There is one extra touch that Parminder prepares for a resident at Magnolia Gardens — she folds the woman’s small throw blanket into the shape of a rabbit and leaves it at the foot of her bed.
Why? Simply because the resident loves bunnies, and Parminder knows Origami, the art of folding things into shapes.
“We get to know our residents very well,” Parminder says. “Everyone has a little something that makes their suite a home… one lady likes to have her stuffies lined up on her bed too!”
Neatness matters, and Parminder learned to make her beds just like in a hotel: pillow under the blanket and tucked in tightly.
“We know how to look after seniors,” she adds. “My mother-in-law struggled with dementia, and I learned what it took to be there for her every day. It’s why I do what I do. She changed the way I thought about getting older.”
Parminder came to Surrey with her family in 1982 from Jalandhar, the oldest city in Punjab, in northwestern India.
Canada is now home, and she’s proud to be part of the Bria Communities family, a sentiment shared by her close friend and colleague Sheila, who moved to Langley in 1994.
Sheila has bragging rights… she’s been with Magnolia Gardens since it opened in 2001.
“I was driving by the building as it was under construction and noticed they were interviewing,” she says. “I was one of the first hires and I’m still here!”
While she started in the kitchen, she transitioned to housekeeping after two years. “Like Parminder, my mother-in-law’s situation made me appreciate how important it is for people to come home after hospital to a clean environment. It takes the worry away to have everything comfortable and tidy, with the bed made up.”
What has kept her at Magnolia for 15 years? “I love working here. Our manager understands us, and she makes everything go smoothly for us and our residents.”
Pam Murphy, Area General Manager for Bria Communities in Langley, is a key part of why Magnolia is so successful. “Since we were the first, we developed all the policies and the model for the business.”
“And we treat everyone like family,” she adds. “Everyone here knows that they can count on us for anything.”
Now, Bria Communities is the leader for resident satisfaction in British Columbia. According to a third-party survey company, Bria Communities consistently sees a 95% resident satisfaction rating for the experience they receive each year.
And it is those personal touches that Magnolia staff, like Parminder and Sheila give, that adds to the experience that our residents appreciate so much.
Very classy!
Want more information about what life is like at a Bria community? Contact Jane Bryce, Area Marketing Manager for Langley at 604.514.1210.
Comments