Andrews Tribune Feb 2026 (3)

UPDATE FROM ANDREWS

Dear family members and friends of Andrews Senior Care,

We had a great start to the new year at our homes

Residents took part in a special “senior” prom at Parkhill, players from the Charlottetown Islanders visited residents, TOSH students dropped in for games and social time, we hosted special meals and men ’ s groups. It was a lot of fun!

This month, we will be celebrating Valentine’s Day, Islander Day, enjoying special live musical performances, including from Canadian composer Danny Carroll, and taking part in Mardi Gras festivities!

Wishing you all a happy start to February!

Sincerely,

Andrews Senior Care

H O C K E Y D A Y S A T A N D R E W S

A N D R E W S O F P A R K W E S T

Players from the QMJHL team the Charlottetown Islanders visited Andrews of Park Westn recently. The players answered questions, showed residents how to shoot a puck and spent some time chatting Thank you to the Charlottetown Islanders for making these special visits possible!

A N D R E W S O F S T R A T F O R D

Our men ’ s group at Andrews of Stratford recently met for a few games of pool noodle hockey. Dietitian Hamid Ferdowsi even jumped in for a game The guys had a blast

Our Park West men ’ s group also met this past month for a lively conversation where we took turns sharing what we would do if we were Prime Minister for a day

L O V E B I R D S

As part of our annual Valentine’s Day celebrations, we asked our resident couples to share with us their advice for a successful relationship Check out what they had to say!

Wayne and Gretchen Schleyer “Respect and love for each other and a commitment to stay and work at your marriage forever ” - Gretchen

“Just listening to each other.” - Iris

Raymond and Dorothy

“Sense of humour ” - Dorothy “I think you have to be prepared for that, not jump into it There has to be a great deal of determination. Determination both ways - when times are good and when times are tough ” - Raymond

L O V E B I R D S

“Good communication and loving one another, which we ’ ve done now for 63 years. ” -

“Just hang in there ” - Clyde

”

“Be

Compromise ” - Kent

“Look out for the other’s well-being ” - Heather

“Be

“Just being together and doing things together ”

“Food.

“Some days are great and some days aren’t as great You deal with it.” - Gloria

“Hope, I guess ” - Daniel

“Patience.

“Be true to one another

Love and care and understanding ”

“Yes ” - Mary

‘If you don’t use it, you lose it’

Staying active can lower risk of serious falls

Regular physical activity, specifically activity that promotes better balance, upper body mobility as well as leg and foot strength, is a proven defense against a serious fall.

At Andrews Senior Care and ProTem Memory Care, we work proactively to help our residents put their best foot forward when it comes to fall prevention by focusing on these types of exercise in our fitness classes.

“If you don’t use it, you lose it,” said Amanda Shea, activity director at ProTem Memory Care “Moving our ankles and our feet is often something we often overlook so we try to include it in absolutely all our exercises Having poor strength in your feet is actually one of the number one reasons for falls”

Amanda works exclusively with residents living with dementia, so her fitness program is tailored to meet their needs She often masks exercise as something fun, knowing residents will be more likely to engage if it’s cardio drumming, tai chi, yoga or Zumba

“That’s my sneaky way of doing it,” she said “I try to make it very engaging, really fun and sometimes short-lived Sometimes our exercises can last 45 minutes and other times 10 to 15 I read the residents, read the room I always want them to feel successful so I don’t want them to tire before it’s done”

Regardless, the goal is the same

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“Having that physical strength to catch yourself and hold yourself upright is of utmost importance,” she said

Briana Matthews, assistant activity director at Andrews of Stratford agrees.

“It’s really important for this demographic because as we age, we tend to lose muscle mass and just overall balance,” she said.“Maintaining that level through exercise and certain exercises focused on that is very important to help reduce the risk of a fall.”

Briana, a fourth-year kinesiology student at UPEI who previously worked with Spinal Cord Injury P.E.I., leads fitness classes along with activity direct Sharon Woods-Bryenton. The programs at all our Andrews homes follow a similar blueprint focused on low impact resistance exercises targeting the whole body including but not limited to, leg extensions, toe taps, weighted presses, and other chair-based mobility exercises

One of the best exercises for core and lower body strength is the squat However, the exercise can be challenging so moderated versions can be used depending on the person ’ s mobility, existing leg strength and overall comfort

“If the ability were there, I would recommend squats,” she said “That’s a reallife movement that translates well If you think of getting up and off the toilet or in and out of a chair or out of a bed, the squat movement very closely mimics that”

Whatever the exercise, the most important part is its real-life carryover

“We are just trying to replicate real life movements and keep going,” Briana said

Exercises classes at all our homes are available for residents a minimum of three days a week, often more. To learn more about our fitness programs or our activity schedule, visit www.andrewsseniorcare.com.

ANDREWS OF SUMMERSIDE

ANDREWS OF PARKHILL

PROTEM MEMORY CARE (MONCTON)

If you or someone you know is looking for more information, here are some helpful resources.

Community and Nursing Care Decision Guide

A comprehensive guide to help you select a community care or nursing home on Prince Edward Island Some topics covered in this guide:

How to navigate the senior care system on PEI (pg 4)

How to choose a community care or nursing home home (pg 11)

How to have the talk with your loved one (pg 28)

Home evaluation checklists (pgs 13 and 24)

Selling your home (pg 45)

This resources can be downloaded from the email version of this newsletter or by visiting www.communitycarepei.ca