Being co-chair on our Residents & Family Council

 What a wonderful few days it has been receiving family and friends Facebook birthday wishes, cards, ecards, texts, phone calls and outdoor visits. I was able to arrange 3 community walks too. We went about a block from my facility where there is playground equipment. The kids got to play for awhile so the adults get a chance to visit with minimal interruptions. The great thing was were the only ones there, so we had our own Covid-19 bubble for playing and visiting. Yesterday I had a Timmy’s tea - a special treat for sure. Thank you everyone for making my special day all that more special despite Covid-19 restrictions. 

As the recreational activities are primarily focused on the senior citizens in our facility. So I don’t tend to involve myself in these activities. With my cognitive skills, I have gotten involved by becoming co-chair of the Resident & Family Council. With becoming more confident in using my “voice” for not only myself but for my fellow residents too. With observing and overhearing issues,  I have been able to establish a good working relationship with our facility’s leadership team. This summer, we had issues with the central air system in our facility impacting 6W (where I live). My room would get up to 28c even though I had 2-3 fans going 24/7. It took almost 2 months, but the leadership finally reached out and I was introduced to a guy named Paul, who worked with AgeCare Corporate in the construction division. They have found there was an issue with the central air system. Unfortunately, you have many hoops to jump to arrive to a solution; plus we have to do things in priority. In June 2020, the northeast quadrant of Calgary was hit with a destructive hail and rain storm. Roofs, siding, and vehicle back windows were all smashed from the hail. Obviously, the priority right now is to fix the roof and siding of the facility. A friend recently told me, their priorities are correct because if the roof remains unfixed, we could have water damage which could lead to mould. Living on the top floor of the facility, would not be a good thing. By keeping on top of the issue, the job is getting done, just need to be patient. Surely by next spring/early summer I will have some AC for my room. How delightful that will be. For now, my 2 fans and an open window will have to do in the meantime to make my room comfortable. Having Guillian Barre Syndrome doesn’t help matters as this disease doesn’t allow me to regulate my own body temperature and then add hot 🥵 flashes. So when I feel overheated and flushed, I ask for my temperature to be checked if I am having a fever or not. Always interesting times with me.