The Good Samaritan Society Spirit of Caring 24th Annual Golf Classic

Coming into our 24th year of the Spirit of Caring Golf Classic, we have raised more than a million dollars to use towards enhancing the quality of care and accommodations of our residents and clients.

As President and CEO of The Good Samaritan Society, I would like to invite you to join us on Thursday, June 9, 2016 at The Quarry Golf Club for our 24th Annual Spirit of Caring Golf Classic. Our seniors and individuals with developmental and physical disabilities rely on your support and generosity for this major fundraising event to help us achieve our mission of providing Christian hospitality to all of those in our care. We are very happy to have Servus Credit Union returning as our title sponsor for 2016.

Starting in 2015, proceeds from the tournament have been put towards our New Initiatives in Care Excellence (NICE) program, which focuses on enhancing the quality of care that we are providing to our residents and clients. This year, the initiatives that were selected through the NICE program will create comfortable spaces and inspiring activities for those living with dementia. This is very important to The Good Samaritan Society, especially because according to the Alzheimer Society of Canada, by 2031 (if nothing changes in Canada) 1.4 million Canadians 65 and older will be living with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.

With your help, proceeds raised this year will be directed towards the enhancement of dementia care units at two of our care homes. This will include specially painted doors and murals, smaller dining rooms, and memory boxes. Specialized dementia care units help reduce incidents of elopement, and agitation and stress for those living with dementia. Painting hallways with bright colours or murals enhances moods and aids in orientation for dementia care residents. Memory boxes help promote engagement as they provide cues to evoke conversation with volunteers, staff, and visitors.

In addition, we will be implementing a music and memory program at three of our care homes, which will give residents living with dementia renewed meaning and connection with their memories through the gift of personalized music. There are many therapeutic benefits of personalized music, and ongoing research and evaluation of music and memory in care homes shows consistent positive results regarding mood, relationships, and staff engagement.

I look forward to seeing you at the Spirit of Caring Golf Classic! Thank you for your support, and we hope that you can join us in reaching our goal!

Shawn Terlson CPA, CMA, CHE
President & CEO