Residence Amenities & Services

Programs & Activities

Our talented culinary teams thrive on creating a daily array of menu choices that are full of flavour and variety. Our Executive Chefs come from high-end hotels and restaurants and you’ll see their passion for food and hospitality come through in the delicious food they prepare everyday. Menu options don’t come down in a cookie-cutter approach from head office. At each residence, the Executive Chef and their culinary teams plan, prep and create their menu options to fit the tastes of their unique communities. Menus are designed around whole grains, fresh produce (some grown onsite in our own gardens), the right amount of protein and plenty of nutrients. In addition to regular well-balanced foods, we’re pleased to offer PARC SMART portion-controlled entrees which are low in sodium, saturated fat and concentrated sugars.

Meal Service

Special Diets

After a personal interview, a follow-up interview with our on-site Wellness Nurse or a Family Physician may be required.

• Testimonial from Betty-Joan

  A testimonial from Betty-Joan, daughter of a Westerleigh resident:

  “My whole family is thrilled at the quality of care and service being offered to my father in general, but his birthday was particularly heart-warming. We are most grateful to all the staff at Westerleigh PARC.”

• Real Life Resident Stories - Mona

  “The garden is a joy.”

  To Mona, life is one big adventure. “My only wish would be to live my life all over again”, she says. With her twinkling blue eyes and sharp sense of humour, she’s always in the mood for fun. When the Westerleigh hosted their Downton Abbey Tea Party, most of the residents attended in dress attire and millinery, but not Mona. In typical tongue-in-cheek style, she appeared in a maid’s costume, carrying a silver tea tray, to represent the “downstairs staff” of the series.

  Mona spent most of her youth in West Vancouver, where her mother owned and operated a restaurant on the current Park Royal site and Mona later worked for the British Pacific Properties company. She and her husband raised their three daughters in Ambleside and lived in their second home in the area for 58 years. Despite being a long-time native of the area, she was delighted to find one of her childhood friends, whose life had taken her far from Vancouver, living at the Westerleigh when she moved in!

  Mona had enjoyed tending the garden in her own home, and admired the landscaping at the Westerleigh. “The gardeners are so knowledgeable…they bring in the most unusual plants.” Yearning for somewhere to sit and enjoy the flora and fauna, she hinted, over several weeks, at a seating area and her wish came true, as the front garden of the Westerleigh now features several chairs, sun umbrella and patio tables, and some events have already been held there. Mona wasn’t surprised. “The staff are excellent here, highly skilled and funny. They bring in the most wonderful people.”

  In the fall, Mona plans on taking ukulele lessons from a fellow resident – when asked why the ukulele, she simply smiles, with a glint in her eye, and says “why not?”.

  That’s how it is at Westerleigh PARC: residents get involved. They stay active. And pursue passions. They eat healthier and laugh more. And with PARC’s focus on Independent Living+ program, it’s easy to see how life’s just better here.

• Real Life Resident Stories - Dave

  “We’ve met so many interesting people.”

  Dave’s career as a geophysicist took himself and his family around the globe, and although he and his wife have now settled in at the Westerleigh, they are far from slowing down. The couple still travel regularly to visit the many friends they made in the almost two decades they lived in Australia. “It’s nice to go on a trip and not think about your house”, says Dave. “Lots of people here at the Westerleigh travel.”

  In between trips, and his work with the Canadian Club of Vancouver, Dave found time to start a cribbage group at the Westerleigh. The game has been a favourite in Dave’s family for generations, and many residents who have joined the group haven’t played in many years. Dave plans to challenge other PARC residences to a championship and has started an ongoing tournament with his extended family.

  Another thing Dave likes about the Westerleigh is the people they have met. “There is so much common ground – we’ve made connections and have many things to talk about.” And with all that practice at the cribbage table, the conversations keep on flowing.

  That’s how it is at Westerleigh PARC:  it’s so easy to embrace your interests or start something brand new. And with PARC Retirement Living’s focus on maintaining a healthy body and mind through our Independent Living+ program, it’s easy to see how life’s just better here.

