A long life is full of transition and change, and there are few settings that compare to a long-term care or retirement home when we consider the culmination of changes in the later stages of life. The transitions we see when people make such a move can be difficult for both residents and their families. There can be feelings of sadness or guilt that can accompany such a move, especially for spouses who have shared decades together.
Recognizing this, Schlegel Villages launched a support group for residents and loved ones called GATHER, which opens space for people to connect with others who have shared similar transitions and experiences in life. There are three main focus areas with the GATHER format, where small groups come together in the spirit of shared understanding: Grief and Loss; Life Transitions; and Care Partners.
As a Resident Support Coordinator in Long-Term Care at The Village of Winston Park, Gina Almeida has seen the impact since the groups first began meeting in late summer 2024. There is a sense of connection, mutual support, and comfort that emerges when the space for facilitated conversations is opened, she says.
Some of the first sessions Gina organized were for spouses facing the transition of their life partner moving into long-term care.
These are individuals who are “living through similar experiences and grappling with many of the same emotions,” Gina says, and “GATHER has allowed family members to connect with others that are walking in their shoes.”
She says that in response to multiple losses in one LTC neighbourhood, the team organized a grief-focused GATHER session, which drew nearly 20 participants, including residents, staff, and family members. The session provided a space for remembrance, reflection, and appreciation and the neighbourhood seemed to grow stronger through it.
At Winston Park and across Schlegel Villages, GATHER groups, with their predictable formant and safe spaces for sharing, are expanding and becoming more regular fixtures within the neighbourhoods.
“One thing that I’ve learned from the experience is that we don’t need to have all the answers,” Gina says. In fact, sometimes there aren’t any answers; there is simply the reality that each person is facing through the transitions that life presents, and the comfort that can come when sharing that reality with those who can empathize and understand.
The GATHER format creates space for that comfort, and the dedicated people who facilitate the sessions are there to make sure that space is safe, supportive and filled with the shared gratitude that comes from mutual understanding.
