Kinsmen Lodge Surrey
9650 137A Street V3T 4H9 Surrey, BC, Canada

Dear Families, Friends and Partners in Care, We are happy to share that Public Health has officially given us the all clear, allowing us to lift the heightened preventative measures that we had been maintaining on 2nd Floor - Crescent neighbourhood. All Elders that were previously on precautionary isolation have now come off and operations as they were prior to our potential low-risk exposure have resumed. The temporary hold on social visitation for Crescent has also been r...emoved. Since March 2020, KL has implemented strict infection prevention and control protocols, some of which are enhanced cleaning, minimal movement between neighbourhoods, no congregation or large group activities, social distancing, use of proper PPE (including medical-grade face mask and eye protection while in all care areas), active screening for staff twice per shift and Elders twice per day and immediate swab testing for a low threshold of symptoms. As mentioned previously, we have one of the highest rates of staff and Elder COVID-19 immunization compliance within the entirety of FHA. To this day, these many levels of protection remain in place. Thank you once again to our amazing staff for their hard work, dedication to a culture of safety and the compassionate care given to our Elders. We are also grateful for the constant support from our extended Kinsmen Lodge family as we all work together for the continued well-being of our Elders, staff and community whose safety remains our highest priority. If you should have any further questions, please feel free to contact us at [email protected] or call us at (604) 588-0445. Warm Regards, Kathleen Kennedy-Strath, CEO

Wishing our Kinsmen Lodge family a very Happy Vaisakhi! To celebrate this special day, our Recreation team held a small mobile party to wish everyone growth, health and peace...

Dear Families, Friends and Partners in Care, We are sharing here the latest update from the Fraser Health Authority (FHA). Yesterday, Public Health informed us of a potential exposure to COVID-19 on the 2nd floor - Crescent neighbourhood. We have been in communication with the Fraser Health Medical Health Officer and Public Health Nurse, who was very impressed with our current protocols and assessed Kinsmen Lodge as low risk of exposure, NOT an outbreak. Our staff immunizat...ion rate for the COVID-19 vaccine is at 92% and the Elders are at 93%. According to Public Health, this is the highest rate of staff and Elder COVID-19 immunization compliance within the entirety of FHA. Through an abundance of caution, we increased our existing preventative measures to further maintain the health and well-being of our Elders, staff and community. Safety of all is our first priority and a responsibility we take very seriously. We were also directed to cease all onsite social visits and offsite outings/leaves on Crescent until further notice; although, necessary medical leaves remain unaffected. We want to reassure you that Kinsmen Lodge has been implementing preventative measures since March 2020. Public Health will continue to work with and help us monitor the situation closely. Communication will continue through our Elders’ primary contact, as per our routine practice, and we will keep this designated person updated on any changes related to your loved one’s health status. With the temporary hold on visitation for Crescent, we realize that this is a difficult situation for our families and we appreciate your understanding as we work together to protect our entire Kinsmen Lodge family. To keep everyone connected, we still highly encourage virtual visits with our Elders. We thank you for your positive support and patience as we move forward during these challenging days. We will continue to provide updates as we receive the information. If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact us at [email protected] or call us at (604) 588-0445. Warm Regards, Kathleen Kennedy-Strath, CEO

The Elders making us all chuckle on April Fool's Day ...

We have been fielding some questions regarding how our extended Kinsmen Lodge family and the general public can access the COVID-19 vaccine. You simply need to follow these 3 easy steps... Step 1: Register when you are eligible. Step 2: Book your date (online, phone or at a Service BC office). Step 3: Get vaccinated.... More information can be found below. However, if you still require assistance, please call us at (604) 588-0445 and we will try to help as best we can!

As you are aware, the BC Ministry of Health announced an ease to the restrictions on social visitation policies in long-term care starting April 1. In response to this wonderful news, we would like to share our updated social visitation plan with our families, friends and partners in care. SOCIAL VISITATION PLAN:...Continue reading

More photos of the fun that was had over the Easter long weekend .

