The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.2005, Síða 27

Vo!. 59 #4
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
153
Icelandic Care Home, Hofn, on Harrison Drive (approx. 1963).
stirring music of the bagpipes as centenari-
an Elizabeth McIntyre followed a tartan-
clad Scottish piper to her 100th birthday
breakfast. Scottish dancers provided enter-
tainment at this special birthday celebra-
tion at Hofn.
During the early 1980s the cost per res-
ident was $40.87 per day. Alterations were
needed at Hofn to bring it up to govern-
ment standards as a Personal Care Home
facility. At a cost of $1,000,000 these alter-
ations included an elevator, handicapped
bathrooms and additional staff as care was
extended to Intermediate Care and
Extended Care. A Residents’ Council was
formed at Hofn and over the years, with
the help of recreation staff members like
Frances Johnson and Christine Buttkus,
the residents put out a monthly
Newsletter, which showcased the numer-
ous activities such as gardening, singing
and day trips enjoyed by the residents.
It is interesting to note that Ted Neely,
who had been maintenance man at Hofn
for many years, left his job there to attend
a Theological School. After he graduated
he would come back sometimes on
Sundays to conduct a religious service
there. In 1986 a resident of Hofn, Mrs.
Maude Ross, celebrated her 103rd birth-
day.
The Icelandic Care Home Hofn had a
reputation as a caring and well kept facility
for its residents. It was kept scrupulously
clean and well maintained under the effi-
cient Administrator Marlene Wynes and
her staff of Business Manager Albert Teng,
Director of Care Rosemarie Ang and
General Maintenance Jerry Chiasson. In
1989 Hofn was awarded the Best Practice
Award in acknowledgement of outstanding
contribution in improving the quality of
life of the older person.
Over the years the residents coming
into Hofn were more disabled as the elder-
ly were moving into Care Homes at a later
stage in their lives, than in previous years.
By that time many were in need of more
personal care so more staff was needed as
well as more volunteers to provide activi-
ties to stimulate and enhance their lives.
Wait lists at Hofn declined, due to shared
rooms as all the newer Homes had single
rooms. At this time Hofn had twenty two
single rooms and twenty one shared rooms.
Prospective clients or families would come
and look at the Hofn Home. They loved
the fine quality of the common areas such
as the dining room, the rec room and the
beautiful Solskin Garden but the drawback
was the lack of single rooms.
In the mid 1990s major changes were
occurring in the province of British
Columbia regarding the future of Boards of
non profit Societies. This became a big con-
cern of the Scandinavian Boards, including
the Hofn Society Board, all of whom had
dedicated years of time and energy to cre-
ate a haven of care for their elderly. The
Scandinavian Group Societies discussed