Southampton Care Centre holds re-opening celebration of new resident facility

On June 25th, the residents, families and team members of Southampton Care Centre celebrated the official opening of their new home at 374 Spence Street with a garden-themed party and ribbon cutting ceremony.

While residents moved from the original to the new home (which are adjacent) in March, the celebration was timed to allow everyone to settle into their new spaces and pace of life. Family, volunteers and members of the broader community were invited inside to experience the home’s warmth and energy, including MPP Lisa Thompson, Mayor Luke Charbonneau and MP Ben Lobb, all of whom have been champions for redevelopment.

Many attendees dressed for the occasion by donning sundresses, sun hats and beautiful fascinators and guests enjoyed themed refreshments and treats, conversed, shared laughs and took in live music by Dave and the Retros.

The home’s leadership team honoured long-standing residents and dedicated team members for their unique contributions to daily life, including special recognition for team members serving as many as 30 years of service. Their stories illustrate the day-to-day role of long-term care homes, especially in rural communities such as Southampton and Saugeen Shores, as places of primary residence and community builders.

Southampton Care Centre entered into the Jarlette Health Services family in 1996 as a home for 88 residents. Since then, the number of senior-aged residents in the broader community has grown substantially, as have the care needs of residents, which become increasingly complex as they age longer. While it has grown to be a home for 160 residents, its purpose remains true to its roots with focus on compassionate care and a person-centred approach.

The redeveloped home will ensure there are great long-term care services near to residents’ home communities and opportunities for residents to remain connected to their care and social networks.

“Whether you are a resident, family member or team member, you quickly become like family at Southampton Care Centre. As we say goodbye to one chapter of our home’s story, we all look forward to the amazing memories we will create in this new home,” said Angela Loughnan, Executive Director. “We deeply appreciate the support which has made this exciting new chapter possible, particularly from our municipal council and the provincial government.”

On behalf of the residents, Joan Irving, who has lived at the home for more than four years and is President of the Resident Council, offered her reflections on the profound impact Southampton Care Centre has had on her and her fellow residents. She emphasized that the home is far more than just a building: it is a true home that fosters an exceptional quality of life.

Joan also expressed her heartfelt appreciation to team members for their dedicated daily care and to the Jarlette family and municipal and provincial government for the visionary leadership shown in the redevelopment of the home.

Though it offers many cozy places to relax, residents of the home enjoy larger, more colourful and brightly-lit spaces which are decorated with “the things of life”. The decor  reflects the life journeys of residents and the broader community.

The home has also embarked on a journey to implement the ‘Butterfly Approach to Care’, from Meaningful Care Matters, and Jarlette Health Services’ chosen model of care, the ‘Philosophy of Living’. These each emphasize the dignity, uniqueness and emotional health of residents as individuals. This new journey elevates the home’s commitment to person-centred care to a new level by challenging the culture and conventional routines of long-term care to better reflect residents’ preferences, lifestyles and importance of their direct engagement in day-to-day life and activities in the home.

Some other features of the new home include a beauty salon, resident café, family dining room and multiple lounges, wellness centre, modern bath and shower spas, a crafts and private reflection room, larger windows with fantastic views of the surrounding neighbourhood, full air conditioning and an enclosed patio garden.

Huron-Bruce MP Ben Lobb said that “It’s so important that where you’ve lived and worked, you can retired here.”  He then recognized local resident, Vi Cotrill saying that, “She is probably the most famous person in Saugeen Shores and is the super fan of sports. You can see the diagrams of the facility but, until you stepped in, you can’t really appreciate how beautiful the facility is.”  MP Lobb recounted how his grandmother had moved into a facility similar to Southampton Care Centre and, instead of living alone in isolation, she made new friends.  “It was almost like she was living in a new fancy resort and was like a teenager again making new friends and it was fortunate for the whole family.”

“Southampton Care Centre’s new home represents our government’s commitment to continue to build new long term care facilities close to home, and this new build is the third to be realized in Huron-Bruce,” said Lisa Thompson, MPP for Huron-Bruce. “Every resident deserves to live in a place that offers comfort, dignity and opportunities to stay connected with family, friends and neighbours. Congratulations to the leadership team, staff and everyone whose dedication brought this outstanding new home to life. This marks a milestone for each and everyone of you.  I look forward to seeing it    serve the community for many years to come.”

“We are excited to see this expansion of the Southampton Care Centre that helps ensure residents can continue to age safely and comfortably in the community they know and love,” said Mayor Luke Charbonneau. “Long-term care homes are an essential part of our housing continuum, expanding the diversity of our housing supply while offering essential access to care. The expanded Centre will also create employment opportunities and strengthen our local economy, making this an investment that benefits the entire community for generations to come.”

“Residents in Ontario deserve homes like this,” said Harrison Jarlette. “I want to thank Mayor Charbonneau and Council for being so supportive to make this happen. We have to make the stars align to make buildings like this happen for the community. As a reminder, this is just a building – it’s the residents, the staff and families that make this a home. This shows the community strength that’s here.

The construction phase of the home was a major boost to the local economy, contributing an estimated $86.2 million to the regional economy. The home will continue to contribute as a major employer and consumer of local goods and services for generations to come.
Southampton Care Centre is hiring additional part-time and full-time team members and it
welcomes volunteers over the age of 14-years.