Seaview foundation makes a difference
Nordic chair latest addition to long-term Glace Bay facility
GLACE BAY — Residents at Seaview Manor are benefitting from the projects the long-term care home's foundation is getting behind.
The most recent was the purchase of a therapeutic chair designed to help people with Alzheimer's or other types of dementias, which was purchased earlier this year.
The Nordic Wellness Rocking Chair cost $17,000 and the Seaview Manor Seniors Foundation raised the money.
Designed to help people with dementia control responsive behaviours like wandering, screaming or verbal aggressions, the chair has three pre-sets and can rock, play music and vibrate. It also has a weighted blanket, which is known to help calm people when dealing with anxiety.
“I've asked if I could go use it sometime,” joked foundation president Katherine MacDonald.
“The chair helps folks come to a level where they're not so upset anymore. When the idea was brought to the board, we said we'd definitely support it.”
The foundation also funds a bursary program for staff training and professional development, buys gifts for residents at Christmas and stocks supplies for residents who arrive with little or no belongings.
Now the foundation is working toward their next fundraising goal — $80,000 — to purchase an accessible van that will better accommodate the residents, a need highlighted by Seaview Manor staff and management.
“We follow their lead because they know what the residents need,” MacDonald said. “It really does make a difference to the folks who live at Seaside Manor.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, fundraising for the new van has been slowed.
MacDonald said the foundation had partnered up with Town House Citizens Service League to hold a Chase the Ace fundraiser, but it was cancelled as part of Nova Scotia's pandemic response.
The foundation is slowly raising money again, through barbecues at the long-term care home and are brainstorming other ideas.
MacDonald said they do accept donations and they can be made through the website (www.seaviewmanor.ca) or by calling the nursing home at 902-849-7300.