Dear Families, Friends and Partners in Care, We are so excited to be able to share this latest update. As you may be aware, the BC Ministry of Health announced today that changes to social visitation policies in long-term care will be made to ease restrictions starting April 1st. ... This is an incredibly positive change that so many people have been waiting for! It's astonishing to realize that restrictions on social visitation have been in place since March 2020. Now, with the added layer of protection provided by vaccinations, it has been deemed an appropriate time to ease these restrictions and to support safe social connections. At this time, we ask for your continued patience as Kinsmen Lodge awaits further direction from the Fraser Health Authority in regards to specific procedures and exactly what future visitation will look like within our home. Once we have more clarity, we will reach out to all the families and share our new visitation plan. Please be on the lookout for more information in the next few days. Rest assured, we look forward to welcoming you through our doors again! Warm Regards, Kathleen Kennedy-Strath, CEO

Thankful for our Elders who continuously bring light and joy into our lives. Happy Easter to our entire Kinsmen Lodge family .

As the saying goes, everybody is Irish today . Even if it is only this once a year! To celebrate the spirit of the day, here is an Irish Blessing: "A wish that every day for you will be happy from the start and may you always have good luck and a song within your heart."

Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (That's an Irish Lullaby) by James Royce Shannon Over in Killarney, many years ago Me Mither sang a song to me in tones so sweet and low,... Just a simple little ditty, in her good ould Irish way, And I'd give the world if she could sing That song to me this day. Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li, Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Hush now don't you cry! Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, Too-ra-loo-ra-li, Too-ra-loo-ra-loo-ral, That's an Irish lullaby. Oft, in dreams I wander To that cot again, I feel her arms a huggin' me As when she held me then. And I hear her voice a hummin' To me as in days of yore, When she used to rock me fast asleep Outside the cabin door.

This year, our Elders will be celebrating #BurnsNight with mini gatherings in their own neighbourhoods. In honour of the Scottish poet, we share this special video created with the help of our cherished friend, Colin Barrett. Colin has been piping in the haggis at Kinsmen Lodge’s annual Robbie Burns Day party for 35 years and we did not want to break with tradition. So, raise a wee dram to toast the bard and enjoy!

We hope you can tune in live tomorrow, Tuesday, March 16th at 8:20 AM to Radio 88.1 FM. Kinsmen Lodge will be featured on CBC Radio One’s popular morning show, The Early Edition. Host Stephen Quinn will be interviewing one of our Elders regarding his experience as a resident living in Long Term Care during the pandemic...

Spotlight from Safecare BC - As a concentrated effort is seen globally to ramp up COVID-19 immunization plans, two of our KL heroes share their reasons for getting the vaccine

A BIG THANK YOU, to our Kinsmen Lodge staff , from the Leadership Team. Thank you for working so tirelessly to care for our Elders’ needs, continuing to make KL a safe place to live and work and supporting each other while working together in the fight against COVID-19. We are truly inspired by your commitment to making a difference in these unprecedented and challenging times. ... Today, March 11, marks one year since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus a global pandemic. For us at KL, it really started back on March 7, 2020 when we were galvanized into action to protect our Elders, staff and community. With the help and support of our entire KL family, we have stayed the course, following our safety plan and preventing this deadly virus from destroying our home. We are confident and proud to say that we are stronger than ever! We appreciate all of the effort and the amazing teamwork that our entire team has displayed this past year. They continue to bring so much joy to our Elders and truly are the BEST !

We are so blessed by the many strong, talented, compassionate and brilliant women that build up and nurture our KL family . Their diversity is what makes our team so special! This International Women’s Day, we celebrate them and the crucial role played by all women in the ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Women continue to stand at the front lines of the COVID-19 crisis, as health sector workers, caregivers, scientists, doctors, innovators, community organizers ...and as some of the most exemplary, efficient and effective national leaders in combating this global pandemic. Today, there is more acceptance than ever before that women bring different experiences, perspectives and skills to the table and make irreplaceable contributions to decisions, policies and laws that work better for us all . So, Here’s to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them. Thank you for all that you do for Elder care .

