We are excited to have her join the Menno Place family and look forward to the many contributions she will bring.

With elevated temperatures, the risk of heat related illness increases, particularly in seniors and those more vulnerable.

Since 2022 Menno Place has made significant improvements the our air conditioning across our campus, especially in our long-term care buildings. Along with these improvements all staff are reminded to work together to keep residents and buildings cool and take extra care to stay safe during these hot days.

Temperatures in excess of 26 degrees can result in increased physical strain in seniors, particularly if those temperatures continue over a period of days.

To protect our residents and tenants, we pro-actively monitor for heat-related conditions, following our Heat Preparedness Plan.

We mitigate risk by:

• ensuring hydration to all those who receive care services
• providing water / hydration stations in all buildings for staff and tenants
• providing cooling cloths to all who receive care services
• closing blinds/curtains and ask tenants to do the same
• ensure those in care are wearing light-weight clothing and reminding tenants to do the same
• encouraging apartment tenants to seek out air-conditioned spaces or get an air-conditioner installed

Staff can help keep the residents cool by:

• Offering residents lots of water and other fluids
• Monitoring residents, especially ones with ‘sun stickers’ often for heat related illnesses
• Disposable cooling pads are available at the nursing stations
• Gel packs for residents are located in the Home & Hospital kitchen freezers. Use for resident heat emergencies only.
• Relocate residents to cooler areas if their rooms get uncomfortably hot.
• Fans may not effectively reduce body temperatures or prevent heat-related illness in people at risk. Therefore, fans should be used to move cool air around and not be used as a primary cooling device.

Staff, keep the buildings cool:

Ensure air conditioners are ON at all times. (report any problems to maintenance right away)
Windows and blinds closed in the hot day times. Open windows in the cooler evenings (if safe to do so)

Quick Tips for Extreme Heat

How to keep your body cool and comfortable:

• Drink plenty of water
• Put on sunscreen when outside
• Wear loose fitting, light coloured, breathable clothing
• Avoid being in direct sunlight for too long
• Place a cold, wet towel around your neck
• Keep your apartment cool by closing the blinds, using AC, and limiting oven use
• Shower, bathe, or sponge off with cool water

And if you experience symptoms of a heat stroke (high body temperature, dizziness or fainting, confusion, and very hot and red skin), call 9-1-1.

Heat Exhaustion Symptoms

• Skin rash
• Heavy Sweating
• Headache
• Dizziness
• Fainting
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Rapid Heartbeat and breathing
• Muscle cramps
• Extreme thirst and/or dark urine or decreased urination

Anyone with one or more of these symptoms should move to a cool space immediately and let someone know they are not feeling well.

Heat Stroke Symptoms

• High body temperature
• Dizziness
• Fainting
• Confusion
• Lack of coordination
• Very hot and red skin

Anyone with any of these symptoms should call 911 immediately.

The safety and well-being of our residents, families, staff, and visitors remains one of our highest priorities at Menno Place. Recent resident meetings across our apartment communities reflect a strong sense of comfort and security, and we are grateful for the trust our community places in us each day.

At the same time, we believe that safety is never static so we are continually proactive exploring and implementing ways to strengthen our security measures even further. The following list outlines the ways that we are enhancing security on our campus of care:

1. Enhanced Camera Monitoring

• We are expanding the use of AI-enabled features within our existing camera systems.
• Exterior camera alerts during overnight hours (21:00–06:00) will be monitored by our offsite security partner Allegiance 1. When alerts are triggered, the monitoring team will review video clips and determine if a response or dispatch is required.

2. Lighting Improvements

• Upgrading driveway lighting from Marshall Road with LED parking-style fixtures to significantly improve visibility in the approach to these areas.
• Additional motion-activated lighting will be installed around Pavilion and Terrace West. These upgrades are designed to enhance lighting without impacting drivers or nearby residents.

3. Signage Enhancements

• Strategic placement of updated security signage in collaboration with Allegiance 1 near camera locations to reinforce active monitoring and deterrence.

4. Landscaping Adjustments

• Selective trimming and removal of shrubs around Pavilion and Terrace West to improve camera sightlines and reduce potential concealment areas

If you have any ideas or questions about security on our campus please use this form to reach out to Bas Kervel, Director, Support Services – https://mennoplacelife.com/do-you-need-to-contact-us/

We had one week of appreciation for support services. Individuals were kind enough to share words of appreciation about our teams, in particular: The great work the maintenance team does, and the dedication of our “superheroes” in laundry and housekeeping. Over the week-long recognition, all support services teams were recognized for their great contributions.

The ice-cream event resulted in approximately 100 employees attending. People participated by taking pictures, and using the inflatable soccer balls for some physical activity.These soccer balls were such a big hit, that we decided to hold a draw for each one. There was one game at the event, and individuals had to guess the correct amount of chocolate covered soccer balls amongst different candy in a candy jar.

CLICK TO SEE PHOTOS OF THE MENNO CUP DAY!

The day turned out to be a lot of fun and a great way to close Support Services Week.

The following individuals are winners of the Support Services Menno Cup event:

1. Jass Chahal  – Winner of an Amazon gift card
2. Amandip Dhanoya – Winner of the FIFA 2026 T-shirt and candy
3. Kiran Malda – Winner of an inflatable soccer ball
4. Danielle Ries – Winner of an inflatable soccer ball
5. Kara Wilkinson – Winner of an inflatable soccer ball

We also had a draw for all support service employees who shared why they enjoyed their jobs.

The winner of a Greek Islands Restaurant gift card was: Rhonda Thompson

Congratulations to all our winners, and a big thank you to our great support services teams!

If you missed them earlier, you can see photos from the day here:
https://mennoplacestaff.com/celebrating-support-services-week/