Day Centre Celebrates 25 Years of Making Life Better
Arlene Rudski describes going to the Saint Margaret Day Centre as a day at the spa, “I enjoy myself for the day and I don’t have to think about anything. I come home with a stimulated mind and body. We do chair exercises, I learn things and the lunches are very good, too.”
The Day Centre is currently celebrating its 25th anniversary.
Its mission continues to be about helping older adults maintain their independence while enhancing their quality of life.
While clients are at the Day Centre, caregivers at home enjoy some respite.
Rudski has been a client of the Day Centre for two years.
Diane Davis has been attending the Day Centre for four years and says, “It’s something to look forward to. The exercises keep me moving. The staff is fantastic; they make my day.”
The Saint Margaret Day Centre, which is accepting new clients, offers music and art therapy, baking, exercises, group outings, discussion sessions and much more.
Mark Lovell, who has been a Day Centre client since March, says he enjoys the element of surprise, “There are the usual activities like physiotherapy and exercise, but then, out of the blue, someone is asking how you feel about arranged marriages and it makes you discuss, debate and think. I like that.”
Davis also appreciates the debates.
She makes bracelets during art sessions which are sold at Boutique trésors, open to the public one day a week in the lobby of the Saint Margaret Residential Centre.
Susan Wight’s amigurumi is also sold at the boutique. Rudski holds a sample of Wight’s crocheted animals on her lap.
“I like coming here because I’m not alone,” explains Wight, quietly. “I don’t mind being alone at home, but I don’t like being lonely. There’s a big difference. I’ve made a lot of friends and although I don’t really have any family of my own, these people are now my family, everybody here.”
Wight is teaching the art instructor how to crochet.
“I’ve always felt a sense of security being here, whatever happens,” offers Lovell, who says his favorite activity at the Day Centre is the book club, during which stories are interpreted and analyzed.
“It’s always a pleasure to see other people arguing about points of view,” he says. “You think a certain way and now you’re questioning things, and that kind of discussion is very helpful, very nice.”
Elizabeth Mourelatos has been an Educator at Saint Margaret Day Centre since it opened in 1999, “We are one of the only Day Centres in Quebec that has managed to stay open through renovations, repeated leadership changes and the pandemic. We have held on, in every measure, to continue giving this type of service to our clientele, members of an age group that is, unfortunately in North America, forgotten too often.”
Rest assured, no one is forgotten at the Saint Margaret Day Centre.
“Everything that is done here is done with a sense of humor,” says Rudski. “It makes us laugh. It’s light. It’s enjoyable. We come here smiling and laughing, and we leave here smiling and laughing. We have a good day and go home refreshed.”
We should all be so lucky.