Garden Terrace pumpkin carvers Dominico, Monica and Harold.
Boo! OMNI homes celebrate Halloween
Friday November 2, 2007 -- Deron Hamel
Costume and makeup — $30. A few bags of chocolate bars and other sweets — $20. Making residents smile from ear to ear — priceless.

Streamway resident Bessie Nimmo gets into the Halloween spirit.

OMNI long-term care homes got into the Halloween spirit this year, with homes throwing parties and residents and staff members dressing up.

Vi O’Leary, life enrichment co-ordinator at Frost Manor, says Halloween was an all-day event at the Lindsay long-term home.

Frost Manor had an all-day Halloween party.

The day started at 10 a.m. with a visit from the Grade 5 students at St. Dominic’s school visit the home. The students — who visit the home as part of an intergenerational partnership — were dressed in their Halloween costumes and paraded around the home, much to the amusement of residents.

This marked the first visit of the year for the students and residents in the Grandfriends program. The students presented residents with a Halloween card they created. In return, the residents gave the students Halloween candy for the occasion.

In the afternoon, the Clogging Grandmas dance troupe provided entertainment for residents. In the evening, the home held a Halloween bingo in between a few visits from neighbourhood children who came trick-or-treating.

“The residents had a wonderful day,” says O’Leary. “They really do enjoy the kids.”

O’Leary notes that the yearly Halloween parties also bring back nice memories for residents.

“They talked about when they did stuff and reminisced,” she says.

Springdale's Maureen Imamovic and resident Elizabeth Kemp.

Springdale Country Manor in Peterborough also put on an event-filled Halloween for residents. The night before Halloween, staff members threw a party for residents and invited family members, including lots of grandchildren. Staff members also brought their children to the annual event.

“We had almost 40 kids this year,” says life enrichment co-ordinator Ann Dillon.

On Halloween, staff members, as well as a few residents, dressed up in a variety of costumes to mark the occasion.

And what did residents think of all the visits, parties and decorations?

“If you could have only seen the smiles on their faces,” says Dillon.

Garden Terrace also had a Halloween bash. The activity area at the Kanata long-term care home was packed with about 75 to 80 of the home’s 160 residents attending, says life enrichment co-ordinator Jeff Bedley.

The home’s festivities included best-costume contests for residents and staff members. Monica Burgess from the life enrichment department took top prize for best-dressed staff member for her nun’s costume. Lyra Ramus, who dressed as country singer Willie Nelson, received first prize for best-dressed resident.

“We got a good response and residents were really happy,” says Bedley.