful thing,” she says. “We encourage people to sleep in.”

Last year, the outing’s first, O’Leary took three male and three female residents. She plans to take a different group in 2006.

The group stays for three days and two nights. The cottages are cheaply priced - $38 dollars a night.

O’Leary, with RPN training, doesn’t require a nurse to attend the three-day trip, which lowers costs. She will, however, invite a restorative care aide to accompany her. The trip isn’t exactly “relaxing” for staff, she says, especially when wheelchairs are involved.

“It can be exhausting but it’s still a lot of fun,” says O’Leary.

Mutually organized events amongst Lindsay-area homes are common, reflecting both strong relationships and proximity of location.