Bethany Manor Saskatoon
110 La Ronge Road S7K 7H8 Saskatoon, SK, Canada

A message from Jerry Letkeman, Executive Director: A simple act can demonstrate love in profound ways. In my teens I had a summer job as a carpenter’s helper. One day I was working on a three-person house-building crew that included my father and another gentleman. I was assigned to do a challenging task on my own, away from the other two. I did it and reported back. The other gentleman came to me and expressed some doubt as to how I could have done it so quickly. At that poi...nt, as I reaffirmed to that gentleman and my father that I had indeed done the job exactly as ordered, I saw something that has remained seared in my memory for over 45 years. My Dad showed a little grin. It was short, but oh how sweet. You see, my father’s background did not wire him to openly demonstrate approval to his children. In that moment his grin, affirming my abilities, was deeply moving. This Valentine’s Day, along with deep appreciation for the love Ruth and I have shared over the years, I will remember my father’s approval. See more

A message from Jerry Letkeman, Executive Director Let’s learn from 2020 instead of writing it off as fast as we can. May I suggest some lessons? People are resilient. Sometimes, the tougher the circumstances the more resilience is demonstrated. The human spirit and the urge to survive are powerful gifts from our Creator. This pandemic will come to an end, just as the Dirty 30s, WW II, the prevalence of polio and tuberculosis came to an end. Vaccines are being administered... and life will return to some sense of normalcy. Relationships are at the heart of what makes life worth living. Whatever time you invest in relationships is time well spent. If you have a life partner freely express your love to that person. Nurture your friendships with a note or a call or as you are able. It’s the most important priority of life. Pandemic or not, loving, supportive relationships are the key to a rich and rewarding life. Faith in God helps you to live a life beyond yourself. It provides motivation to make sacrifices for the common good. As Christians we seek to honour Christ’s call to build the kingdom of God. The good news of God’s kingdom is that injustice, disease, sin, and oppression are never the last word. Through Jesus Christ the last word is justice, healing, forgiveness, and hope. Faith empowers us to make this world a better place. Thank you for the sacrifices you have made for the safety of the Bethany Manor community. See more

The Medical Officer has lifted our status as having a suspect outbreak. This is based on no new reports of residents testing positive for COVID-19 and sufficient time having passed since the last incubation period. We are very grateful. Due to this decision common and activity areas will be reopened. Please strictly observe the specific signage regarding each room’s usage. Authorities have advised that puzzling activities are not recommended in the activity rooms and th...erefore, at this point, puzzling activity is limited to individuals in suites. Residents are asked to use sanitizer before and after all activities. Residents are asked to repeatedly use hand sanitizer for activities where common items are touched such as billiards, ping pong, shuffleboard, etc. Please bring your own hand sanitizer as we cannot guarantee that supplied sanitizer will remain in these rooms. Failure to follow these protocols will result in activity rooms being closed. We deeply appreciate the activities of our volunteer cleaners in these areas and other common spaces and humbly ask that they continue their efforts. We ‘re happy to report that Worship Services will resume on Jan. 24. CORRECTION: the restriction on essential visitors only has NOT been lifted. Only visitors deemed ESSENTIAL can enter Bethany (providing a care support or service that the resident cannot do for themselves). As before we ask that these visitors wear masks, sanitize upon entry, maintain social distancing, and go directly to the suite they are visiting. No visitors in common areas or in the Nook convenience store. Service providers (foot care, massage, beauty salon, barber, etc.) are permitted to resume their services. If you have questions on service providers, please contact Angela Schmiemann, Quality of Life Coordinator, at 306-220-8763. The Health Authority encourages residents to use continued caution and to keep track of their interactions with others. In that way, if any new cases emerge, they are better able to investigate connections. Please note that the mask wearing order for public indoor spaces continues to be in effect until we hear otherwise from the provincial authorities. Please continue to practice social distancing, mask wearing and hand hygiene protocols. Thank you for your ongoing cooperation, it has been amazing!