Wishing our entire Kinsmen Lodge family peace , joy and love this holiday season. Merry Christmas , from our Elders ...

Cheers to health, happiness and bright days ahead in 2021 ! The west side windows of our building have been decorated with this message from our Elders .

Happy New Year to our entire Kinsmen Lodge family !

We wish you a Merry Christmas ...

Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, 'it will be happier.' ~Alfred, Lord Tennyson Published in today's edition of the Surrey Now-Leader Newspaper .

For the fourth year in a row, London Drugs - London Station donated a mountain of presents for each of our 157 Elders. We are so excited to see the Elders' smiles on Christmas morning when they open up their personalized gift bags. Many thanks to LD and their Stocking Stuffers for Seniors program whose generosity will help bring more holiday cheer to KL .

Thank you once again to London Drugs and the staff, customers, community participants and campaign supporters of their #StockingStuffersForSeniors holiday donation drive. The caring gesture of giving a gift helped bring countless smiles to the faces of our Elders on Christmas morning .

Thank you to the family of Elder Verna Nelson for donating these adorable Christmas treesfor the Elders' rooms, as well as some Icy Squares chocolates to sweeten the Elders' Christmas stockings .

So grateful to all these wonderful groups for sending in handmade Christmas cards for the Elders ...

Happy Diwali to our Kinsmen Lodge family! This year, our Recreation staff celebrated Diwali in small groups within each neighbourhood throughout the day. Here are a few special photos from last year's memorable event. We are looking forward to next year when we can hopefully have an even bigger party!

For those who left, never to return. For those who returned, never to be the same. For those brave, who sacrifice their lives so we can live ours. We remember.

Dear Families, Friends and Partners in Care, With the recent updates released by Dr. Bonnie Henry and Minister Adrian Dix, you may be wondering if there have been any changes regarding social visitation with our Elders. We just wanted to let you know that the updated COVID-19 orders for the Fraser Health and Vancouver Coastal Health regions do NOT include any changes to visitor protocols in long-term care, according to information from the Ministry of Health acquired over the... weekend. Kinsmen Lodge will continue to monitor closely for any orders that affect our Elders, their families and loved ones. If you should have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us at [email protected] or call us at (604) 588-0445. Warm Regards, Kathleen Kennedy-Strath, CEO

2020 has been full of challenges, but there are still many reasons to be thankful: deepened friendships, valuable lessons learned, a beautiful place to call home and all of YOU! Hope you spent the long weekend enjoying some simple pleasures with your loved ones. After all, life is like a cup of tea - to be filled to the brim and enjoyed with friends...Happy Thanksgiving to our Kinsmen Lodge family .

Published in today's edition of the Surrey Now-Leader Newspaper .

The SurreyCares Community Foundation has launched a new video to spread awareness and showcase the local not-for-profits they support with the help of its fund holders and donors. You will notice some familiar Kinsmen Lodge faces sprinkled throughout the clip as we were the beneficiary of a grant from the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF). This allowed us to increase valuable hours for our music therapy program during the pandemic. Please take a few minutes to view the short video and thank you once again to #SurreyCares2020 for partnering with us as we continue to care for our vulnerable Elders.

Please enjoy this e-Edition of our monthly newsletter.

Kinsmen Lodge would like to thank Ricks Heart Foundation BC for providing some fantastic entertainment for Halloween, ensuring it was a truly special day for our Elders. We were also happy to have shared this event with our neighbour, Laurel Place. Many Elders could be seen in the windows of both buildings enjoying the music! At KL, there were at least twenty Elders watching the show from their rooms. As Christmas fast approaches, we hope to partner with Ricks Heart Foundation BC again for some more fun!

Published in today's edition of the Surrey Now-Leader Newspaper, in the Senior Living section .

