Living at Streamway is a 'whole new beginning'
Tues. August 14, 2007 -- Jim Taylor, Streamway Villa resident
You have all seen, heard or read horror stories about nursing homes, of how the elderly are abused and neglected. Well, this isn’t one of them. I have been a resident of Streamway Villa for close to 17 months and have never regreted my move. I was not placed here by family members but decided I needed help. Like anyone beginning a new and different lifestyle, I was skeptical. How would I respond to things like shared bathrooms and sometimes strange sounds around me? I needn’t have been.

As soon as I entered the building I was warmly greeted by several smiling staff members. The first resident to greet me was Barb LeBlanc, one of our younger ladies. She asked me if I played cribbage. When I said yes I was challenged to a game. On the way to my room I was shown the activity board. There I paused for over five minutes and the first activity that caught my eye was an event called trivia circle. Being a trivia buff I was eager to take part. When I saw other activities like fun & fitness, happy hour, a weekly bingo game and many others I knew I had come to the right place.

If one wants to be active and likes music there is plenty to keep you occupied. Over the 16 plus months I’ve lived here I’ve managed to make a number of friends and engaged in countless games of euchre, scrabble and several others. You’d be surprised at the quality of the entertainment we get, on a limited budget. Some may think residents have little to say about what goes on here. WRONG. We have our own Residents’ Council which meets once a month to air our beefs or make suggestions to better our conditions.

Like most care giving establishments we could do with a larger staff and an extended budget.  This, however, does not affect the quality of care. The staff of Streamway Villa is a group of dedicated people who come to work with the needs and well being of the residents foremost in their minds. Their lack of numbers is more than made up for by hard work and devotion to duty. So if you’re looking for a nursing home scandal, look somewhere else.

The most interesting aspect of any nursing home is the people who live there. Among our fifty plus residents many former occupations are represented. We have retired farmers, tradesmen and a school teacher. Also we have a number of ex-servicemen, including an ex-merchant mariner and a former paratrooper. On the distaff side we also have various livelihoods.  These include a lady who worked at the war plant in Ajax and a ship-building facility in Toronto. Another lady became an office manager while still a teen. Both met their husbands at the work-place, the latter, along with hubby recently celebrated their 62nd anniversary. Along with the variety of occupations you will find a virtual potpourri of life experiences.

To conclude, it may be the belief of some that entering a nursing home means the end. To me it has meant a whole new beginning.