Good morning everyone. Check out Metcalfe Gardens Retirement 12 Days of COVID for a great laugh

Good morning everyone. Check out this link by typing in Metcalfe Gardens Retirement COVID 12 Days of Christmas for a great laugh!

A message from Jerry Letkeman, Executive Director Over the last few days (as of Dec 18) we have encountered news of 2 COVID cases at Bethany Manor. Both of the people who have contracted the virus live in the same suite. We pray that the residents who have contracted the virus will come through this well and that they will have peace during this stressful time. This has caused us to close down activities for 30 days and increase our vigilance to do whatever we can to elim...inate transmission. This, coupled with the most recent government regulations, has created the recipe for a difficult Christmas. When normally we look forward to connecting with family and friends we now need to anticipate just the opposite. This is disappointing for all involved. Part of good health is mental health and the circumstances we face will clearly put a strain on our abilities to cope. I want to encourage you to connect with others by whatever safe means possible. A phone call, a video chat, perhaps even going old school and writing a handwritten letter to a loved one. There is always room in our hearts to contemplate what we are grateful for and this may be a time when that contemplation may need to be especially deep. If you have a loved one at Bethany Manor please consider a plan of action over the holiday season so that you give due diligence to promoting good mental, psychological and spiritual health. Government regulations do make allowance for a single person to connect with one other dedicated household providing that the total bubble does not exceed five. We ask that families consider that option if their circumstances fall within those guidelines. Please refer to our website to view the details of our most recent communiques. Remember the story of Christ’s birth. The circumstances were very difficult but there was good news of God’s presence and a hope for the future. God bless you! See more

Every day Sue adds more Christmas decorations & sparkle to make the Villa residents feel the spirit & joy of Christmas. The residents have been busy crafting & decorating and wanted to show everyone their Christmas hallway all lit up. They miss everyone but are happy to have such a loving, caring & safe place to have Christmas.

A message from Jerry Letkeman, Executive Director As a young couple my wife and I were heavily involved in ministry in our church and community. It seems we felt obligated to say yes to every opportunity. We overdid it. This continued for many years. The weekly activities began to feel like a joyless treadmill. Eventually we had to make serious adjustments. You can't sustainably help others if you don’t take care of yourself. Self-care includes taking time for adequate rest a...nd personal rejuvenation. It means saying no to good opportunities. It involves reducing interaction with those who are so incredibly needy that they single-handedly wring the life out of you. If you don’t take care of yourself, you cannot reach or sustain your God-given potential of helping others. One of the names for the Saviour child was Emmanuel or God with us. Jesus helped those whose lives were broken and yearned for wholeness. That need for wholeness is even more pronounced during these times of isolation. If you follow Jesus, you are part of that God with us idea. It may be noticing someone who feels forgotten or bringing a smile or a chuckle to someone who hasn’t smiled or chuckled for awhile. It might be doing whatever the Spirit leads you to do so that others, and perhaps even you yourself, realize again that God is here among us. But remember that even Jesus took time to retreat and take care of himself. Do the same and serve well!

***Mandatory mask wearing is in effect in all common areas of Bethany including but not limited to building entrances, Canada Post mailbox areas, halls, elevators, stairwells, activity rooms, gift shop, etc.***

Dear friends of Bethany Manor: Thank you for your ongoing support of Bethany Manor during the current pandemic. Although we cannot gather in person, we can be together in spirit for our Bethany Manor (Virtual) Fall Celebration... November 2nd/3rd/4th Online - At your convenience https://bethany55plusliving.ca/2020Celebration/index.html Please watch our video program to share our thanks, prayer, and song as we celebrate what we have and look at the good work the Assisted Living & Personal Care Fund (ALPC) does for our residents in need. Donors to Bethany in 2019 are welcome to enjoy a Bethany cinnamon bun to enjoy in the comfort of your own home as you tune in to the video program. To receive your bun, we ask that you RSVP to the Bethany front desk by October 29th. We also appreciate hearing from you if you do not wish to receive your bun at this time (but appreciate our offer!). Our residents & staff value your well wishes during this trying time. Please maintain all social distancing, directional arrows, and hygiene protocols during pick up. Special thanks to our sponsors Valley Meats, AODBT, Mennonite Trust Limited and Dalmeny Funeral Home for their support! THANK YOU for your ongoing support, encouragement of our community and stay healthy!