Kinsmen Lodge is thrilled to be nominated in the non-profit & public sector category for the UnTapped 2020 BC Workplace Inclusion Award. We take great pride in being inclusive and providing opportunities for people with different needs throughout our care home .

At the start of summer, we shared the fantastic news that KL had received a grant which enabled us to bring in an additional music therapist for our special care neighbourhoods until the end of the year. Kinsmen Lodge would like to formally acknowledge that we are so grateful for the support given by Employment and Social Development Canada, the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF) and SurreyCares Community Foundation. The vision of SurreyCares is a... giving connected community and KL is proud to be aligned with their values as we work tirelessly to prioritize the safety, health and happiness of our Elders today and always . @CommFdnsCanada

Traditionally, Labour Day marks the unofficial end to summer and the start of the new school year. It is a day to recharge, rest and enjoy time with friends. Hoping that our hardworking Kinsmen Lodge family enjoyed the long weekend...

Happy BC Day! Since July 14th, we have already had over 250 joyful outdoor social visits! The Elders have been spending the long weekend enjoying the sun and time with their loved ones ...

For many of us, a garden represents peace and thoughtfulness; a tranquil place where mind and body can be still even while the world around us is moving so fast . Excerpt from Inside My Garden Gate By Susan C. Walkinshaw-Kelly... How I love my little garden, where I sit and contemplate. My perfect piece of paradise inside my garden gate. Hanging baskets, pretty pots, the flowers are brimming over. The grass so green, the buttercups, the daisies, and the clover.

Happy Birthday, Canada. You don't look a day over 153 .

Here are some of the Elders showing off their red and white Canadian pride! We are celebrating today with a courtyard concert and maple leaf treats that will be served to the Elders on the neighbourhoods. There is a special guest presentation at 1:45 PM and then our featured performer, Randy Friskie as Elvis Presley, will start his show at 2 PM. Happy Canada Day from your Kinsmen Lodge Family!

"Sometimes life brings you full circle to a place you have been before just to show you how much you have grown." Thank you to the SPARK Foundation who had reached out to us wanting to treat all of our staff to a tasty lunch or dinner, offer a free workshop for our kids and donate a roll of fabric to our Sew4Us group - all through a grant from the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award. The gesture was made even more special when we found out that SPARK has always had love for KL as a few of them used to volunteer here when they were in high school. They told us they love how caring the staff is here and knew it was the right choice .

Dads are wonderful! We couldn't agree more! "The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature." ~Antoine François Prévost

A few more Father's Day greetings from just some of our amazing Kinsmen Lodge dads .

Some people don't believe in heroes, but they haven't met my dad. When you are young, you think your dad is Superman; then you grow up and you realize that he is just a regular guy who wears a cape. Dads are so much more. Their strength and guidance are the foundation that families are built on. Fathers don’t just tell you that they love you, they show you. The quality of a father can be seen in the goals, dreams and aspirations he sets not only for himself, but for his fa...mily. The Elders celebrated Father’s Day with a special BBQ lunch and a courtyard concert with entertainment by Greg Gorrie. One day is not enough to honour and celebrate how special our fathers truly are because they are amazing every day of the year. Happy Father’s Day to all of our Kinsmen Lodge dads - for all you’ve done and for all you still do to bring so much happiness to our lives!

Many of you know the familiar face of Akylina, who not only was a student and completed her practicum hours at KL, she also most recently has stepped in to provide some additional Music Therapy hours here while we navigate the changes brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Everyone agrees that she is amazing ! Akylina is getting married this weekend and we want to wish her all the best, from her Kinsmen Lodge family . Marriage is like music. Both are playing different instru...ments and different parts, but as long as you are playing from the same sheet music, you can create something beautiful . Wishing Akylina a wedding day full of love and sunshine and a lifetime of happiness. Enjoy your Not So Big Greek Wedding !

The Recreation staff are working hard to keep our Elders active. Over the next few weeks, we will be sharing some of the fun activities that the Elders have been involved in.

Our neighbourhood patios are looking mighty fine! Rain or shine, a splash of colour to brighten our days .