Woodingford Connections
November 2023
Good day to our residents and families this beautiful and extended fall season! Woodingford Lodge has been busy this fall season. Some important news we want residents and families to be aware of: starting on October 19, Woodingford staff members were back to wearing surgical masks at all times. Woodingford has resumed universal masking at all three locations during this respiratory season due to increased risk of illness transmission. Our main goal is to keep residents, staff and visitors safe! We are also recommending family members wear a mask when in the resident home areas. We are following universal masking as a temporary measure for now and will be re-assessing the need for this on a weekly basis.
We are happy to report that the application process to build a new Woodingford Lodge in Ingersoll is progressing. We hope to soon receive approval from the Ministry of Long Term Care. This is an opportunity for Woodingford to help address the need for long-term care in Oxford County.
On behalf of Oxford County's Senior Management Team, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who participated in the 2024 Budget Survey. Oxford County Council has reviewed the survey results and the County's departments and programs are looking to address the feedback provided by that survey through the 2024 Business Plan and Budget process, which starts November 15. Spending on long-term care was one of the top three areas identified by respondents as an area to enhance budget spending.
Wishing you all some time to enjoy your family and friends and take in the unique colours of fall. Stay safe and take care of each other.
Mark Dager
Director of Woodingford Lodge
Amanda Grint has moved into a new role as Social Service Worker. Amanda has a Social Service Worker and Gerontology background and was previously a part of the BSO (Behavioural Supports Team). Amanda is available to provide emotional support to residents and families throughout their time at Woodingford Lodge, including supporting residents and through the transition when moving into long-term care, during grief and bereavement, and assisting with end-of-life planning. Amanda will be starting family support groups and resident grief support groups in the coming months: please stay tuned.
Amanda can be reached at extension 2087 or at agrint@oxfordcounty.ca
Thank you to everyone for completing the 2023 Satisfaction Surveys. Your feedback is appreciated will be used to determine our priorities for Woodingford's improvement initiatives. Our goal is to provide exceptional services for our residents and family members. Survey results and action plans for improvement will be shared by Amie Wilker, Manager of Operations, at November’s Resident Council meeting and December's Family Council meeting.
Family Council is looking for members to help improve the quality of long-term care at Woodingford Lodge and give families a forum for sharing their experiences, learning, and exchanging information.
The Family Council works with residents' family members and Woodingford staff to identify and resolve areas of concern, plan activities for residents and staff, fundraise, and support one another.
If you are interested in joining the Family Council for any three of the Woodingford Lodge sites, please call:
Woodstock: 519-421-5556
Ingersoll: 519-485-7053
Tillsonburg: 519-688-4874
It’s been a busy fall and the Recreation team in Ingersoll is gearing up for a full schedule of fun and festivities in the holiday season! Easter Egg plants are blooming like crazy and our bumper crop is still bursting, so if you would like to add to your collection, please stop by the Ingersoll Activity Room. Plants are $2 each. Thank you for supporting our horticulture program!
We were on the moooooove! 🐮🚌 Many thanks to Kris and Tom Pettit and the cows at Mistyglen Holsteins and Mistyglen Creamery for another fun morning on the farm! We always learn so much when we visit them, and we enjoyed the delicious cheese curds and chocolate milk at lunch when we returned. We look forward to our visit again next year!
The Recreation team in Tillsonburg has been busy this fall, celebrating Thanksgiving and gearing up for Halloween!
Check out some of our pumpkins from our Pumpkin carving contest below.
The pumpkin carving contest put on by the Recreation team in Woodstock was a huge success, with 21 pumpkins entered into the contest! Stay tuned to see who won.
The week of October 16-20 was Infection Prevention and Control Week, celebrated with the start of the annual Fall Fun Fair!
The Woodstock site’s fall fair took place on October 17 with 55 staff, residents, and visitors attending the variety of infection control-themed stations, including: hand hygiene, policy review, donning and doffing of personal protective equipment, and a pledge to clean our hands. Lots of learning occurred and two lucky winners won a seasonal gift basket from Coyle’s of Tillsonburg.
The Ingersoll site hosted its fall fair October 19, with 24 residents, staff and visitors participating. Ingersoll’s lucky draw winners are to be announced soon!
Due to an ongoing outbreak, Tillsonburg’s fall fair has been temporarily postponed with a new date to be announced soon.
As noted in the message from the Director of Woodingford Lodge, Woodingford has resumed universal masking at all three sites due to increased risk of illness transmission. This is a temporary measure that we are re-assessing on a weekly basis.
Festive dinners
The Dietary Department is excited to be hosting holiday season dinners in each of the Woodingford Lodge locations! Dinners are limited to two guests per family; however, if there is a need for additional guests for your family, please reach out. Dates and RSVP deadlines for each site are listed below.
The festive dinner menu includes tomato juice or cranberry punch, roast turkey, cranberry sauce, stuffing, mashed potato with turkey gravy, dinner roll, mashed turnip and mixed vegetable. Dessert offerings include apple pie, pumpkin pie with topping, chocolate cream pie or fruit salad.
Ingersoll: Wednesday, December 6 at 6:00 p.m. - RSVP by November 27 at 4:00 p.m.
Woodstock: Wednesday, December 13 at 6:00 p.m. - RSVP by December 1 at 4:00 p.m.
Tillsonburg: Wednesday, December 20 at 6:00 p.m. - RSVP deadline December 11th at 4:00 p.m.
Family recipes
Do you have a favourite family recipe you would like to share? We are looking for recipes from families to incorporate into our menus. If you have a favourite family recipe, please submit to cmills@oxfordcounty.ca.
Birthday treats
A reminder for families and visitors: if you would like to bring in a birthday cake/cupcake for residents to enjoy, please book this with the Recreation Department by contacting your Woodingford Lodge site:
Woodstock: 519-421-5556
Ingersoll: 519-485-7053
Tillsonburg: 519-688-4874
The change in seasons is a great opportunity to tidy up closets and assist your loved one with the change-over from summer clothes to winter clothes in their wardrobes. We encourage residents to have warm jackets, hats and mitts, as outings with the Recreation Team continue through the winter months.
With Christmas around the corner, please remember that any electronic items added to rooms must first be assessed by Maintenance for safety purposes.
This year, Woodingford Lodge has committed to sponsoring local families for the holiday season through a program by Oxford County's Human Services (Social Services) department. A "wish tree" will be set up in the lobby of each Woodingford Lodge site in November that is decorated with wish/gift items to help make the holiday season special for a local family needing help.
If you would like to donate, please choose and item from the tree, purchase the item, then return it to the front office unwrapped by Sunday, December 10. You may also choose to drop off a purchased gift card as a donation, to be used to purchase items on the wish list.
Thank you for supporting local families in need and helping to give back to our community!
Please call 1-800-755-0394, ext. 2097 or email woodingford@oxfordcounty.ca
Read this newsletter online: www.oxfordcounty.ca/woodingfordconnections