A message to our Residents from Jerry Letkeman, Executive Director: During this pandemic, it seems, individuals and groups have had to deal with a giant stop sign whenever they contemplate returning to normal life. Bethany residents are no exception. In order to counteract this I would like to offer some suggestions of what residents can do, not just what they can’t. Here we go You can visit a friend in their suite or invite them over. You can have lunch with them, either... by bringing your meal over or by hosting them (I noticed this at Thanksgiving when we delivered turkey dinners. Residents came together, either via TV trays in their doorways or by joining friends in a suite). You can have a couple of friends over and watch a video, TV show or movie. You can listen to an audio book together or read to each other. Start a small book club. Do artwork together. I know that prior to the pandemic various floors, led by their floor rep(s), have taken turns sharing life stories. This can continue on a one to one basis or with a couple of friends. It could include the therapeutic sharing of struggles around this pandemic. I think that intentional debriefing on the pandemic is a huge area of need. Residents can go for a walk through our hallways or within our courtyard. You can go to an activity room with a friend to get a change of scenery. You can start a recipe club and learn to create new dishes! You can listen to music together and expand your tastes in that realm. You can share pictures with a neighbour. Sharing pictures introduces infinite possibilities for storytelling. A vacation photo opens the door to sharing travel experiences. A picture of classmates opens the door to stories about your school years, Bible School years or college. A picture of a cast on an arm recalls an adventure that went a bit sideways! A picture of harvesting leads to stories about your growing up years or your years as a career farmer. A picture of a pet leads towell you get the idea! Thanks for your sacrifices during this challenging time and take advantage of these simple suggestions. Play safe and God bless you!

As the Bethany Villa personal care home remains under more stringent quarantine rules during COVID-19, Villa residents have been confined to a small area for a very long time and it is taking a toll on the psychological well-being of our most vulnerable residents. To provide much needed additional space for our Villa residents, the Villa Personal Care Home will be expanded into the Manor Multi-Purpose Room (MMPR), therefore: Effective Friday, August 14th at 4:30 p.m. the Bist...ro/Kitchen end of the MMPR will be off limits to all other residents. Please do not enter this end of the MMPR after this date/time. Thank you. If you need to contact the Kitchen, please call 306-242-2353. As this area contains the vending machine, the vending machine will be moved to Laura’s Lane, so that residents can continue to access it. The timeline on how long this change may remain in place is unknown, as we do not know when certain pandemic/quarantine rules for personal care homes may be lifted, however we trust you understand that this will benefit our Villa residents who do not have the same freedom of movement through the complex that other residents have. Please also note that the target date to open other activity rooms/puzzle rooms is September 1st. When these rooms open, please limit the number of people in these rooms at one time so that social distancing can be honoured. All Bethany common rooms/spaces, activity rooms, etc. remain closed to external (non-resident) visitors. As always, we thank you for your understanding and support during these continuing challenging days.

Are you considering Living in an enriched 55+ community? Downsizing? THERE ARE CURRENTLY INDEPENDENT LIVING OR ASSISTED LIVING LIFE LEASE SUITES AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE OCCUPANCY IN BETHANY PLACE!... Angie Howlett, Housing Officer Ph: 306-242-9019, ext 227

Our indoor visiting guidelines have been updated. Please view updates on our website at www.bethany55plusliving.ca Please note that our guest suites remain unavailable until further notice.