• Preventing falls

  One moment you’re reaching for that teapot on the upper shelf of your kitchen. The next, you’re on the floor writhing in pain, chastising yourself for having not been more careful.

  It’s oh too common. One-third of people aged 65 years and over typically fall once or more in any calendar year, and nearly one-half of people in long-term care facilities were admitted because they had a fall.

  Break your hip, and it can be even worse. Half of those who do, never regain their pre-fall level of functioning. The good news? There is plenty you can do to help prevent falls from happening.

  Naturally, you can’t entirely eliminate the risk of falling (short of sitting in your chair all day and not going anywhere).  Yet there are precautions you can take.

  So, what contributes to a fall?

  It’s all about balance. Having a lack of stability or the inability to recover your balance is the most common reason for falls.

  There are a number of factors that contribute to a lack of balance:

  • Chronic illnesses like strokes, Parkinson’s Disease, arthritis and heart disease can cause instability.

  • Taking multiple medications or inappropriate use of meds increases the risk of falling.

  • Age-related sensory changes like poor eyesight or hearing, muscle weakness or poor gait

  • An over-indulgence in alcoholic beverages

  • Slippery floors, throw rugs and loose carpeting

  • Walking surfaces cluttered with objects like cords, pet dishes or newspapers

  • Carrying heavy or awkward bags or purses

  What can you do?

  The three most beneficial actions you can take are: exercise, exercise and exercise. Whether it’s Tai Chi, chair yoga, resistance training in the gym or Nordic walking, it’s important to keep your muscles on the move. You’ll retain strength and balance to help prevent a weakening of the muscles that can lead to a fall. The other benefit is that if you DO fall, stronger muscles will help you cushion the fall and help protect the bones against possible breaks.

  If you’re on medications, ensure you keep regular appointments with PARC’s Wellness Nurse to review them, especially if dosages change or your condition changes.

  If you indulge in alcoholic beverages, ensure you are sitting down at the time, and ask for help if you need it to stand up, and even get to your room. Staff are always available to assist.

  Take stock of your suite. Are there loose items lying around you could trip over, or unstable surfaces? Try and clear any potential hazards.

  Try to minimize what you need to carry around. Extra bags and big purses can easily throw one off balance.

  If you have an assistive walking device, use it. Always.

  Don’t be shy in asking for help reaching for difficult-to-reach items.

  Eat regularly. PARC cuisine offers you all the nutritional benefits your body needs. By eating well and eating regularly, you will help prevent your joints, muscles and bones from weakening.

   

  Through PARC Retirement Living’s Independent Living+ program, we have a full complement of resources and services to help promote your health through active aging. We offer exercise classes, a gym, wellness nurse, chauffeur service, PARC SMART nutritional options and more. By actively utilizing these resources, you’ll be doing your best to prevent muscle deterioration, helping to prevent falls.

   

• PARC Chef and Nutritionist featured in Vancouver Sun

  Good food.  Food that is good for you. Often, and particularly at retirement residences, those two concepts are mutually exclusive. Not so at PARC Retirement Living.

  Featured in the Vancouver Sun, PARC Retirement Living Executive Chef, Joseph Schefer & Manager of Active Living, Rob Huppée showed a group recently at Cedar Springs PARC that healthy eating at our retirement residences is nothing short of amazing!  Read the article.

  Almond Crusted Chicken Piccata recipe featured at this event

A gorgeous, bright retirement home in one of the most desirable areas in the world, Westerleigh PARC was built in 2013 to meet the needs of seniors who appreciate the best in life. Offering breathtaking balcony vistas of English Bay and the shoreline on one side, and the mountains on the other, this elevates senior living to new heights. Aside from the beauty outside, there is a list of extraordinary features inside.

There are too many exceptional aspects of this retirement residence to highlight one, but a summary description of Westerleigh PARC would focus on the lifestyle you can live here. Onsite you'll find a movie theatre, greenhouse, wine room, a fitness studio, a bistro, and spa. Chef-prepared meals are a daily given, and there is also a private chauffeur service available. If you want to live well, this is the place to go.