RETIREMENT COMMUNITY LIVING
Your Questions Answered by Dawn Lyons
As General Manager of Queensview Retirement Community, and over 25 years of experience, I’m happy to help with any questions you may have with regard to living a good life in retirement. Email me your inquiries on retirement living: [email protected]
MAKING FAMILY MEMORIES
During this holiday season it is a great time to take steps to preserve your family's memories because if your family doesn't have a storyteller, family history could eventually disappear. These ideas may help inspire you to make memories and help your parents leave a legacy for the generations to come.
Gather Those Family Photos
Those shoeboxes full of disorganized photos, stacks of dusty photo albums, and slides no one has looked at for years are a treasure chest of memories waiting to spring back to life by digitally scanning old prints and then save them onto CDs or DVDs or an external hard drive to make a digital scrapbook.
Get Your Pen Ready
Listening to seniors re-tell their stories of old, but we now need to start captioning those stories by, life writing activities. These may be done individually or at family gatherings. In group activities, members are encouraged to prepare, in advance, information about family relationships, life accomplishments, school, work and major life. Recording or transcribing your talks will create documentation of their life that will be a priceless resource to you after they are gone and to many relatives that will come after them.
Collect Family Recipes
Many families strengthen their bond and maintain their identity by passing on recipes from generation to generation. A recipe book can be one of the most powerful ways to leave a legacy because it takes us back to the table, or kitchen where it all began; where the childhood memories started. Encourage the younger children to voice which dishes, or baking, they love the best. In collecting all of our family’s recipes in one place, we are creating a treasure for many generations to enjoy, no matter where they are living and the connection it creates is a strong one.
Create a Memory Treasure Chest
A memory treasure chest box should reflect the interests or a moment in history that has meaning to the individual and future generations. The box should be large enough to accommodate meaningful items from the past such as jewelry, toys, family pictures, memorabilia from a trip, ribbons, buttons, cards, drawings, old love letters, poems, your corsage or boutonniere from your high school prom, a playbill from the first date with your spouse. Involving your family as much as possible will make your presence in their memories even stronger.
At Queensview we are part of your Memory Treasure Chest and we know it is essential that family and friends are able to not only remember your life, but also celebrate it. There are many ways to ensure this can happen, but perhaps the most touching and lasting way is by leaving a personal remembrance for to those you love.
VISIT, LIVE IT, LOVE IT
A visit, or a lunch are good ways to experience the community. Even better, try an overnight stay as this will enable you to connect with residents and talk with them about their experiences. Queensview Retirement Community offers independent, enhanced, short term and recuperative stays. We provide complimentary consultations, home visits and personalized orientations. We are here for you, please call us at 519 442 5621.
Queensviewrc.ca
