Last month, Magnolia Gardens celebrated its 15 year anniversary, and Langley Times wrote a feature on how we are providing care for the growing population of seniors in the past fifteen years.
Excerpt
Pam Murphy is currently the Area General Manager for Magnolia Gardens. But a few years before the building was built she was selling condos for a development company and happened to sit down with an older gentleman who questioned why everyone was building for first time home buyers and condos and no one was addressing the needs of the growing senior population.
“He made a lot of sense,” Pam recalls, “So I introduced him to the President of our company and we embarked on this new concept of providing homes and communities for seniors.
Magnolia Gardens opened its doors in September of 2001 in the heart of Langley with a warm country atmosphere, surrounded by nature. The 115-suite building is just blocks from the library and near many shops and services, and offers two excellent choices in supportive housing: independent living and Licensed Care, which provides 24-hour nursing care.
Both Magnolia Gardens and Sunridge Gardens are part of Bria Communities which privately owns and operates four properties under the Bria name: Magnolia Gardens in Langley, Sunridge Gardens in Murrayville, The Waterford and The Wexford, both in Tsawwassen.
Bria represents a family of unique, individually-managed residences that share a core set of values and systems, to provide seniors with the best possible independent living experience. Putting value on respect, teamwork, building community and leading the way by taking initiative and always putting the residents’ best interests first.
Pam took the reins in 2002 after some coaxing from both management and staff. “I soon began to see the void we were filling. We had residents that had seen the need to downsize and move. We had people who had lost spouses and some that came to us with that feeling that ‘nobody cares.”‘
By restoring a sense of community and safety and providing comfort and nutrition, residents soon began to regain a sense of worth and with a renewed sense of purpose, their lives had meaning again.
There is a waiting list for the 24 hour care suites which indicates the growing need for these types of facilities. “We are one of the few senior’s communities where residents can transition from independent living to licensed 24 hour nursing care. This means that we provide this care to our residents first before we offer it outside.”
There is a wide range of residents with the youngest being 58 and the oldest checking in at 104. “We see people coming to us later in life, people are living longer and many are able to stay at home longer than they did before. We have three residents at 94, 96, and 97 that have been here for the full fifteen years.”
Continue reading by downloading the full article below.
Comments