Royal Oak Village recently received a check for $6,000 from the Lacombe Rotary Club to pay for sidewalks in their new outdoor courtyard.
The Memory Care Cottage at Royal Oak Village provides a locked door seeting to care for 22 seniors with dementia.
Due to safety and wandering, The Family Council decided to create a safe outdoor space that residents can access independently.
Research has shown that outdoor space and activity has positive effects for people with dementia, included decreased agitation levels and increased emotional well-being. More social interactions have also been shown.
Funded through Christenson Communities, a large, secure area was constructed last summer along the west side of the building. D&M Concrete then donated concrete to create the sidewalk and the County of Lacombe also donated gravel and helped remove the sod.
The $6,000 grant from the Rotary Club will go towards hiring a contracted to form and finish the sidewalk.
Upon completion of the sidewalk, the space will be ready for walks, picnics, gardening and other recreational activities like balloon volleyball and lawn bowling.
“Families are extremely grateful to the Lacombe Rotary Club for their generous donation,” said Fran Kimmel, chair of the Family Council for the Memory Care Cottage. “This project has been driven by our love for our moms, dads, and spouses with dementia. There are no other locked-door facilities specifically designed for dementia residents here in Lacombe, and we want it to be the best it can be.
“Now they will have a lovely back yard that they can enter and leave as they choose, which will make a huge difference in their lives, and for those who will come after them.”
-Submitted by the Lacombe Rotary Club